//--> Shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, Emperor Justinian the Great rose to power. They protected Europe from eastern invasions 2. They produced much fine art with a distinctive style 6. Byzantine Architecture is one of three major forces in the architectural world during the Middle Ages of Europe. The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the Roman Empire, and it survived over a thousand years after the western half dissolved. Constantinople had been purposely founded as the Christian counterpart and successor to the leadership of the old pagan city of Rome. As with Byzantine artists, architects were usually anonymous, and very few were named after th… Unable to hold Rome against the Germans, Justinian's forces made their temporary capital, Ravenna, a key artistic center, embellished by some of the most beautiful Christian mosaics known anywhere in the world. It would be these clashes with t…