New-York tribune., 1895-12-22
A sroREHorsE OF ANTIQUITIES.

Thus so far as English and American read
ers are concerned. Professor Grosvenor has
taken UP subject which is decidedly novel; con-
sidering its age. Constantnople in general Is
no new thing. Under one name or another IL
has been city he better part of 5000 years
Q 500 wears at least II the eXcavatOrs once get
to digging across its htops and through its
valleys as they have done at Troy and Mycenae
and Rome. they may find that there was
settled population beside the Golden Horn In
DAYS when Greek civilization had not yet
dawred There is an inkng of this in the ancient
mythoogic tales which link the fate of the per-
secuted 10 with the Bosphorus, and look back
II tne dubious hero Byzas in the vain effort to
explain the name Byzantum. 1t was no vacant
country that bordered the Bosphorus when ia
son and his stout crew swept along in the Arso
e. win sledea and the Golden Fleece The poet
u arg witness that there were many towns
&! ,,lg the shores that were already ancient In
his 5iic times the name Of Byzantine was linked
with those of the best and bravest Of Greek war
i.ors.
From :he days Of the Athenian Empire It's
fame C'l y. Fixed on site where two conti-
leats faced each other. IT could not be forgotten
l. was burned by the Persians. 1t barely es-
capped destruction al the hands or Nenophons 5
Ten Thousand ii learned from Athens the art of
x
sank under the hand Of Sparta, Byzantium rose
to the foremost place among the Greek cities.
it withstood Philip OF Macedon. it was the bull
vark of Hellas against the barbarians OF the
North and il passed with strength undiminished.
characteristically beautiful Greek city, under
the easy yoke of Rome. Twice. under sep
timus Severus and under Gallienus, the city
was destroyed. 1t resisted its own advance
ment by taking sides with Licinius against Con-
stantine but fate would not be baked. Ihe
greatest Of Hellenic cities became the capital
OF the Roman world. and 50 remained, securely
preserving the traditions Of antiquity until the
West became conscious Of their value. Under
the name of Cons;antinople the city formed the
only living link between the old Hellenic culture
and the reawakened learning of modern times
Professor Grosvenor repels with vehemence
the common assertion that the history Of this
city which alone so long upheld the standard
OF civilization. is trivial thing. THE history
of no city" he remarks has been more dsfig-
ured and obscured by hostile prejudice and pas
sion. The struggle between the Sees Of Rome
and Constantinople--on the part of the former
for supremacy and on that Of the latter for
couality-is perhaps the most envenomed and
longest continued of any In church history all
,hc bttorer because Of differences in ecclesiastical
practice and creed The people Of Western Eu-
rope and America whether within or without the
Roman communion. have inherited and believed
whatever was taught b. the Crusaders ana
Latin priests concerning Constantinope, the
Eastern Empire and the Eastern Church. Too
often some stranger. careless of the truth or un-
questioning inheritor of Papa prejudice. has writ
ten that the history of this city presents only
deeds without grandeur. struggles without glory
and emperors known above all by their crimes
AID follies'" The author goes over the story OF
.r,psrial decay. and the showing that he makes
helps one to understand what the difficulties
were which the Eastern Empire had 10 contend
with. The barbarians of the Miedle Ages were not
the helpless. Harmed, undsciplincd hordes from
whom Rome wrested the possession OF Europe
and Western Asia. They were the equals of the
Romans East and West in everything except
the finer shades of culture and the gathered
wealth OF centuries.