View of St. Peter's Square in Vatican City

In the later years of the Roman Empire, struggles between government leaders, along with political and economic issues, led to the downfall of the Western Roman Empire. In addition, the increasing authority of the Christian Church provided a new form of leadership for people throughout the Mediterranean Sea. With the end of the Western Roman Empire came a shift of power to the Eastern Roman Empire. The emperor Constantine chose the Greek city of Byzantium to create a "New Rome" in the Eastern Roman Empire. He named this city Constantinople, and it would become a great seat of power in the middle of the first millennium.