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Wikipedia: Byzantium
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Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by colonists from Megara? in 667 BC. After being captured by the Roman Emperor [Septimus Severus]? in 196 AD, it was refounded as Nova Roma or Constantinoupolis (Constantinople) by the Emperor [Constantine I]? the Great, after a prophetic dream that signified the location of the city. Of course it didn't take a prophet to see that this location would play an important role as the crosspoint between two continents(Europe and Asia), and later a magnet for Africa and others as well, concerning comerce, culture, diplomacy and strategy. As a strategic position again, Constantinoupolis, was able to control the passageway between Asia and Europe, as well as the passage from the Mediterranean to the Euxinos Pontus; see also Byzantine Empire. In the 20th century the city, now having passed into the hands of the Turks, was renamed Istanbul.