The Early History of Constantinople.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1471, 3 October 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Early History of Constantinople.

■■•■:. Next to Rome, X^hstantinpple ;is the , ihost !, interesting .. city of, Europe and the greatest ftcene of f emarkable^ events affecting the destinies of manIcihdw. ":; It io^enpies to a great exteht ; th'6"slf«.'oM : n^ was /founded liy a Doric colony from Megara, m the^yjear 6G»7 B.C- In the reinlbrßdrius: Hj^taapftSi; Byzantium, \va is -taken ' by the •'■ Persi ans ; * > ut; ' sul isequently to the battle of Pls<tßea, it.canie.^once more into the hands -of. ; the; Greeks, by whom it . was re-; peopled by a mixed colony of Athenitins and j^acedaemoniaii!?;? Afters pas-sing; ■*; through: 'many;VfiVrtnnes,:.it was>tteclredf JW Philip of Kacedon, j wivose goidievs weresileritly approach^ ing the town on a dark night, when a I?^* R b one fr° m north > -an(i/:revealed - the da-ngei- iy ; Which I w^e^thxißateney.; it was liolieved thatt thiiii was ;''a miracle" wrovrgiit by the^; jjqddess^ Diana, to whptn the inhabitants built.. an altar^ as^atf e,xpre?siPia: "pf their gratitude, at the same time assuming the crescent is now the emblem of the Turks, and/it, has been^hpught that; ihev>dpptedit-bn taking possession ; of Cpnstahtindple ■"; but there is reason to belived that this figure has-^bug, been the synibbJßof; the^Moslem iaith,"Byznntiiitn ,was compelled to subniit ; to' Alexander the/(|reat;, and m later ages waR ravaged by vhe Th radians, ; Scythians, and other barbarous tribes. Tlie Byzantines were a commercial people, ami at one^ time enjoyed apposition pf great prosperity: They are; described by lancient authors , as; an idl6, dissipated^ set, fond of music dancings ;an(l;;gaipty, aud little v disposed to niartiii exreises; though m t"h« second christi»n^^century,, ihey^ resisted (^R^man Emperor^ SeverusV; for .three and; >it length capit^ _;. lated only on^acount of^fatninel The town wasViPnstantly full of foreign sailors, merchants, and fishermen ! ; and, as good Wine was to be f'found there, the caronaing was deep arid frequent. The ciiadel of Byzantium stood on the hill where the seraglio is now built^and the rost of the city lay liehinpl .the ; present gardens of the Sultan. rr lllustrated Universal Hislory ; - '. 't. -.■;.■ ■■■::■;- '.'■•;':.: ... •': : ' .. : -: • •