Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/374

 324 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE As wars the crusades were unusually expensive and de- structive for those times. The loss of life was enormous, but Results of perhaps served to remedy the problem of over- the crusades population in France. Whether this great sacri- fice of blood and treasure checked to a great extent the spread of Mohammedanism, and whether it saved or weak- ened the Byzantine Empire at Constantinople, are disputed questions. But we may note that hardly had the last Chris- tian fortress in Syria fallen than the Turks began to threaten Constantinople again from Asia Minor. It thus seems as if Western Christendom, by taking the offensive, had held back Islam in the East for two centuries. The crusades increased the prestige of the pope and the influence of the Church, and show how religion colored every side of medieval life. The crusades seem on the whole to have weakened the feudal nobility, many of whom impoverished themselves in order to go on the crusades or neglected their fiefs by long periods of absence. On the other hand, the association of so many knights in these expeditions stimu- lated the social side of feudalism and developed greatly the usages of feudalism, such as tournaments, heraldic devices and coats of arms, family names and genealogies. The new military orders and the wide currency given to the exploits and adventures of the crusaders abroad added a new glamour and dignity to knighthood. The crusaders were travelers to strange and far countries as well as soldiers, and those who lived to return brought back with them new things, words, and ideas. We must remember, however, that what any one gets out of a trip abroad depends a great deal upon himself. He may see splendid works of art or strange inventions without appre- ciating them. If the crusades served as an education to the Westerners, it was because they were no longer ignorant barbarians. We must also remember that Western Chris- tians could borrow from Arabian civilization in Spain and Sicily without going to distant Syria. Probably the most lasting result of the crusades was the trade which the Italian cities established with the Orient, and this might well have