The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-11-21


Ir4lE period Of more than
I@kg twenty-five centuries and
lN-gy is rich with history dur
ing all these years. And yet, as a
united kingdom, it is one of the
youngest of European nations. Ital-
ian history began with the rise of
Rome as the dominating power of
the Latin plains and eliminated in
the century preceding the birth of
Christ, when by a remarkable
series of conquests the civilized
world from Britain to far-away
Persia was gathered into the hands
of the mistress of the Tiber. A
few centuries after the Christian
era came the decline and subse-
quent fall of the Roman empire,
and with it went the solidarity of
the Italian people, which was new
er recovered until a little more
than half century ago, and with
in the memory of men still living.
What world of memories there is
in the old Roman empire-mem-
cries of Caesar. Augustus, Nero,
Constantine. Some of the en-
perors were good, but many were
bad and thought only of self.
Marcus Aurelius was a good en-
peror in the latter part of the sec
ond century A. D. His Medita,
tions have been read by millions.
But his son Commodus was a human
monster. With this son Gibbon
dates the beginning of the down
fall of Rome. Luxury and pleasure
were the gods worshipped. Then
came the dismemberment into two
kingdoms. The eastern kingdom
had its capital at Byzantium Con
stantinople) and the other re-
NAMED at Rome. Constantine en-
braced Christianity-a wonderful
triumph for the new religion. In
the fourth century the Goths came
down from the north, sweeping all
things before them, and captured
the city that once ruled the entire
civilized world. For seven CEN
.turies these light-haired and blonde
complexioned rulers directed the
destinies of the Eternal City. But
they were never able to extend
their rule over the entire penin-
sula. Even the crowning of Charlie
magne by Pope Leo III did not
attach the Italian people to their
rule. The Holy Roman Empire of
the German rulers accomplished no
better results, for the Italians
would not coalesce with the
Teutons.
For several centuries following
the German rule there were inter-
necine struggles among the various
petty states, principalities and
duchies. The chief actors were
the great local ruling princes.
There were incessant quarrels be-
tween the Popes and the emperors.
No emperor. not even the powerful
Frederick Barbarosa (red bearded)
was ever able to win the allegiance
of all of these principalities and
free cities to himself. Nearly all
of them dabbled in politics in a way
which only added to the confusion
existing south of the Alps. Through
several hundred years Italy was
not q country in either a political
or a sentimental sense. The papal
church was now becoming the
great power that for centuries was
destined to overshadow Italy and
practically all of Europe, until the
Reformation.
The most interesting chapter OF
this period of Italian history il
that which records of the city OF
republics. The Venetian republic
made great and rapid strides to
power. The dukes or doges o1
Venice fought their way with ebbs
and floods of fortune and gradually
added to their domains. These
doges were elective officials who