Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/128

 to6 CHRISTIAN GREECE AND LIVING GREEK. instance, it was considered absolutely unpardon- able to reduce the value of the normal gold coin of the empire. Those emperors who were suc- cessful in reducing the taxes were sure of the greatest popularity. Extortions, when not jus- tified by extremely dangerous conditions of the state, were revenged by bloody revolts, some- times of a cruel character. The readiness and the fighting power of the army corresponded exactly with the flourishing and well-regulated state of the finances. To Finlay belongs the eminent and scholarly credit of having contradicted and completely dispelled the general belief in the military feebleness and incompetency of the Byzantines. The Byzantine soldiery was recruited from among the most warlike races of both the Greek and the barbarian population of the Empire. They were in tactics and arms superior to every enemy against whom they had to contend. They were often braver than they got the credit of hav- ing been. They knew how to fight when they could not count on victory. The continued in- vasions constantly brought against them hordes of new enemies with new modes of warfare and new terrors. But Byzantine soldiers never refused the challenge. Under Heraclius and John Tzi-