How and why was the history of the Eastern, or Byzantine, half of the Roman Empire so different from the Western half

The Eastern and the Western Roman Empires were very different from one another despite both having the same basis in the same empire. The division between the two occurred so that the empire can be governed easier and better because it became too large. This resulted in big changes, especially in the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire became Orthodox Christian which heavily influenced its development and culture. The official language was not the Latin, but the Greek. The emperors were not Romans, but instead they were primarily from the Balkans. The laws were modified, and the way of functioning of the empire was also changed in accordance to its surroundings and what was most practical.