The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-07-22

united powers of the earth could not shake
from HIM his sceptre. He sat securely
> Whlle war and rapne ragged around him
$ nothing fearing nothing daunted
Byzantlum was founded, according to
> Dlodorus Slculus, during the time of the
Argonauts, by Bysas, who settled Thrace
: with a colony of Magarenses. 1t became, in
the course OF time, the greatest and most
Populous city of Thrace. Subsequently 1t
fell into the hands of the Persians, from
whom IT was taken by Pausanias, king of
Laced1mon. Afterwards it became sub
Ject to the Athenlans, and lastly to the Ro-
mans. The first event of Importance is its
demolition by Severus in revenge Of the
opposition OF the inhabitants TO his claims.
AT this time 1t was fortified with high walls
ana numerous towers, seven of which were
SO arttully constructed that the least noise
heard In one, was communicated to all the
rest. The ByZantlnes defended themselves
with wonderful resolution for three wears,
I'LL famine compelled them to open their
gates 10 the conquerors, who reduced the
city to ashes. and levelled its walls to the
ground. SeVerus subsequently rebuilt the
city, and called it Antonima.
In the year Of our Lord 1928, Constantine
resolved upon building city that should
rival, II not surpass, the Roman capital.
According to Zozomus, this resolution was
! rounded on his hatred to the Romans by
whom he was scorned for having embraced
ana introduced new religion, while Eutro-
Plus tells us that his sole object was to dis
play ms power, by showing that he could
IN a few years, build a city of equal fame
with immortal Rome. He first chose site
between Troas and ancient Ilium, on the
ASlatc coast His determination was al
tered by vision from Heaven, which point
ell out to him the city of Byzantium. He
extended the walls from sea to sea, built
capitol, an amphitheatre, circus, vast
number OF churches and public buildings,
ana divided the whole city into fourteen
wards On the 1lth of May, A. D. $50, he
caused the city to be solemnly consecrated
to the God of martyrs. This ceremony was
performed by the fathers of the council of
Nice, and lasted forty days. Constantine
named the city New Rome, and also Con-
stantinople, and declared it the METROPOLIS
OF the eastern empire.
Constantius adorned and improved the
city of his father, with fountains, baths, and
stately palaces. The emperor Julian who
was born in Constantinople,) enriched it
with many privileges, formed large har-
Dor, to shelter the ships from the south
Wind and built a magnificent porch leading
to it. In the year 40I, the city Was sliats
tered by violent earthquakes, which lasted
for three days, on which occasion number
of Pagans asked for and received the sa-
crement of baptism. In the year 404, on
the day of st. Chrysostom's Punishment,
the great church was consumed by fire, to-
gether with the senate palace and other
great buildings. The fire is said to have
originated with the friends of the exiled
bishop. In the year 480, during the 18th
consulship of Theodosius, dreadful fire
broke out, which lasted three days, and
consumed great part of the city. In 447,
another earthquake Frustrated the walls,
and fifty-seven towers, and in 465, a six
days fire reduced eight of the fourteen
wards. In SIS, another dreadful fire con-
sumed great part of the city, with the Ii
hrary of 10000 volumes, and the works of
Homer.
In $50, the Huns passed the Danube in
mid-winter, and marched in two bodies
directly upon Constantinople, but were re-
pulsed and put to flight by the celebrated
Belisarious, the renowned hero whose ser
vices met with such black ingratitude at
the. hands of Justinian. In Gil, the first
siege was laid to this place by Chosroes of
Persia, who blockaded it for eight years,
but was at last driven off by Herachtus.
In 672, the city was besieged by the Sar-
Gems. This siege lasted seven years, dur
ing which Callincus a native of Heliopolis,
Egypt invented the famous Greek fire,
which proved so fatal to the fleet of the be-
siegers. In us, the third year of Leo's
reign, the Saracen Omar invested it by
land, while two mighty fleets blockaded 1t
by sea; but the Greek fire again proved a
protection, and after IL months the seige
was abandoned. In 732, another earth
quake visited this city. The Greek patri-
arch, Anastaslus, was publicly beaten with
rods by Constantine's orders, and carried
about the city on an ass, his face towards
the animals tail. In 763 a most extraol-
binary frost commenced on the first day of
October, and lasted to the end of February.
. The Propontos and Euxine were frozen for
a hundred miles from the shore, so firmly as
to bear the heaviest carriages.
In $50, another fire consumed great
part of the city, together with the patrl-
| arch's palace, in which was the manuscript
/ of st. Chrysostom's comments on the scrip
lures. In the next year, another earth
! quake forced the inhabitants to quit their
houses for the open fields. In l03l, AleXi.
t Eus Commenus made himself master of Con
stantinople, the gates being opened at night
, to his troops. During the reign of Isaac
5 Angeus, Brannas Alexius, the greatest
1 commander of that day, revolted and laid
5 siege to the city, but was repulsed by Con
l., rad of Mountserrat, who headed the impe-
? rial army. In 1909, the French and Veni-
t tians made combined attack by land and
3 sea, headed by the celebrated Henry Dan
t dolo. The Octogenarien chief, Byzantum's
s conquering foe, who planted the Lion OF St
q Mark on one of the city towers, and restor-
! ed Isaac Angelus to the throne. In 1908
2 some Latin soldiers set fire to the city, and
a great norton was burned down. In I2O4