Made their own trade and political decisions.
The Byzantine Empire's economy has always been regarded among the most strongest in the Mediterranean for several centuries. Their solid presence in Constantinople gave them a significant advantage as it was the center of a trading network that ran all throughout Eurasia into North Africa. With trading as their stong suit and a State that tightly controlled both internal and foreign transaction, they were set up for success. The one factor that set them apart has to be <u>their inmplementation of coinage</u>, which consolidated a monopoly around the Byzantine empire.
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