Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/182

 2(54 TPIE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE. not careful to inquire to what particular Italian state their rivals belonged. The jealousy of the Greeks was increased by many causes. There was a traditional sentiment against the Eastern emperors, which was fully returned by the rulers of the New Eome against the portion of the Koman empire not under their control. These rulers were suffering the smart of recent losses inflicted by upstart states, the l^orman kingdom in the south of Italy, the powerful republic in the north. The Eoman emperor in the West claimed to be the only living successor of the Eoman csesars in things temporal. The pope claimed even more positively to be the ruler of the world in things spiritual. Both claims were denied in the East. The Latin colonists were always united in condemning the Greeks because they refused to recognize the su- unitedTgamst pvcmacy of the Pope of Eome. Although divided empire. ^^ homo, they were generally united against the Byzantines. The common bond of religion, race, and lan- guage tended to make them live together as neighbors on a foreign soil. But the Latin colonists, while generally united by their common interests against the Byzantines, were jealous of each other's influence. The Venetians resented any grant of privileges to the Pisans or Amalfians. The Genoese were usually ready to intrigue against the Venetians. These in- ternal quarrels continually brought trouble to the empire. A concession granted to one Italian state made the others at once hostile to the grantor unless they also obtained like ad- vantages. The first of the Italian states which obtained privileges Venice and ^ ^^"^ *^^^ empire was the republic of Venice, though the empire. ^|^g ^^^y ^f Amalfi had scut traders to the capital at an earlier date. The policy of Venice had long been one of friendliness to the New Eome. She had obtained the largest share of the commerce of the Eastern capital, and had, in turn, been more influenced by its civilization than any other Italian city. As she was the first of the Italian states to exercise considerable influence in Constantinople, so also her influence survived that of all others. As her people did more to bring about the ruin of the New Eome than those of any other city