the story of mankind-第17章

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impossibility　and　could　not　endure。　Her　young　men　were　killed　in

her　endless　wars。　Her　farmers　were　ruined　by　long　military

service　and　by　taxation。　They　either　became　professional

beggars　or　hired　themselves　out　to　rich　landowners　who　gave

them　board　and　lodging　in　exchange　for　their　services　and

made　them　‘‘serfs；''　those　unfortunate　human　beings　who　are

neither　slaves　nor　freemen；　but　who　have　become　part　of　the

soil　upon　which　they　work；　like　so　many　cows；　and　the　trees。



The　Empire；　the　State；　had　become　everything。　The　common

citizen　had　dwindled　down　to　less　than　nothing。　As　for

the　slaves；　they　had　heard　the　words　that　were　spoken　by　Paul。

They　had　accepted　the　message　of　the　humble　carpenter　of

Nazareth。　They　did　not　rebel　against　their　masters。　On　the

contrary；　they　had　been　taught　to　be　meek　and　they　obeyed

their　superiors。　But　they　had　lost　all　interest　in　the　affairs

of　this　world　which　had　proved　such　a　miserable　place　of　abode。

They　were　willing　to　fight　the　good　fight　that　they　might　enter

into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven。　But　they　were　not　willing　to

engage　in　warfare　for　the　benefit　of　an　ambitious　emperor　who

aspired　to　glory　by　way　of　a　foreign　campaign　in　the　land　of

the　Parthians　or　the　Numidians　or　the　Scots。



And　so　conditions　grew　worse　as　the　centuries　went　by。

The　first　Emperors　had　continued　the　tradition　of　‘‘leadership''

