byzantine

adj. 1 of byzantium or the e. Roman empire. 2 of its highly decorated style of architecture. 3 (of a political situation etc.) Complex, inflexible, or underhand. n. Citizen of byzantium or the e. Roman empire.  byzantinism n. Byzantinist n. [latin byzantium, now istanbul]

n. A gold coin, so called from being coined at Byzantium. See Bezant.