Identifier: storiesofpersons00bene (find matches)
Title: Stories of persons and places in Europe
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Benedict, E. L. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, London, G. Routledge and sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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an Empire was divided-between the two sons of Theodosius the Great, one of whom was the weakHonorius, Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Empire; whichextended over Asia Minor to the Euphrates, over Syria, Egypt and thenorthern coast of Africa, as far as Tunis, and in Europe over nearly all of thepeninsula between the Adriatic and Black Seas, as far north as the Danube. For a thousand years after the Western Empire had fallen (395—1453),this Eastern, Byzantine, or Greek Empire, continued to hold together, pro-tecting from the savage hordes that raged around it the remains of ancientGreek and Roman civilization. Justinian, who came to the throne about one hundred and thirty yearsafter it was established, raised the Empire to the summit of its glory. Hisvictorious general, Belisarius, drove the Vandals from Africa and the Gothsfrom Rome ; his lawyers collected from all the old Roman laws material fora book that has ever since been of great value to the law-makers of every
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390 Persons and Places in Europe. civilized nation; and the city of Constantinople was adorned and beautifiedby this successful, bnt vain and selfish ruler, until he thought it worthy ofhimself. A throng of stately churches, a palace of unequalled splendor,groves, gardens, and public edifices, rich with varied marbles, mosaics andgold rose over the city, but the crowning glory of them all was the churchof Saint Sophia. To perfect this grand cathedral Justinian labored with a zeal that nevertired. Often he went about under the glare of the noonday sun while allothers slept, clothed in a course linen tunis, a staff in his hand, his headbound with a linen cloth, directing his workmen, urging the indolent andstimulating the industrious. The church was built of brick and coated with marble. A hundredcolumns of jasper, porphyry and other costly stones torn from ancienttemples, unlike in form and carving, sustained the lofty roof. Four highcolumns, very tall and graceful, held up the swellin

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