The Oriental provinces of the Roman Empire outlasted the Occidental provinces of the Roman Empire due to the excellent strategic position of the Nova Roma or the metropolis of Constantinople which was defended with the massive Theodosian Walls, the greater amount of trade occurring in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire [While trade decreased in the West with the Vandal capture of Carthage in 439 CE, trade in the Aegean Sea between the provinces in mainland Greece and the provinces in Anatolia was well maintained until the wars with the Muslims in the succeeding centuries], and possession of the economic center of the Roman Empire - the province of Aegyptus.

With complete naval mastery in the Aegean Sea and control of the Dardanelles, Constantinople became impregnable while any attempt to cross the Hellespont would have been halted by the full strength of the Roman forces stationed in Anatolia. Simply put, the Oriental provinces of the Roman Empire were highly urbanized and affluent compared to the less urbanized West.