If you look at most of Byzantine history, most of their misfortune they brought upon themselves. Yarmouk, Manzikert, the Fourth Crusade...

I don't know why neo-fascists tend to glorify the ERE/Byzantium as some last bastion of Roman culture against Islamic hordes, when in reality around that time they were practically being ruled by emperors who were previously counterfeiters, caulkers and moneylenders. Nepotism was so bad around the middle ages that emperors would make their drunk vagrant cousin twice removed admiral of the fleet just because he could.

I digress. The ultimate flex by the Venetians was Doge Enrico Dandolo pillaging Constantinople, taking a lot of artifacts including the Horses of St. Mark and the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs, and then getting himself buried in the city he pillaged.