The Fourth Century was the period of 301 to 400 AD. That city wasn’t part of the Byzantine Empire. It was part of the Roman Empire. The empire split in 395 so maybe you could say it was part of the Eastern Roman Empire for about 5 years. But with that quibble aside, these stories are a good reminder of the lesson of “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.” Cities that were bustling hubs disappear into nothing. Palmyra is another one. Hell, the population of Rome itself fell to about 35,000 in the 6th Century and large parts of that city became ruins. Discovering a city like this just opens up a wealth of knowledge about what the trade routes were and what that part of the world was like.
> these stories are a good reminder of the lesson of “Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.” <
You make an excellent point.
The Romans thought their empire was eternal.
So there was no need any corrective action.
Same applies to the British empire.
And now to the American empire?
I guess in a couple thousand years, they’ll be digging up New York City and saying, “How could such a great culture that built this city collapse the way it did.
All of us who know will be long gone.
"Hamilton [Nevada] became White Pine County’s first seat and built up quickly, stores, saloons, even a brick courthouse. But the silver didn't last, and fire sealed its fate. A blaze in 1873 wiped out much of the town. Another in 1885 burned the courthouse. After that, the county seat moved to Ely." (Nevada Ghost Towns and Historic Sites)
Before:
After: 70 years later, 1953, the facade of the same building on the left, above; even much less there, last time I visited, ca 2000.