Why is ‘Byzantine’ used to describe excessive bureaucracy? Was Byzantium really an administrative mess?
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r/AskHistorians has your answer: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/t67mu/whyhow_did_byzantine_come_to_mean_very_complex/
u/byzantinebasileus wrote:
> The Byzantine Empire had a reputation for having a very tangled court full of officials, nobles, relatives, servants and attendants, all competing for favor and power. This would result in constant back-stabbing, schemes, betrayal and plots within plots within plots.
>As such, the term “Byzantine” came be used to represent this idea of something so intertwined it is difficult to comprehend clearly.
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