Iditarod pioneer., 1915-03-27

When Constantine the Great, convert to- Christianity, had lriumphcd over all his enemies and had become supreme in the Roman empire, he found his capital city still. in the main, pagan. and so completely identified With the old worship in It's hlS- tory, its temples and all the institutions of it's society," that s resolved to forsake De wholly Christian. lmpelled by this and other motives, in A. D. 33O he transferred the seat of empire to the small Greek city Asia. changed it's name to Constantlnoplc, the city of Constantine, and enriched it with splendid churches and public buildings or all kinds. Constantinoplc thus became the first Christian city in the world; it is one Of the lronies Of history that for the past i've centuries it has been the only non Christian city Of Europe
 What difference it might have made 10 the history of the world had Rome remained the capital of the Roman empire IS one or those matters il is easy, but lu'te un- profitable. to speculate upon; but It may confidently be said that if the transfer Of the seat of government to the East haStsned the decline. it did at the same time greatly prolung the actual existence of the empire Cons tantin0plc has natural position Of strength and command unrlvaed amongst the nations of the world. Easily defenSihle against attark, it is the gateway between two continents the center of Converglng routes Of trade; it controls access To waters still rich in tra1lc, that for thou sand years were the great basin of the world 5 commerce.
 Here ConStantine'S throne was erected; ; here. under his successors, the empire took an oriental cast that separated Il more and more from IlS Western pr0vlncrS. The boundlesS aduIation and servillty of the Persian court became the model for the court of the Caesars, luxury and SoftneSS rte into what remained of the Roman stam- ina, and the whole long story of the Con- Stantlnnpolltan dominion Is a story or grad ual decay, or steady loss of territory and power, of intellectual stagnation; and at the same time of bonndICSS pride and van ity that shut its eyes to facts and reYeed in riches and EouptuOuS enjoyment. That story has, however, some of the most sur priSlng incidents. some of the most aston ishing contrasts, some of the most roman tic and tragic passages that the annals of mankind hay" preserved.
 Justinian's Part in Her Story
 In the fifth century the barbarians swept over central, southern and western europe, and While the eIhperoTS, Tor the most part sat secure and ,upiuc behind their fOrtl- ncations, the empire lost ltS European and African provinces one by one. In lhe sixth century there came q temporary revival of the imperial glory under Justinian, whose great general, Beii>arIuS, rCConQucred Af- uca, sicily and Italy. Justintan rebuilt CUnStautinc'S great church of st. sophia destroyed by fire, and laNI>h"d upon IL such marbles, p"rphyrlcS and jaSpers, surn wealth of gold and silver and jewels such
 
 richest and Custlest church of the world. Ills name is best remembered by his Codi
 ncafton of tine Roman law and the insti- tutrS ur JuSlinian are still studied by law yerS who receive liberal education. The MosIem Uprising
 In the seventh century there daWned upon the world the great and terrible up rising of the Mohammedan power, which threatened for a long while to subdue all mankind to the sword propagated religion of the Arabian prophet. Egypt, syria and Persia were ovcr>Wept, all North Africa was conquered. one by one the Eastern provinces of the emplre fell. even spain became subject to Mohammedan rule and only the valor of Charles Martel on the battlefield of Tours, m France. put check 10 its advance and saved ChriSIendom The GothS had rcconCucred Italy and the Con StantinOpOtan empire was left with little more than the territory Immediately sur rounding the city. Then began that light for the, city itself by the Mohammedan | rulers that stretched over seven centuries before t was finally successful.
 Constantnople was indeed brSteged scores of times now by the barbarianS of the North, now by the Mohammedans, but the Greeks had discovered weapon of defense that their enemies were unab" to cope with. It was a liquid compound of which naphtha was probably the chief in grrdient, and, tgnitcd and projected through tubes upon the wooden ships or the wooden bcsleging engines of the as, sailantS it set fire tp them and conSUmcd them for il could not be put ont. Projected upon troops aSSaiIng the walls in those days of hand o-hand conflicts. II Was q terrible and dreaded agent of destruction. such was the famous "Grcek fire and its carefully guarded secret preserved the city again and again.
 Intrigue, Conspiracy and Murder
 Meanwhile the imperial throne was re- lj,lttt nd