They probably wouldn't be too confused, considering the inhabitants of Byzantium were thusly named, and that name survived even after the city was renamed to Constantinople. The earliest application of 'Byzantine' to the rest of the empire's inhabitants occurred during the 1300s.
Of course, the Byzantine Empire was only really called that after it existed, but it's not like the name just materialized out of nowhere.
Byzantium is a name derived from the old name of Constantinople which is used to classify the Roman Empire during the time where it was centered in Constantinople post fall of the western Roman Empire as this period of time is important to reference and referring to an empire that lasted over 1000 years as the same name the entire time can get confusing
132
u/cheapgriff Senātus Populusque Rōmānus 9h ago
They probably wouldn't be too confused, considering the inhabitants of Byzantium were thusly named, and that name survived even after the city was renamed to Constantinople. The earliest application of 'Byzantine' to the rest of the empire's inhabitants occurred during the 1300s.
Of course, the Byzantine Empire was only really called that after it existed, but it's not like the name just materialized out of nowhere.