which　had　given　the　old　tribal　chieftains　such　a　hold　upon

their　subjects。　But　the　Emperors　of　the　second　and　third

centuries　were　Barrack…Emperors；　professional　soldiers；　who

existed　by　the　grace　of　their　body…guards；　the　so…called　Prae…

torians。　They　succeeded　each　other　with　terrifying　rapidity；

murdering　their　way　into　the　palace　and　being　murdered　out

of　it　as　soon　as　their　successors　had　become　rich　enough　to　bribe

the　guards　into　a　new　rebellion。



Meanwhile　the　barbarians　were　hammering　at　the　gates　of

the　northern　frontier。　As　there　were　no　longer　any　native

Roman　armies　to　stop　their　progress；　foreign　mercenaries　had

to　be　hired　to　fight　the　invader。　As　the　foreign　soldier　happened

to　be　of　the　same　blood　as　his　supposed　enemy；　he　was

apt　to　be　quite　lenient　when　he　engaged　in　battle。　Finally；

by　way　of　experiment；　a　few　tribes　were　allowed　to　settle

within　the　confines　of　the　Empire。　Others　followed。　Soon

these　tribes　complained　bitterly　of　the　greedy　Roman　tax…

gatherers；　who　took　away　their　last　penny。　When　they　got

no　redress　they　marched　to　Rome　and　loudly　demanded　that

they　be　heard。



This　made　Rome　very　uncomfortable　as　an　Imperial　residence。

Constantine　（who　ruled　from　323　to　337）　looked　for

a　new　capital。　He　chose　Byzantium；　the　gate…way　for　the

commerce　between　Europe　and　Asia。　The　city　was　renamed

Constantinople；　and　the　court　moved　eastward。　When　Constantine

died；　his　two　sons；　for　the　sake　of　a　more　efficient

administration；　divided　the　Empire　between　them。　The　elder

lived　in　Rome　and　ruled　in　the　west。　The　younger　stayed　in

Constantinople　and　was　master　of　the　east。



Then　came　the　fourth　century　and　the　terrible　visitation

of　the　Huns；　those　mysterious　Asiatic　horsemen　who　for　more

than　two　centuries　maintained　themselves　in　Northern　Europe

and　continued　their　career　of　bloodshed　until　they　were　defeated

near　Chalons…sur…Marne　in　France　in　the　year　451。

As　soon　as　the　Huns　had　reached　the　Danube　they　had　begun

to　press　hard　upon　the　Goths。　The　Goths；　in　order　to　save

themselves；　were　thereupon　obliged　to　invade　Rome。　The

Emperor　Valens　tried　to　stop　them；　but　was　killed　near

Adrianople　in　the　year　378。　Twenty…two　years　later；　under

their　king；　Alaric；　these　same　West　Goths　marched　westward

and　attacked　Rome。　They　did　not　plunder；　and　destroyed

only　a　few　palaces。　Next　came　the　Vandals；　and　showed　less

respect　for　the　venerable　traditions　of　the　city。　Then　the

Burgundians。　Then　the　East　Goths。　Then　the　Alemanni。

Then　the　Franks。　There　was　no　end　to　the　invasions。　Rome

at　last　was　at　the　mercy　of　every　ambitious　highway　robber

who　could　gather　a　few　followers。



In　the　year　402　the　Emperor　fled　to　Ravenna；　which　was

a　sea…port　and　strongly　fortified；　and　there；　in　the　year　475；

Odoacer；　commander　of　a　regiment　of　the　German　mercenaries；

who　wanted　the　farms　of　Italy　to　be　divided　among　themselves；

gently　but　effectively　pushed　Romulus　Augustulus；　the

last　of　the　emperors　who　ruled　the　western　division；　from　his

throne；　and　proclaimed　himself　Patriarch　or　ruler　of　Rome。

The　eastern　Emperor；　who　was　very　busy　with　his　own　affairs；

recognised　him；　and　for　ten　years　Odoacer　ruled　what　was

left　of　the　western　provinces。



A　few　years　later；　Theodoric；　King　of　the　East　Goths；

invaded　the　newly　formed　Patriciat；　took　Ravenna；　murdered

Odoacer　at　his　own　dinner　table；　and　established　a　Gothic

Kingdom　amidst　the　ruins　of　the　western　part　of　the　Empire。

This　Patriciate　state　did　not　last　long。　In　the　sixth　century　a

motley　crowd　of　Longobards　and　Saxons　and　Slavs　and　Avars

invaded　Italy；　destroyed　the　Gothic　kingdom；　and　established

a　new　state　of　which　Pavia　became　the　capital。



Then　at　last　the　imperial　city　sank　into　a　state　of　utter

neglect　and　despair。　The　ancient　palaces　had　been　plundered

time　and　again。　The　schools　had　been　burned　down。　The

teachers　had　been　starved　to　death。　The　rich　people　had　been

thrown　out　of　their　villas　which　were　now　inhabited　by　evil…

smelling　and　hairy　barbarians。　The　roads　had　fallen　into

decay。　The　old　bridges　were　gone　and　commerce　had　come

to　a　standstill。　Civilisationthe　product　of　thousands　of　years

of　patient　labor　on　the　part　of　Egyptians　and　Babylonians　and

Greeks　and　Romans；　which　had　lifted　man　high　above　the

most　daring　dreams　of　his　earliest　ancestors；　threatened　to

perish　from　the　western　continent。



It　is　true　that　in　the　far　east；　Constantinople　continued　to

be　the　centre　of　an　Empire　for　another　thousand　years。　But

it　hardly　counted　as　a　part　of　the　European　continent。　Its

interests　lay　in　the　east。　It　began　to　forget　its　western　origin。

Gradually　the　Roman　language　was　given　up　for　the　Greek。

The　Roman　alphabet　was　discarded　and　Roman　law　was　written

