The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-16
? the table given below:
Constantinople and the Eastern Cues
ton.

Constantinople and the Eastern Cues
ton.
There is not 10 all America probably, |
an educated reading youth, to whom the
name "Constantinople" is not synonym
for all that is romantic and magnificent.
Nor is there child of the Orient, nor a
dweller in Western Asia, in whose fancy
"Stamboul," the Imperial Capital is not
the very emblem of celestial glory. The
City of Constantinople has, indeed, for the
old and the new world, both in itself and
in its associations, charm peculiar among
the great cities of earth; and the central
interest is for the greater part mainly a
religious one.
Going back to the age Of about 1900
years before Christ, when men like Gideon,
Jephthah and Sampson were judges 10
Israel, and when the tribes of Greece were
like untutored savages, an imaginative
person might easily behold with the eye OF
the mind, bearing down from the Propontis
a rude galley towards the wooded prom
ontory where now rises Constantinuple.
As the gallery draws near, it is seen to be
bark of about two hundred tons burthen,
and is propelled by fifty oars, AS it
touches the shore the name "Argo" is to
be read, Jason" is the commander, and
followed by fifty-four princely young
Greeks. he leaps upon the beach. This
was the famous ''Argonautie Expedition
In search OF the Golden fleece, and il is
the wild aud unknown shore of Thrace to
which they now have come; and probably
it's the first time such an apparition as a
vessel like that OF the Argonauts has been
seen by the rude men who crowd in curl
osity to the shore. They gaze in wonder,
as did in later days the natives of our
New World on the three little barks of
Columbus and his followers, Fortunately
Jason wins the favor of their chief,
called Phineas, by aiding him against
his grasping foes, the harpies
aud in return the favored chief guides the
Greek adveuturer up through the swift
dangerous current Of the Bosphorus, into
the Cimmerlau, or Black sea. At thi
early day, the site of the now coveted Con
stantinople was simply a strong point
possessed By the rough men who held tn
key ito the wide sea and the vast region be-
yond
The next age eventful n the history o
this place is still rude, but yet far NOR
cultured one. From Thrace came Liuu
and Orpheus, the fathers of Grecial
poetry, before Homer arose. Out of tn
port CT Thrace sailed the galleys of Rhedus
the Thracan chiftai1 who rallied with tn,
confederated Greeks to the seige of OLE
Troy, as mentioned by Homer in BIZ
tenth book.
A few centuries later, when Josiah, thu
last great king of Judah, was on tn,
throne, when Athens was nearly ready fo
the laws of Draco, and Rome had beef
founded century, in the year CSC befor,
Christ, on the point Of land now calico
'Seraglio Point" a city was founded
which was to outlive all other great cite,
Of the then known world, 10 interest anC
importance. The influence of men from
Southern Greece had subdued and mould
ed the spirit of the rude Thracians, anC
Byzasa Megarean covered the hill occupy
ing square mile of that point with city
called Byzantium. 1t was small bu
probably strong city, for hither flocked 9
mixed population of enterprising young
men from the various states of Greece
drawn thither by its facilities for com
merce. This fact doubtless led ancient
historians to differ in their statements, who
was the founder of the city.
herodotus who on his wide and prolonged
tour through Egypt, India, 'Assyria, Scyth
ia, aud Northern Greece, passed through
Ihrace century after the first founding
OF the city,says that the Thracians were, ex
cepting the Indians, the most numerou,
and powerful people of the earth; and he
thinks they would have been at that time
unconqGerable if their contendiug tribe.
could only have been banded together into
one nation.
During the invasions of the Persians into
Greece down to the days of Xerxes, tn,
southern parts of Thrace were rayaped anf
subdued; but Byzantium seems to bav,
been too far off their tracks to become
prey. So too the ambition of Alexande,
the Great, 10 yet later age led him :,
seek richer conquests at the south An,
east. Meanwhile, however, Byzantiup
grew in wealth and population from it
location at the outlet of the Black sea, an
its being the entrepot of all the trad
along its tributaries; and to the Romans
was prize inviting conquest. More tina
century before CoDstantine's day, the on
peror Septimius Severus destroyed the cit
after tnkingit; but so important point di
1t afterwards seem to him, that he deter
mined to rebuild it. HIS unfinished wor
and his ambitious designs in references