The LegendThe most long-lasting empire of all times existed and ruled the eastern part of Europe for more than 1000 years. The orthodox continuation of the Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, expanded significantly with victorious crusades across the East and West. Their culture was formed by the Greek civilization and their language was the Greek. The Byzantines also preserved and copied classical manuscripts, and they are thus regarded as transmitters of the classical knowledge. The ChessmenThe figures of the chessmen were inspired by the royal family of the Macedonians, one of the biggest Dynasties of the Byzantine Empire. This dynasty included some of the most capable emperors in Byzantium’s history such as Basil I the “Macedonian” (King) and Leo VI called the “Wise” or Philosopher (Knight).