in　Greek　characters　and　explained　by　Greek　judges。　The

Emperor　became　an　Asiatic　despot；　worshipped　as　the　god…like

kings　of　Thebes　had　been　worshipped　in　the　valley　of　the

Nile；　three　thousand　years　before。　When　missionaries　of　the

Byzantine　church　looked　for　fresh　fields　of　activity；　they　went

eastward　and　carried　the　civilisation　of　Byzantium　into　the

vast　wilderness　of　Russia。



As　for　the　west；　it　was　left　to　the　mercies　of　the　Barbarians。

For　twelve　generations；　murder；　war；　arson；　plundering　were

the　order　of　the　day。　One　thingand　one　thing　alonesaved

Europe　from　complete　destruction；　from　a　return　to　the　days

of　cave…men　and　the　hyena。



This　was　the　churchthe　flock　of　humble　men　and　women

who　for　many　centuries　had　confessed　themselves　the　followers

of　Jesus；　the　carpenter　of　Nazareth；　who　had　been

killed　that　the　mighty　Roman　Empire　might　be　saved　the

trouble　of　a　street…riot　in　a　little　city　somewhere　along　the

Syrian　frontier。







RISE　OF　THE　CHURCH



HOW　ROME　BECAME　THE　CENTRE　OF　THE

CHRISTIAN　WORLD





THE　average　intelligent　Roman　who　lived　under　the　Empire

had　taken　very　little　interest　in　the　gods　of　his　fathers。

A　few　times　a　year　he　went　to　the　temple；　but　merely　as　a

matter　of　custom。　He　looked　on　patiently　when　the　people

celebrated　a　religious　festival　with　a　solemn　procession。　But　he

regarded　the　worship　of　Jupiter　and　Minerva　and　Neptune　as

something　rather　childish；　a　survival　from　the　crude　days　of

the　early　republic　and　not　a　fit　subject　of　study　for　a　man

who　had　mastered　the　works　of　the　Stoics　and　the　Epicureans

and　the　other　great　philosophers　of　Athens。



This　attitude　made　the　Roman　a　very　tolerant　man。　The

government　insisted　that　all　people；　Romans；　foreigners；

Greeks；　Babylonians；　Jews；　should　pay　a　certain　outward　respect

to　the　image　of　the　Emperor　which　was　supposed　to　stand

in　every　temple；　just　as　a　picture　of　the　President　of　the

United　States　is　apt　to　hang　in　an　American　Post　Office。　But

this　was　a　formality　without　any　deeper　meaning。　Generally

speaking　everybody　could　honour；　revere　and　adore　whatever

gods　he　pleased；　and　as　a　result；　Rome　was　filled　with　all

sorts　of　queer　little　temples　and　synagogues；　dedicated　to　the

worship　of　Egyptian　and　African　and　Asiatic　divinities。



When　the　first　disciples　of　Jesus　reached　Rome　and　began

to　preach　their　new　doctrine　of　a　universal　brotherhood　of　man；

nobody　objected。　The　man　in　the　street　stopped　and　listened

Rome；　the　capital　of　the　world；　had　always　been　full　of　wandering

preachers；　each　proclaiming　his　own　‘‘mystery。''　Most　of

the　self…appointed　priests　appealed　to　the　sensespromised

golden　rewards　and　endless　pleasure　to　the　followers　of　their

own　particular　god。　Soon　the　crowd　in　the　street　noticed

that　the　so…called　Christians　（the　followers　of　the　Christ　or

‘‘anointed''）　spoke　a　very　different　language。　They　did　not

appear　to　be　impressed　by　great　riches　or　a　noble　position。

They　extolled　the　beauties　of　poverty　and　humility　and　meekness。

These　were　not　exactly　the　virtues　which　had　made

Rome　the　mistress　of　the　world。　It　was　rather　interesting　to

listen　to　a　‘‘mystery''　which　told　people　in　the　hey…day　of　their

glory　that　their　worldly　success　could　not　possibly　bring　them

lasting　happiness。



Besides；　the　preachers　of　the　Christian　mystery　told　dreadful

stories　of　the　fate　that　awaited　those　who　refused　to　listen　to

the　words　of　the　true　God。　It　was　never　wise　to　take　chances。

Of　course　the　old　Roman　gods　still　existed；　but　were　they

strong　enough　to　protect　their　friends　against　the　powers　of

this　new　deity　who　had　been　brought　to　Europe　from　distant

Asia？　People　began　to　have　doubts。　They　returned　to　listen

to　further　explanations　of　the　new　creed。　After　a　while　they

began　to　meet　the　men　and　women　who　preached　the　words　of

Jesus。　They　found　them　very　different　from　the　average

Roman　priests。　They　were　all　dreadfully　poor。　They　were

kind　to　slaves　and　to　animals。　They　did　not　try　to　gain　riches；

but　gave　away　whatever　they　had。　The　example　of　their　unselfish

lives　forced　many　Romans　to　forsake　the　old　religion。

They　joined　the　small　communities　of　Christians　who　met　in

the　back　rooms　of　private　houses　or　somewhere　in　an　open　field；

and　the　temples　were　deserted。



This　went　on　year　after　year　and　the　number　of　Christians

continued　to　increase。　Presbyters　or　priests　（the　original

Greek　meant　‘‘elder''）　were　elected　to　guard　the　interests　of

the　small　churches。　A　bishop　was　made　the　head　of　all　the

communities　within　a　single　province。　Peter；　who　had　fol…

lowed　Paul　to　Rome；　was　the　first　Bishop　of　Rome。　In　due

time　his　successors　（who　were　addressed　as　Father　or　Papa）

came　to　be　known　as