Answer:
fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement
Explanation:
I think the author is Niccolo Machiavelli.
Byzantium/Constantinople was conquered in 1451, but the empire continued to decline starting around the 18th or 19th centuries. It officially died in WWI. As for how long it was a major threat to Europe, the empire's prime was the 16th century, under Suleiman the Magnificent.
