罗马帝国消亡史经典英文版 (142).docxVIP

PAGE

经典英文巨著、宝贵学习参考资料

经典英文巨著、宝贵学习参考资料

Chapter60:TheFourthCrusade.

PartI.

SchismOfTheGreeksAndLatins.-StateOfConstantinople.-RevoltOfTheBulgarians.-IsaacAngelusDethronedByHisBrotherAlexius.-OriginOfTheFourthCrusade.-AllianceOfTheFrenchAndVenetiansWithTheSonOfIsaac.-TheirNavalExpeditionToConstantinople.-TheTwoSiegesAndFinalConquestOfTheCityByTheLatins.

TherestorationoftheWesternempirebyCharlemagnewasspeedilyfollowedbytheseparationoftheGreekandLatinchurches.^1AreligiousandnationalanimositystilldividesthetwolargestcommunionsoftheChristianworld;andtheschismofConstantinople,byalienatinghermostusefulallies,andprovokinghermostdangerousenemies,hasprecipitatedthedeclineandfalloftheRomanempireintheEast.

[Footnote1:Inthesuccessivecenturies,fromtheixthtothexviiith,MosheimtracestheschismoftheGreekswithlearning,clearness,andimpartiality;thefilioque(Institut.Hist.Eccles.p.277,)LeoIII.p.303Photius,p.307,308.MichaelCerularius,p.370,371,c.]

InthecourseofthepresentHistory,theaversionoftheGreeksfortheLatinshasbeenoftenvisibleandconspicuous.Itwasoriginallyderivedfromthedisdainofservitude,inflamed,afterthetimeofConstantine,bytheprideofequalityordominion;andfinallyexasperatedbythepreferencewhichtheirrebellioussubjectshadgiventotheallianceoftheFranks.IneveryagetheGreekswereproudoftheirsuperiorityinprofaneandreligiousknowledge:theyhadfirstreceivedthelightofChristianity;theyhadpronouncedthedecreesofthesevengeneralcouncils;theyalonepossessedthelanguageofScriptureandphilosophy;norshouldtheBarbarians,immersedinthedarknessoftheWest,^2presumetoargueonthehighandmysteriousquestionsoftheologicalscience.ThoseBarbariansdespisedinthenturntherestlessandsubtilelevityoftheOrientals,theauthorsof