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

eastern Spain. When he died II could be said
with as much truth as IN the days OF Augustus,
that. so far a. the absolute security OF com
merce was concerned. the Mediterranean was
a Roman lake.
1t is the custom Of school histories to under
rate the magnitude and permanence OF those
achieveme nts. Yet the enemies with whom
the Generals Of Justinian had to cope were the
same Vandals. Ostrogoths. and Visigoths who
had experienced but little difficulty In parti-
tioning 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 6o7. In 554 the
Roman Governor. Liberius, taking advantage
OF q civil war among the Visigoths, in Spain.
landed In Andalusia and soon captured the
great towns in the south ofthe peninsula-Cor.
dova. Cartagena. 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 the
case Of Sicily: conquered by Belisarius In 535.
II did not entirely succumb to the Saracens OF
Africa until S7S. Italy was definitely reoov-
cred for Justinian by Harsss In 55a 1t Is
true that by 5S4 the Lombards established .
Kingdom in tho valley OF the Pc and two inde-
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 1865. when the Normans transformed
them into the duchy OF Apulia. In view OF
these facts 1t Is prcposterous to speak Of the
conquests OF Justinian as fugitive.
HI.
Tho worst enemies OF the reeenerated
Roman empire at this epoch we're the
Sassanian Kings OF Persia But although
one OF them. Chosroes. captured and
sacked Antioch. tho second city OF
tho Roman East. Justinian succeeded In re.
storing the previous eastern boundaries and
transmitted them intact to his successon It
was during the reign OF Heraclius. who was
crowned in A. d. go. that the decisive trial OF
strength took place between tho East Romans
and the Persians-a trial which resulted in an
overwhelming victory for the former. but
which left both combatants exhausted and at
the mercy OF the impending invasion OF the
Saracens. There Is no doubt that as a soldier
and o General. Hsraclius. whose namo is al
most forgotten. deserves to figure among
the greatest military heroes OF Roman
history. For tho Persians. when he
conquered them, wers 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
promptings OF religious enthusiasm. In Ga o
Persian army had stormed tho city Of Jerusa.
lem. had put 80. O0O Christians to the sword.
and had carried into captivity not only the
Zaccharias. but what all Christians
regarded as tho most precious relic in the
world. the wood OF the True Cross. 1t was to
recover this relic. to reconquerthe holy places.
and. in a word. to rescue Christendon. that
the army OF Heracllus 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 Chslcedon.
opposite ~Constantinople. 1t required six cam
paigns to save the Eastern Roman world and
ruin tho Sassanian monarchy. The first cam
paign Of Heraclius cleared Asia Minor Of the
hosts. not by a direct attack. but by
skilful strategy. In the three following years
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
md marched to the Bosporus. At the same
moment 3O.O 900 Avars and Slavs burst over the
and beset Constantinople on the
side. Heraclius showed q conf
dence. which the event justified. in the strength
OF Constantinople and tho courage Of its dc.
Sending only q 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
King was now desperate and
in 1927 put his last levlss in the field. They
were defeated by Heraclius, who seized the
palace OF Chosross at Dastagerd and divided
among his troops such plumber as had never
boon seen since Alexander the Great captured
Susa. Flying 10 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
no had succeeded where Crassus
and valerian had met with overwhelming dis
he had surpass cd the exploits OF Traian
and Severus: his troops had been led further
eastward than any Roman soldiers had yet
penetrated. In accordance with tho terms
Of peace which followed every inch OF
territory was evacuated. all m
were freed. a war indemnity was
paid. and tho spoils Of Jerusalem. including
he True Cross. were restored. II we have
dwelt at length upon this war, 1t is not only
because it demonstrates the stuff OF which
snmo of thc rulers and the soldierS OF the East