FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441   442   443   444  
445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   467   468   469   >>   >|  
progress was favored by the caliphs, their unknown and accidental auxiliaries: the Roman legions were occupied in Asia; and after the loss of Syria, Egypt, and Africa, the Caesars were twice reduced to the danger and disgrace of defending their capital against the Saracens. If, in the account of this interesting people, I have deviated from the strict and original line of my undertaking, the merit of the subject will hide my transgression, or solicit my excuse. In the East, in the West, in war, in religion, in science, in their prosperity, and in their decay, the Arabians press themselves on our curiosity: the first overthrow of the church and empire of the Greeks may be imputed to their arms; and the disciples of Mahomet still hold the civil and religious sceptre of the Oriental world. But the same labor would be unworthily bestowed on the swarms of savages, who, between the seventh and the twelfth century, descended from the plains of Scythia, in transient inroad or perpetual emigration. [1] Their names are uncouth, their origins doubtful, their actions obscure, their superstition was blind, their valor brutal, and the uniformity of their public and private lives was neither softened by innocence nor refined by policy. The majesty of the Byzantine throne repelled and survived their disorderly attacks; the greater part of these Barbarians has disappeared without leaving any memorial of their existence, and the despicable remnant continues, and may long continue, to groan under the dominion of a foreign tyrant. From the antiquities of, I. Bulgarians, II. Hungarians, and, III. Russians, I shall content myself with selecting such facts as yet deserve to be remembered. The conquests of the, IV. Normans, and the monarchy of the, V. Turks, will naturally terminate in the memorable Crusades to the Holy Land, and the double fall of the city and empire of Constantine. [Footnote 1: All the passages of the Byzantine history which relate to the Barbarians are compiled, methodized, and transcribed, in a Latin version, by the laborious John Gotthelf Stritter, in his "Memoriae Populorum, ad Danubium, Pontum Euxinum, Paludem Maeotidem, Caucasum, Mare Caspium, et inde Magis ad Septemtriones incolentium." Petropoli, 1771-1779; in four tomes, or six volumes, in 4to. But the fashion has not enhanced the price of these raw materials.] I. In his march to Italy, Theodoric [2] the Ostrogoth had trampled on the arms of the Bulgarians. After
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   420   421   422   423   424   425   426   427   428   429   430   431   432   433   434   435   436   437   438   439   440   441   442   443   444  
445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   466   467   468   469   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Bulgarians
 

empire

 
Byzantine
 

Barbarians

 
content
 

selecting

 

naturally

 
terminate
 

memorable

 

Crusades


monarchy
 

deserve

 

remembered

 

conquests

 

Normans

 
existence
 

memorial

 
despicable
 
remnant
 

continues


leaving

 

greater

 

attacks

 

disappeared

 

continue

 

antiquities

 

Hungarians

 

Russians

 

tyrant

 

dominion


foreign
 

incolentium

 

Septemtriones

 
Petropoli
 

Caucasum

 

Caspium

 

Ostrogoth

 

Theodoric

 
materials
 
enhanced

volumes

 

fashion

 
Maeotidem
 

Paludem

 

disorderly

 

passages

 

history

 

compiled

 

relate

 

Footnote