The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 10Bell and Bradfute, Peter Hill, Silvester Doig and A. Stirling, and John Ogle., 1811 - Byzantine Empire |
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Abbassides Abulfeda Abulpharagius Alexiad Alexius Alp Arslan ancient Anna Comnena Annal Apulia Arabian Arabs arms army Asia Bagdad barbarians Basil Bibliot brethren Bulgarians Byzantine Cæsar Calabria caliph camp captive Cedrenus century CHAP Charlemagne christian church command conqueror conquest Constantine Constantine Porphyrogenitus Constantinople d'Herbelot death dominion Ducange duke dynasty East Egypt Elmacin emir emperor empire enemy faithful father Fatimites Franks Gazna gold Græc Greek fire Greeks Guignes Guiscard Hist historian holy honour horse hundred Hungarians imperial Italy king kingdom land Latin LIII Liutprand LVII Mahomet Malaterra manichæans military monarchy Moslems Muratori nations native Nicephorus Normans numbers Pagi palace paulicians peace Persia pope Porphyrogenitus princes provinces reign religion revenge Robert Guiscard Roman Rome royal Russians Salerno Saracens Seljukides Sicily siege soldiers sovereign spirit style successors sultan sword Syria Theophanes thousand throne tion Turkish Turks valour Varangians victory Zonaras
Popular passages
Page 40 - HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold...
Page 165 - ... In the revolution of ten centuries, not a single discovery was made to exalt the dignity or promote the happiness of mankind. Not a single idea has been added to the speculative systems of antiquity, and a succession of patient disciples became in their turn the dogmatic teachers of the next servile generation. Not a single composition of history, philosophy, or literature, has been saved from oblivion by the intrinsic beauties of style or sentiment, of original fancy, or even of successful imitation.
Page 42 - I have now reigned above fifty years in victory or peace ; beloved by my subjects, dreaded by my enemies, and respected by my allies. Riches and honours, power and pleasure, have waited on my call, nor does any earthly blessing appear to have been wanting to my felicity. In this situation I have diligently numbered the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot : they amount...
Page 47 - Fatimites consisted of 100,000 manuscripts, elegantly transcribed and splendidly bound, which were lent, without jealousy or avarice, to the students of Cairo. Yet this collection must appear moderate, if we can believe that the Ommiades of Spain had formed a library of 600,000 volumes, forty-four of which were employed in the mere catalogue.
Page 167 - Alone in the universe, the self-satisfied pride of the Greeks was not disturbed by the comparison of foreign merit; and it is no wonder if they fainted in the race, since they had neither competitors to urge their speed, nor judges to crown their victory.
Page 39 - Modain: the double wall was of a circular form; and such was the rapid increase of a capital now dwindled to a provincial town, that the funeral of a popular saint might be attended by eight hundred thousand men and sixty thousand women of Bagdad and the adjacent villages. In this city of peace...
Page 226 - ... and esteem, the whole body was assembled at Constantinople to perform the duty of guards, and their strength was recruited by a numerous band of their countrymen from the island of Thule. On this occasion, the vague appellation of Thule is applied to England, and the new Varangians were a colony oi" English and Danes, who fled from the yoke of the Norman conqueror.
Page 375 - Since the first conquests of the caliphs, the establishment of the Turks in Anatolia or Asia Minor was the most deplorable loss which the church and empire had sustained.
Page 29 - After a bloody field, in which Abderame was slain, the Saracens, in the close of the evening, retired to their camp. In the disorder and despair of the night, the various tribes of Yemen and Damascus, of Africa and Spain, were provoked to turn their arms against each other : the remains of their host were suddenly dissolved, and each emir consulted his safety by a hasty and separate retreat.
Page 21 - It came flying through the air," says that good knight, "like a winged dragon, about the thickness of a hogshead, with the report of thunder and the speed of lightning, and the darkness of the night was dispelled by this horrible illumination.