alternatehistory.com

Most WI Roman timelines I'm aware of always have the empire retain it's territorial integrity to a greater or lesser extent and is nearly always considered a great power.

But what if Rome survived in some fashion after the fall of Constantinople? Suppose one of the Emperor's relatives manages to flee to some small island chain in the Mediterranean or Aegean and sets up shop there, persisting throughout the centuries in some form or another, but having basically zero impact on history from then out?

The idea I had for a 'modern Roman *Empire*' is one that's basically a modern curiosity, revered by some for its direct and unbroken connection to the past but for the most part known mainly for being a corrupt and disheveled little tax haven whose main export is organized crime.

Once upon a time the Baselius could count on some minor support from the CIA in return for not being a Communist, but those days are long gone. The island's security forces (mercenaries. The last, ceremonial vestigial connection to the legion died out over a century ago) are finding themselves increasingly incapable of containing riots over the government's inability to provide basic necessities and the days of the regime, whose lineage can be traced back to the founding of Rome itself, are regarded as numbered.

What would be a semi-plausible timeline that connects these two points in history?
Top