text_original: As its centre of gravity was now on the Bosphorus instead of being on the Tiber, and as its chief possessions were situated on the east of the Gulf of Venice, or even on the east of the Archipelago, it is difficult to avoid speaking of it as the eastern empire ; but for all the centuries between the fifth and the ninth we must remember that this is not a strictly accurate expression.
text_transcription: AS ITS CENTRE OF GRAVITY WAS NOW ON THE BOSPHORUS INSTEAD OF BEING ON THE TIBER AND AS ITS CHIEF POSSESSIONS WERE SITUATED ON THE EAST OF THE GULF OF VENICE OR EVEN ON THE EAST OF THE ARCHIPELAGO IT IS DIFFICULT TO AVOID SPEAKING OF IT AS THE EASTERN EMPIRE BUT FOR ALL THE CENTURIES BETWEEN THE FIFTH AND THE NINTH WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THIS IS NOT A STRICTLY ACCURATE EXPRESSION
phonemes: æz ɪts sˈɛntɚɹ ʌv ɡɹˈævᵻɾi wʌz nˈaʊ ɔnðə bˈɑːsfɔːɹəs ɪnstˈɛd ʌv bˌiːɪŋ ɔnðə tˈaɪbɚ, ænd æz ɪts tʃˈiːf pəzˈɛʃənz wɜː sˈɪtʃuːˌeɪɾᵻd ɔnðɪ ˈiːst ʌvðə ɡˈʌlf ʌv vˈɛnɪs, ɔːɹ ˈiːvən ɔnðɪ ˈiːst ʌvðɪ ˌɑːɹkɪpɪlˈeɪɡoʊ, ɪɾ ɪz dˈɪfɪkəlt tʊ ɐvˈɔɪd spˈiːkɪŋ ʌv ɪɾ æz ðɪ ˈiːstɚn ˈɛmpaɪɚ ; bˌʌt fɔːɹ ˈɔːl ðə sˈɛntʃɚɹiz bᵻtwˌiːn ðə fˈɪfθ ænd ðə nˈaɪnθ wiː mˈʌst ɹᵻmˈɛmbɚ ðæt ðɪs ɪz nˌɑːɾə stɹˈɪktli ˈækjʊɹət ɛkspɹˈɛʃən.