Page:The Fall of Constantinople.djvu/23

 CONDITION OF EMPIRE. 5 Under the rulers of the Basilian dynasty, a scries of abso- succcss had l^ite monarclis, who were men of genius, gave the t'Suiou?" country security and wealth at home, and success eS^bTem- abroad. The very successes of these emperors had, ^^'^®- however, tended to weaken the empire. They had caused power to flow into the hands of the rulers. Central- ization became the bane of the empire. The spirit of muni- cipal life was weakened. The attachment to the city or province ceased to exist. When the attempt was made to transfer local sentiment to the empire, it began rapidly to disappear. The subjects of the Isew Rome dwelling in re- mote provinces acknowledged its rule, but were indifferent about its rulers so long as they had no heavier burdens to bear than their fathers. Thus, while outwardly the empire had become stronger under the Easilian dynasty, it had been actually weakened by the diminution of municipal and pro- vincial spirit. The same system of centralization continued as long as the empire existed. Perhaps it was inevitable that under the circumstances centralization should be pre- ferred by the emperors to local government, and should ulti- mately triumph. In the absence of the modern devices of representative institutions, of rapid communication, or of a press, the only government possible over a large extent of territory was absolutism. This might have been checked by local municipal government, but the tendency of the emperors Jiad been hostile to such governments. Municipalities were imperia in imjperio^ and the independence they developed was unfavorably regarded by absolute rulers. The employment of foreigners as mercenary troops, and also very largely in the administration of government, was due to a desire on the part of the emperors to render themselves independent of their troublesome subjects. Still, the municipal spirit never altogether perished. The progress which the small Greek communities had made was in great part the result of the development of this spirit, which made the head of every household anxious to obtain the good-will of his fellow- citizens, and jealous for the reputation of the community to which he belonged. The great success of the Roman empire,