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 EFFECTS OF THE LATIN CONQUEST 185 of the Latin empire, with which must be associated (a) the Causes of internal dissensions among the Greeks themselves, and (b) empire!* the increased difficulty in assimilating the races occupying the Balkan peninsula ; second, the attacks, literally from every side, by hordes of Turkish invaders, who usually, begin- ning by raids upon their cattle, ended by expelling or exter- minating the conquered people and taking possession of their lands ; and, third, the depopulation of the Balkan peninsula and of the cities in Asia Minor held by the empire caused by Black Death or Plague. The history of the empire subsequent to the Latin occu- Latin pation bears evidence of the weakness which that occupation had caused. The whole framework of government adminis- tration had been broken up. The imperial system was in ruins. The ancient forms of administrative organisation were restored, but there never existed sufficient strength in the capital to put new life into them, and the old traditional spirit of municipal life and to a certain limited extent of self-government had during two generations of hostile rule and the subsequent series of attempts at the restoration of Latin rule been forgotten. The empire was, indeed, kept together by obedience to law, but it was rather a traditional obedience than one due to a strong administration. When a man defied law it was public opinion which he had to face rather than dread of the emperor. The Latin conquest and the growth of neighbour- ing states consequent upon such conquest made it impossible for the emperors ever to obtain a strong and sufficient hold over the territories which they recaptured. The divisions among the Greeks themselves, especially Internal those regarding the occupancy of the throne, led to civil wars dmsions - and gave the Turks opportunities of entering the country and occupying it. They were due in the first place to the change in the succession when Michael the Eighth seized the imperial throne, and were therefore also directly caused or contributed to by the Latin conquest. Though the rules of succession had never been so strictly observed as in the West, his usurpation weakened the office of emperor and