This chapter centres on the rural landscapes of the late Roman Eastern Empire, focusing on settlement patterns, economic structures and the integration of rural communities into broader imperial networks. It challenges older historiographical models that depict the countryside as declining in tandem with the urban world, arguing instead that many rural regions remained vibrant and adapted to shifting political and economic conditions. This investigation draws on archaeological surveys, architectural remains and epigraphic evidence to analyse how different rural settlements evolved. It contrasts the village-based economies of the Eastern Mediterranean with the villa-centric model of the western provinces, emphasising that villages in the East continued to thrive well into the Byzantine period. The chapter also highlights the role of religious transformation, documenting the conversion of pagan sanctuaries into Christian sites and the spread of monastic settlements in rural landscapes. Another key theme is connectivity, particularly how infrastructure such as roads and maritime trade routes sustained rural economies. The discussion of transhumance and agricultural production further illustrates the dynamism of the eastern countryside. While certain regions experienced decline due to warfare or shifting imperial priorities, the chapter presents the eastern rural world as an adaptive, resilient environment, rather than one in simple decay.