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

eastern Spain. When he died IL could be said
with as much truth as In the days OF Augustus.
that, 80 far 40 the absolute security OF COM
merce was concerned. the Mediterranean was
q Roman lake.
1t is the custom OF school histories to under
rate the magnitude and permsnsnce Of those
achievements. Yet the enemies with whom
the Generals Of Justinian had to cope we're the
same Vandals. Ostrogoths. and VisiRoths who
had experienced but little difficulty In parti-
tionine the West. The populous and opulent
provinces which stretched along the soacoast
OF north Africa had been In the possession OF
the vandals for more than q hundred years.
when In 500 Belisarius restored them to the
Roman empire. They remained Roman until
the Saracens overran them in 607. In o34 tho
Roman Governor. Liberius. taking advantage
Of a civil war among the Visigoths, in Spain.
landed In Andalusia and soon captured the
great towns in the south Of the peninsula-Cor-
doya, Cartngena. Malaga. and Cadiz. 1t was
about seventy years before the Visigothic
Kings OF Toledo recovered their lost territory.
Down to A. D. 623 Justinian and his success
ors reigned over the greater part OF the sea-
coast Of southern Spain. Consider also tho
case OF Sicily: conquered by Belisarius In 535.
IL did not entirely succumb to the Baracens OF
Africa until 1878. Italy was definitely recov-
cred for Justinian by Earsss in 65a 1t Is
true that BY 5S4 the Lombards established .
Kingdom in the valley OF the Pc and two indie
pendent duchies In central and southern Italy.
But the rulers Of Constantinople retained the
exarchate OF Ravenna and other possessions
in central Italy until $50. and they kept GER
tain territories In the south Of the peninsula
until 1866, when the Normans transformed
them into the duchy OF Apulia. In view OF
these facts it is proposterous to speak Of the
conouests OF Justinian as fugitive.
HI.
Tho worst enemies Of the recenerated
Roman empire at this epoch were the
Sassanian Kings Of Persia. But although
one Of them. Chosroes. captured and
sacked Antioch. the second city OF
tho Roman East. Justinian succeeded in re-
storing the previous eastern boundaries and
transmitted them intact to his successoss 1t
was during the reign OF Heraclius. who was
crowned in A.. d. $40. that the decisive trial OF
strength took place between the East Romans
and the P%ersians-a trial which resulted in an
overwhelming victory for the former. but
which left both combntants exhausted and at
the mercy OF the impending invasion OF the
Saracens. There Is no doubt that as q soldier
and q General. Hsraclius. whose namo Is al
most forgotten. deserves to figure among
the greatest military heroes OF Roman
history. For tho Psrsians. when he
conquered them, were stronger than
they or their Parthian predecessors
had ever been in seven centuries. The expe-
dition OF Heraclius against the sassanian
monarch. who. like the opponent Of Justinian.
was called Chosroes. was in spirit the first OF
the Crusades. 1t was the first war that the
Roman empire had ever undertaken under the
promptlngs Of religious enthusiasm. In 0l4 o
Persian army had stormed the city OF Jerusa.
lem. had put 10000 Christians to tho sword.
and had carried into captivity not only the
patriarch Zaccharias. but what all Christians
regarded as the most precious relic in the
world, the wood OF tho True Cross. It was to
recover this relic. to reconquerthe holy places.
and. in q word. to rescue Christendom. that
the arm ofHeracllus went forth. At this juno
ture 1922, not only Mesopotamia, Armenia.
Syria. and Egypt. the granary OF the
empire, had been lost. but the Per-
SLAMS had overrun the whole OF Asia
Minor and were posted at Chalcedon.
opposite Constantinople. 1t required six cam
paigns to save the Eastern Roman world and
ruin the Sassanian monarchy. The first cam-
paign Of Heraclius cleared Asia Minor Of the
Persian hosts, not by a direct attack. but by
skilful strategy. In the three following years
he carried the war into Media. correctly judg-
ing that this move would compel Chosroes to
recall his garrisons from Syria and Egypt.
The crisis Of the war came in 626. for while
the main Persian army watched the Emperor
in Armenia. a great body slipped south Of him
and marched to the Bosporus. At the same
moment 80. 900 Avars and Slavs burst over the
Balkans and beset Constantinople on the
European side. Heraclius showed q conf
dence. which the event justified. in the strength
OF Constantinople and tho courage Of its de-
tenders. Sending only a few veteran troops to
aid the garrison OF his capital. he continued
to attack the Persians ut home. and
laid waste Mesopotamia and Media. The
sassanian King was now desperate and
In 1927 put his last levies in the field. They
were defeated by Heraclius. who seized tho
palace Of Chosross at Dastag ord and divided
among his troops such plumber as had never
been seen since Alexander the Great captured
Susa. Flying to Ctesiphon. but hunted even
from his capital by the Romans. Chosroes was
ultimately seized by his own son and thrown
into prison. where he died Of despair or OF
starvation. Heraclius had accomplished what
no other Roman Emperor or General had
achieved: no had succeeded where Crassus
and Valerian had met with overwhelming dis
aster: he had surpass ed tho ex ploits OF Traian
and Severus: his troops had been led further
eastward than any Roman soldiers had yet
penetrated. In accordance with the terms
OF peace which followed every inch OF
Roman territory was evacuated. all Roman
captivos were freed. a war indemnity was
paid. and tho spoils Of jerusalem. including
tho True Cross. were restored. IL We have
dwelt at length upon this war, 1t is not only
because it demonstrates the stun OF which
some of tho rulers and the soldiers OF the East
ern Roman realm were made. but also because
1t had momentous consequences which neither
OF the combatants could have foreseen. -Four
years after the conclusion Of n struggle which
had drained 10th parties of their resources.
the Caliph Abu Bekr. the successor Of Moham-
med. launched two armies OF Moslems. the
one against Palestine and tho other against
Persia. The result was tho annihilation Of the
Persian kingdom and tho loss Of SYRIA and
Egypt BY the Byzantine empire.
The next striking figure In byzantine his
tory Is Leo the Isaurian. who accepted tho
crown in TIT, Oh the very eve Of q great Sara