What is the significance of the Byzantine empire to the civilization of Europe

The Byzantine
Empire was basically the continuation of the Roman Empire under a different cultural, political,
religious and geographic setting. The Byzantines largely thought of themselves as the inheritors
of the Roman legacy and maintained many of the writings, scientific knowledge and other cultural
elements that distinguished the Old/Classical world, and were later inherited by Western Europe
during the Renaissance. The Empire also served as a sort of buffer, geographically and
politically insulating Western Europe from many outside influences, such as the spread of
Islam.