On the Bosphorus Strait stands the ancient city officially called Constantinople, after the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. This magnificent metropolis is better known to its citizens, to the thousands of merchants and travelers who pass through it daily, and to all who have heard tales of its glory, as Byzantium; and it is the heart of the influential and legendary Byzantine Empire.

So it was a century ago. Now, the city lives by its memories. Most of the territories that once paid tribute to the Emperor have broken away or been conquered by the Crusaders, Seljuks, Bulgars or some other upstart nation hoping for a piece of the crumbling pie. The Empire’s treasury is a study in sparseness. Over the last half-century, Byzantium has endured a near-catastrophic Crusader siege, averted narrowly by apparent hesitation and disarray in the enemy’s ranks; as well as the loss of one of its primary trading partners, the Russian city of Kiev. The Empire’s resources are now stretched exceedingly thin, and some say that a lack of unity amongst its enemies is all that stands between Byzantium and collapse.

Yet the great Hellenic civilization is not yet dead. Byzantium remains the seat of the powerful Orthodox Church, and the presence of the Patriarch grants the city a measure of security. The city is also home to a myriad of scholars, sages, wizards, and learned clerics, making it one of the greatest repositories of knowledge – magical and otherwise – in two continents. And despite economic pressure from Italy and other competitors, Byzantine trade routes remain the critical link between Europe and Asia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and the names of Byzantine merchant captains are spoken of as the richest men in the Empire and beyond.

Amongst Byzantine political circles, the greatest hope for the Empire is acknowledged to lie with the newly reborn city of Kiev. Long a key partner in trade and in war, Kiev has recently recovered from a disastrous invasion by the Mongol Horde. At the Emperor’s behest, His Holiness the Patriarch Methodius has now sent one of his most trusted archbishops? to re-establish the Church’s (and by extension, the Empire’s) influence in the Russian lands. This has, in turn, spurred a flow of Greek businessmen, craftsmen, and adventure-seekers to Kiev, who believe that there lie the most promising opportunities for profit. Whether Kiev fulfills the hopes of the Byzantine Empire remains to be seen. One thing is certain, however: the Empire is in dire need of new energy, and this renewed partnership may very well determine its future.