The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-28
SOME NEW BOOKS.
The Byzantine Empire.

SOME NEW BOOKS.
The Byzantine Enpire.
OF tho many volumes included In the "Sto.
ries OF the Nations" series tPutnams). the
most important is tho latest, entitled The Bv.
ssnfins Empire. By @ W.. c. OMAN This 10 the
nrst attempt to popularize the right concep-
ton OF the part played by Constantinople in
the history OF European Civilizations concep-
ton which materially differs from the picture
OF unbroken corruption and decay presented
In the Decline and Fall" With the facts. and
with the true deductions from them. students
have been mado familiar by Finlay's history.
published nearly forty years ago. and by the
moro recent work Of Mr.. Dury which appeared
In 1889. Hitherto. however. oil the handbooks
on the subject have continued to circulate o
commodity which Mr.. Oman aptly describes as
"Gibbon and water" 1t Ia. on tho contrary.
The matter and the spirit OF Finlay and OF
Dury which are reproduced In tho present vol
ume. Its readers will be enabled to UNDER
stand how 1t came to pass that the eastern Ro-
man empire survived by noarly q thousand
years the disruption OF tho empire in the West
"a phenomenon inexplicable upon tho theory
countensnced By Gibbon that the rulers OF
Constantinopls we're q succession OF weak
lings and that It's subject-peoples were desti-
tuts OF all the virtle virtues and had sunk to
the lowest depths Of social and moral doca-
dence. The truth Is that the Cloths. Huns.
Avars. slavs. and Mortimer. who wrought
such havoc In central or western Europe. made
no fatal impression on the Byzantine realm.
which. also. ~repulsod from tho Bosporus tho
same SarAcsns who conquered Spain and pene-
trated to Poitiers In F~rance-which. moreover.
blocked the westward advance Of the Seljuk
Turks. and would have kept the Ottoman
FN..-l. -.A "a H., 49, s~N 49, ala fMx-t.
tians committed tho blunder OF shattering
their strongest bulwark against Islam by
selling Constantinople and dealing q blow to
thu Greek empire from which 1t was unable
to recover.
Mr.. Onan begins his narrative with an &C.
count Of the foundation Of Byzantium b. a
colony from Megara In tho seventh century
b. c.. and outlines the history Of the Greek
city during the ensuing thousand years up to
A. D. 1928. whom the Emperor Constantine be-
gan to erect q New Rome on the Incompatible
site. We need not dwell upon the well-known
acts recited In this Introduction. nor on the
four succeeding chapters. which set forth the
fortunes OF the New Rome In the two CEN
turtles which elapsed between its foundation
and the accession OF Justinian. A. d. 527. SO
far as regards this part Of Mr.. Oman's book.
we shall only note his explanation OF the fact
that. while the Western Roman Empire came
to m end with tho deposition Of Au-
gustulus. A. D.. 476. the Eastern realm.
OF which Justinian became the ruler
half a century later. had withstood cx-
ternal assault and internal disintegration and
WAS actually stronger than 1t had been a hun
dred years before. Mr.. Oman shows that the
main secret OF the success Of the Eastern en-
t- afL -.A,. - ~Itt NL-t.
own. lag In the fact that they had dispensed
with foreign auxiliaries to u large extent, had
reorganized their armies and filed them up
with native troops. Leo l.. who assembled the
throne A. D. 457. vas tho first ruler who
turned to account the military virtues Of the
Isaurians. or mountain populations Of south
ern Asia Minor. He added several regiments
OF Thorn to the army Of the East. but it was his
son-in-law and successor. Zeno l474-40l)
himself an I~saurian born. who developed the
scheme. Zeno raised an i'm perial guard from
his countrymen and enlisted as many
corps OF them as could be raised: more
over. he formed regiments Of Armenians and
other inhabitants Of the highland frontier OF
tho East. and handed over to his successor.
Ansstasius. an army in which the barbarian
auxiliarles-now composed Of Teutons and
Huns In about equal numbers-wore decidedly
dominated by the native elements. 1t was due
TO these salutary reforms. which restored the
lsgions to something like their old trustwor-
thiness. that the Eastern empire. in spite Of
rebellions. was never in serious danger Of
sinking into disorder or breaking UP as the
Western realm had done into new I'M Roman
kingdoms. So far was 1t from encountering
this fate that Anastasius. whom he died in A.
ID. SIS. left his successor dustin. the uncle OF
Justinian> a loyal army OF 10000 men. Il
t.Ho 49, - - . Ipl lun vN,,r1, - . olI n~l Hn $50
broken frontier to east and west.
In the history OF the Byzantine empire.
which covers upward OF a thousand years.
there are certain opochs which should be dis
tinguished even in the most cursory review.
These are associated with the names Of JUS
tInian. OF Heraclius. OF Loo tho Isaurian. OF
the Macedonian dynasty. and OF Alexius Com
menus. Then one must glance at the ubortive
attempt OF the Latin nations to found an en-
pire at Constantinopis and at the restoration
Of u Greek dynasty which. although it man
aged to maintain tho semblance Of dominion.
was during nearly half OF that period only a
yassal Of the Ottoman Turks. So far as its de-
fensive services to Christondom wero con-
cerned. ConstantinopIe might as well have
fallen In 1861 as in 1853. 1t Is true. however.
that western Europe was less prepared for the
renaissance at tho former period than ut the
latter.
At tho present tim Justinian is remembered
for the Institutes and Pandects. that coditca-
tion OF the Roman law which bears his namo
and was executed at his order. But there had
been revisions Of the law before and his
contemporaries were justified by the event
In surprising there would be others in
tho future. In his own day Justinian was
most widely and honorably known as a
builder and o conqueror. The Mosque OF
Sophia at Constantinople and the church
Of San Vitale at Ravenna are only two OF the
many hundred specimens OF his achievements
in scclesiustical architecture. Procopius do
voted n considerable treatise to tho descrip-
ton OF Justinian's buildings. and numbers OF
them survive to testify to the accuracy OF tho
Not merely great centres like Con-
stantinople or Jerusalem are full OF edilces
by this Emperor. but even in the more
secluded or outlying portions OF his dominions
any hne building extant is In two cases out