The historical sense was unfortunately lacking to the Franks and Byzantines, as well as all idea of sound criticism.

The photographic realism of the later newspaper correspondent had not come into play in these earlier years of the war, and, as a consequence, the thousands who poured down to the Army of the Potomac beheld the city with something of the incredulous scorn with which the effeminate Byzantines regarded the capital of the Goths, when the corrupt descendant of Constantine made the savage Dacians his allies, rather than fight them.

Moreover, several circumstances favoured their work; both the large realms which extended north of Arabia, were in a state of political decline; the Christians inhabiting the provinces that were to be conquered first, belonged, for the larger part, to heretical sects and were treated by the orthodox Byzantines in such a way that other masters, if tolerant, might be welcome.

They compelled the Byzantines, for instance, by force of arms to concede to the vessels of Rhodes exemption from dues in the Bosporus; and they did not permit the dynast of Pergamus to close the Black Sea.

Thus the peace was broken as respected the Byzantines; and as respected the Aetolians, who had just made peace with Philip, the good understanding was at least disturbed.

Extensive privileges were granted to the Byzantines; respecting the cities in Asia Minor, the king declared that he would permit the independence of the old free cities such as Rhodes and Cyzicus, and would be content in the case of the others with a mere formal recognition of his sovereignty; he even gave them to understand that he was ready to submit to the arbitration of the Rhodians.

The Rhodians and Byzantines likewise joined their old allies.

The expulsion of the Thracian chieftain Abrupolis who was in alliance with the Romans, and the alliances of Macedonia with the Byzantines, Aetolians, and part of the Boeotian cities, were equally violations of the peace of 557, and sufficed for the official war-manifesto: the real ground of war was that Macedonia was seeking to convert her formal sovereignty into a real one, and to supplant Rome in the protectorate of the Hellenes.

This head Severus sent to Byzantium and caused to be reared on a cross, that the sight of it might incline the Byzantines to his cause.

[Sidenote:10] The Byzantines performed many remarkable deeds both during the life and after the death of Niger.

He also furnished the Byzantines with five hundred boats, mostly of one bank, but some of two banks, and equipped with beaks.

[Sidenote:12] Many, therefore, were the exploits and sufferings of the Byzantines, since for the entire space of three years they were besieged by the armaments of practically the whole world.

There were cases in which merchants purposely allowed themselves to be captured by the Byzantines, though pretending unwillingness, and after selling their wares for a huge price made their escape by sea.

The next day the Byzantines had the horror increased even above what it had been.

[Sidenote:14] The Byzantines straightway, though against their will, surrendered their city.

The Romans executed all the soldiers and magistrates except the pugilist who had greatly aided the Byzantines and injured the Romans.

In this last he introduced the rough mosaics, such as were used by the Byzantines with much effect and variety of tint and of design.

The oldest chronicles that we have of Armeniaand there are manywander off into the histories of other peopleof the Byzantines, for instance, and even of the Crusaders.

He restored the Empire of Simeon, his boast being that he had left to the Byzantines nothing but Constantinople and the cities round it, and he encouraged commerce, cultivated arts and letters, founded and endowed churches and monasteries, and embellished his capital, Trnovo, with beautiful and magnificent buildings.

Other discouraging factors wore the permeation of the Church and State by Byzantine influence, the lack of a large standing army, the spread of the anarchic Bogomil heresy, and the fact that the bulk of the Slav population had no desire for foreign adventure or national aggrandizement.

It was the Byzantine triumphing over the Asiatic; and the most Asiatic elements in the empire were the least likely to meet with the appreciation or sympathy of the Byzantines.

Germanou Polyzoidou syntomos historia tes Byzantines kai neoteras Hellados; neon historikon anagnostikon dia tous mathetas tes d', e' kai st' taxeos ton Hellenikon scholeion tes Amerikes.

Germanou Polyzoidou syntomos historia tes Byzantines kai neoteras Hellados; neon historikon anagnostikon dia tous mathetas tes d', e' kai st' taxeos ton Hellenikon scholeion tes Amerikes.

Compared with the spectral rigidity, the hard monotony, of the conventional Byzantines, the more animated eyes, the little touch of sweetness in the still, mild face, must have been like a smile out of heaven.

It has been successively under the sway of the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Arabs, the Byzantines, and the Berbers, which last were in the 16th century supplanted by the Turks.