New-York tribune., 1906-09-16

dured and has passed from Pagan 70 Christian
and thence 20 Mahonetan
Before the Christian era It was called Byzantium.
the home Of Greek 1t passed through many
sieges by outer barbarians. and more than
once taken and burned but always arose from its
ashes greater and grander than ever. Like the
rest OF Europe. Western Asia and Northern Africa,
II fell at last under the sway Of Rome About the
time OF our Lord IL a free city an ally OF the
Romans, prosperous and at peace But IN the
ond century IT became entanged I'm the quarrel for
supremacy between Niger and Septimus Severus
and as it was on the side OF Niger. the loser, IL
suffered bitterly After three years siege its
garrison and magistrates were massacred and its
massive walls leveled by Severus. Rome soon re-
Tented, however. and the city again arose.
once before in S25. il took the losing side in a
Roman quarrel-that of I.ucinius against Constan-
tine Again defeat OverW helmed il, but this time
It captivated its conqueror Roman arms and
Roman law ruled the world. but ROms Itself no
longer answered to the ambition of the emperors
as worthy seat OF empire. The old gods OF Rom
ulus had fallen from their altars. and the Chris
tian hymns had supplanted the pean. To look upon
ByZantqm with heI seven hills rising from the
Golden Horn with her seas LAYING her feet. with
ana all her charm of woodland and waterways
make Constantine the victor, declare tLat
Byzantium shO1ld hencefOrth be the capital OF tbs
world. So he formed the stupendous resolve OF not
only moving the capital from Rome, but OF making
II Sradsr ana greater than the stOried city by the
IlDeT, To TINS he devoted ave years OF wonderful
ScuNlty ana boundless expenditure. employing one
hundred thousand artisans and labOrers coRtnu-
on May Il. in the year $50 amid pomp and cere-
mOny, the new city-New Rome he called twas
dedicated to the service OK Christ before an audit
ehce or princes prelates and people that hled the
newly finished HppOdrOme. where eighty thousand
spectators found ample room. But the OF
Constantinople soon 81 lanted the name he had
bestowed II became tonstantinOple. Its career
from that day until another day In May. eleven
centuries later, was the story OF empire. often OF
glory, often OF shame. but always OF splendors
When Rome had fallen into the hands OF the GOths
ana other barbarians and the Western Empire was
and majesty Of empire In the East.
But change had come Emperor and tulers
with the change OF base. Latin Ideas and Latin
speech gave way 10 Greek. and IL was thencoforth
huoWh most widely as the Greek empire. and It's
rulers now Greek IN origin. styled Byzantine
hItrr the oden name Ot the city. Eleven dynasties
came and went in eleven hundred years. once only
IN al thHt time had the city been taken, and then
~ the crusaders. Its fortified waterfront and its
Twelve miles or tOnstHntiau walls had been called
hdult
Juatiniau. who roisned in the sixth century lifted
"stutihupIe 10 It's highest renOwn. The Justintan
eodt compiled under ms direction, remains the law
s'9iddrd OF tho world. and Saucta SOPHIA the most
noble or Eastern churches erected by him, remains
Today even in alien hands. tho most glorious ex-
ample or byzantine architecture. Justnian stood Z
We very apex OF imperial glory for Wilderness OF
'ommand largeneas or enlightened rule. and force
OF learning ana art
attack a. the empire weakened. IL coveted by
te MahometarS. 10 IS coveted to-day BY
We hrstian powers. After Its territories had been
FIaHuallv sho.n from 70! at last II fell. May 90
-, 10 tire 2O,00 spears of the sultan MshomsG
- Nhoi as Prince Aiah0met. Is the splendid her,S
of General Wauace's romantic story The Primes
C lndla.' which ;as been dramatiZed BY ]. J. O.
N'aFhe and Will bo presented u play al tho