The Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire, and also known at the time as Romania, Roman Empire and روم (Rûm "Rome")) is a continuation of the Roman Empire in the east. Centered on its capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct succession to the ancient Roman Emperors. The Empire preserved Romano-Hellenistic traditions, but due to the increasing predominance of the Greek language, it became known to most of its western and northern contemporaries usually as the Empire of the Greeks. Below, a map of the Byzantine Empire in 1025 AD, prior to the Second Crusade.