The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28

possessed even merchant vessels In Mr..
Oman's opinion this monopoly OF European
commerce was one OF the greatest elements In
the strength NJ tho Byzantine empire. He
thinks that the subsequent concession OF free
trado to the Venetians dealt an irreparable
blow to Its financial resources.
VI.
1t Is beyond question that the notion OF
Alexius Comnenus entertained BY most people
who deem themselves we'll educated Is de-
rived from the portrait OF that Emperor in
SCOTS Count Robert Of Paris" Curiously.
too. although that novel is, on the wholes tho
feeblest and least trustworthy OF the authors
productions. the particular figure OF Aloxius
is In tho main outlines correctly drawn. Here
Is the picture OF him by Mr.. Oman. based on
the studies Of Finlay and Dury. who. as We
have said. approached the investigation OF
byzantine annals In o spirit very different
from Gibbon's: "Alexius was a man OF cour-
age and ability. but he displayed one OF the
worst types OF Byzantine character. Indeed.
he was the first Emperor to whom the epithet
byzantine in its common and opprobrious
sense could be applied. He was the most ac-
complished liar Of his age. and while
winning and defending the throne committed
enough acts Of mean treachery and swore
enough false oaths to startle even tho cour-
tiers OF Constantinople. He could hight when
necessary. but he preferred to win by treason
and perjury. Yet as a ruler he had many vir-
tues. and it will always DO remembered to his
credit that no dragged the empire out Of the
deepest slough OF degradation and ruin that it
had ever sunk into. Though false. he was not
cruel. and seven OK. Emperors and usurpers.
living unharmod In Constantinople under his
sceptre. bore witness to the mildness OF his
rule. The tale Of his reign sufficiently bears
witness TO the strange mixture OF moral CD
liauity and practical ability in his character"
The Importance OF the role OF AloNius In his
tory Is recognized when we compare the situa-
ton IN which he found the byzantine empire
with thatin which no left 1t. When he usurped
the throne in 1881 his position was as difficult
and perilous as that in which Leo the ~Isaurian
was placed in III. He had to faco ut one and
the same time the. assaults OF the SelJuks in
Asia Minor and those OF q new and formidable
foe. the Normans. whose invasion OF his west
ern provinces was contemporaneous with their
conquest of England. The dominions Of tho
Seljuk Sultan, at this time. extended as far as
the Propontis. and included the city OF Nicna.
close to the Bithynian shore. and only seventy
miles from Constantinople. AS for the Nor
mans. after wrestling Sicily from the Saracens.
they had stripped the Greek empire Of Calabria
and Apulia, and in June. 10Sl-ffteen years
after tho victory Of William tho ConIueror
at Hastings-they crossed tho Straits OF
Otranto. thirty thousand strong. and laid siege
to Durazzo. on the Epirote const. In the first
twelvemonth they inflicted n crushing defeat
on AleXius. took Durazzo. and descended into
Thessaly. but by the close OF 1883 the skilful
strategy OF tho Emperor resulted in the dis
persion Of the invading army. and when
Robert Guiscard died. in l0S5. the danger from
the Normans passed away. 1t was through
the extraordinary sagacity evinced in his
dealings with the Crusaders that Alcxius was
able not only to avert the fate which overlook
| Constantinople at the hands OF the western
nations a century later. hut also to recover a
large part Of Asia Minor from the Seljuks. II
ever diplomacy has won a triumph over brute
force it was in the long and tedious negotia-
lions by which the byzantine emperor
prevailed upon all the leaders OF the
Crusade. from Godfrey OF Bouillon Town
to the smallest baron. to swear him al
legiance. Characteristic also was the course
which he pursued in the succeeding campaign.
While the Crusaders were plunging through
Asia Minor. dealing SCATTERING blows at the
Turks. Alexius followed in their rear at a
safe distance. picking up the spoil which they
had left. By the time the Franks had entered
Syria tho Byzantines had recovered so much
territory that the Turkish frontier in Asia was
rolled back 200 miles. Instead Of the SelJuk
lying at Nicna he was now chased behind the
Bithynian hills. and the empire had regained
all Lydia and Caria with much Of the Phrygian
highlands. So hard hit were tho Seljuks that
for we'll nigh u hundred years they were re-
duced to fight ON the defensive. Thus it came |
to pass that the end Of tho reign Of Alexius |
was delivered from tho dangers which had
overshadowed its beginning. So much
strengthened was his position that when in
llO7 the Normans under Bohemund OF
Tarentum tried to repeat the tents
which Robert Guiscnrd had accom-
plished In 1852. they were beaten of with ease.
The renewed vitality which he had impaired
to the empire survived AleXius for at least
generation. Under his son. John the Good.
the only byzantine ruler OF whom no detractor
has over said an evil word. the Greek frontier
In Asia continued to advance at the expense OF
the Turks. Johns son. Manuel. was also Sue
cessful in defending tho frontiers and MAIN
tanning the prestige OF the Eastern empire.
He overran Servia. invaded Hungary. to
whose king he dictated terms Of peace. and no
beat of au invasion of Greece by the Sicilian
NOrmans. In a naval engagement with tho
Nenetians. he WAS victorious and drovethe gal
leys OF the Doge out Of the dIgean. The one
severe defeat which he experienced through
carelessness at tho hands of the Seliuks does
not seem 10 have resulted in any loss OF terri
tory. When he died. however. in llS0. the
good fortune OF the house Of Comnenus and
OF the byzantine empire passed away.
WIZ.
Historians have agreed that tho greatest
crime ever perpetratcd against civilization was
the sacking of Constantinople in l2o4 by the
leaders of the Fourth Crusade. and the par
t~itioninR OF tho Eastern empire among the
representatives Of Latin nations. 1t Is true
that in 1851 Michael Palcologus. who had
made himself ruler of tho small Greek State
in Bithynia. grandllouuently called tho En-
pire OF NicGa. recovered possession OF Con-
stantinople. Hero his descendants reiEned
until 1883. and to an unobservant reader tho
record OF the Paleologi looks like the natural
continuation OF older byzantine history. But
the truth is that in the interval tho Byzantine
realm had undergone n fatal transformation.
AS regards tho external signs OF change 1t Ii
obvious that tho lands subject to Michael