Throwing ballast overboard: the attitude of the Eastern Roman empire towards the West in the fifth century ad = Избавляясь от балласта: отношение Восточной Римской империи к Западу в 5 в. н.э.

Abstract

The year 395 marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Roman Empire. The division of the imperial territory into two portions proved to be final and, in the short-term historical perspective, led to the downfall of the western part. The article suggests that this event was caused by a deliberate position taken by the ruling elites of the Eastern Roman Empire toward their western counterparts