Washington sentinel., 1899-06-17

The lamp OF history throws so
faint a light upon the fallen empire
OF TTeblzond that 1t seems to US
more like a shadow than a reality,
and yet the romance OF its existence
entities It to a very different tate,
for the story OF Its establishment,
its duration, and its downfall is one
Of the most remarkable legacies
that we have inherited from the
Middle Ages. The ratal paralysis
that had come over the Greeks at
ConstantInople at the beginning
OF the thirteenth century spared at
least one member OF the several
imperial families then residing IN
that luxurious capital, and at the
very moment when the sceptre of
the Eastern Empire was about to
fall from the nerveleSs hands of
AleXlus Angelus into unholy
keeping oil the Crusaders, who had
turned their arms against Chris
tan emperor, AieXIus ComnenOs.
a youth scarcely twenty, but OF
powerful personality and heir 10 a
mans that had once been mighty,
escaped from the enchantments OF
the idlreSt city IN existence and,
passing beyond her golden shad
oWs through the solemn entrance
TO the guXlne, sailed OUT upon
mysterious waters to found upon
their tabled shores an emp re chat
after centuries was destined TO fall
and be entirely forgotten ia that
wide burial ground OF civilizations
which we cal the Ottoman Empire.
There is something inspiring IN
the picture of the handsome Alex
rus, IN the glory of youth and
strength and courage, bucklIng On
the heavy armoT that had been
torn by the infuriated populace OF
Constantinople from his grand.
father, the hated tYrant Androni-
Gus, and preparing to regain, al
most single handed, possession OF
the throne from which his ances-
tors had long ruled with such dis
tnctlon that the very mention OF
the name of Comnenos awoke, in
those days, recollections Of gran
deur Every step in his march to
lame eXcites our interest. He
landed first upon the coast Of Col
chis, where, with the assistance Of
an aunt who had great influence in |
Georgia, and aided by the renown
OF his family, he collected a body |
of mercenar ries and proceeded to
TrebizOnd. On the frontier oi the
province in which this fair city is
situated, his troops proclaimed
"the Faithful Emperor OF the
Romans" the grand old Roman
title to which the Byzantine EN-.
perors succeeded. He appeared
before the gates Of his future CAP
ital at the right moment, tor the
TrebIzOndese were apprehensiVe
OF the Turks on the one side and
OF the Latins on the other; while
no help could be expected Of the
fugitive Greek emperor at NIc9a.
AleXIus was received with open
arms. His successes were dazzling.
The Byzantine troops at Trebizond
and the native Lazlaus passed to
his standard, and in his energetic
march along the shores oil the
Black Sea as far as Sinope he had
only to appear before the impor
tant cities to be recognized as their
sovereign. Meanwhile his brother
David had won the historic coast |
from SInope to HeTacleia, and pro
ceeded inland IN hope OF conquer
lng all the territory still held by
the Greek emperor at Nic9a. AT
this time the empire OF Trebizond
reached ITS farthest limIts-West-
ward from the snow Capped range
of the Caucasus to the smiling
shores OF the Bosphorus; south
ward to the LaZistan mountains, a
great barrier which raises i S giant
breastworks TO protect from lnva
sion; IN the north, the finest jewels
OF the crown Snone out upon The
EuXIne e-IreOIZond, Kerasund,
CEnoes Sinope, and Heraclela In !
this richly lowered land, upon |
which nature had bestowed her |
cholce-t gifts OF beauty, lubrlty, !
and pleuJY, there was a large, IN
and industrious pOpula-
ton, well worthy an emperor's |
pride. But IN a little while re- |
verses came, and many of Davld's |
conquests were wrested from hlm |
before he was slam on the field OF !
Slnope AlexIus alone, cut Of !
trm allies. surrounded by enemies,
bent before the storm and m ade a
treaty with the Turks by which he |
agreed 30 pay them tribute and to |
furnish troops TO. their army. |
Inc empire was now cornpresse |
between the HalYs and the Phasls /
its limits, with but slight varia-
tion, for the W lole period of its
AlexIus, realizing that
the prosperity OF his country de-
pended upon its trade, employed
the years remaining to him in
the old Byzantine laws
and IN improving the internal con-
dirions Of his empire.
The CITY Of TrebIzond, its >api
tai, had been for centuries the sea
port OF all the commerce Of Cen
trail Asia. Over seven hundred
years before Christ was born in the
1eighboring country Of Syria,
colony Of Greeks founded a settle
nent on the Euxine which pros
oered rapidly, and in the fifth CEN
.ury before Christ became famous
or the lavish hospitality it ac-
corded to Nenophon and the
heroic Ten Thousand. When it
passed into the possession OF the
u khafr gFrarntL.aaI a.I /