564 517 POETRY: Hope for All-Honor to the Plough, 137; Review, Q. R. Revolution of 1688 and William III,—British 59 145 389 MISCELLANY: Opening of Runic Barrows in Swe- P. S. Schlosser's History of the Eighteenth Cen- Spain, Vacations in,- Westminster Review, T. 38 59 65 171 . 197 357 503 Socratis Scholastici Ecclesiastica Historic Libri septem ex recensione Henrici Valesii. Oxonii. 1845. the ruin of the Eastern Church and Empire. Many circumstances on which we most desire information must be deduced rather from hints and allusions than from distinct statements, and we often have to pick from the venerable rebukes of the ancient pulpit orator and scriptural commentator, or from petty prohibitions in the Imperial Code, what we cannot collect from historians, who are either too concise, like Socrates, or too verbose and unphilosophical, like Eusebius. We are indebted to the University press of are aware of that domestic training and Oxford for the reprint of this important character of her citizens which hastened contribution to ecclesiastical history. Socrates is justly entitled to a high estimation. Pursuing the narrative from the period with which Eusebius had closed, he especially applies himself to the varied fortunes of the Church of Constantinople. In that city he had been born and educated, and subsequently followed the legal profession, and was thus peculiarly qualified to record the events of which the capital had been the scene. It is not, however, our purpose to touch, in this article, on his ecclesiastical details, but to avail ourselves of detached The foundation of Byzantium is assignfacts which he presents in illustration of the ed to the third year of the 30th Olympiad, domestic condition of the seat of the east-657, B.C. Megara and Argos had the good ern empire. We do not wish to encroach fortune to share in the work, and long reon the province of the historian, whether ceived all filial reverence from their illussecular or religious, but to present our trious colony. It subsequently fell into readers with some sketches of the private the hands of Darius, the Ionians, and life of Constantinople, such as it was in the Xerxes, and reclaimed its dubious freedom first century of their capital and the fourth or dependence by the siege sustained from of the Christian era. That city abounds in Pausanias and the Lacedæmonians. matter of the deepest interest to all who perhaps he rendered a more important serspeculate in the history of man; but few vice by the increased population which he VOL. X. No. I. 1 But drew within its walls, and which entitled they had been always notorious for sensual him to the designation of its second founder. vice and debauchery: the authority of the In the rapid transfer of the supremacy from legislature had been impaired by this dethe Spartans to the Athenians, and from generacy of manners, and the pleasure of Athenians to the Spartans, Byzantium ap- the citizens served as their most valid law. parently followed the tide of conquest, but We are sorry not to have it in our power really availed itself of the opportunity to to dwell on these facts more minutely;vindicate its liberty. Those surpassing ad- but must hasten to our proposed sketches, vantages of position which have attracted and enable our readers to form some the cupidity of modern rulers could not es- judgment how far the Byzantines had imcape the acute eye of Philip of Macedon. proved, when at the end of the fourth century But Demosthenes was on the watch; and they occupied the capital of Christendom. the liberation of the citizens from the siege In the present state of society, female which Philip waged against them was one of life and character are sure indications of the the proudest feats of which the great orator domestic condition of a people; and this could boast. In due time the Byzantines holds good with respect to the Constantiyielded to the Roman yoke, and in return nopolitans. The city was essentially Greek, for their aid in the Mithridatic war, obtain- and exhibited Grecian influence in a very ed the free usage of their ancient laws. preponderating degree;-yet the depreciaTheir gratitude and splendor drew forth tion of females which prevailed in the Histhe admiration of Cicero. "Urbem Byzan- torical age of Greece was not transmitted tiorum huic imperio fidelissimam fuisse, re-to this great descendant of the Grecian fertissimam ateque ornatissimam signis, quis race; in fact, not being properly an Euroignorant " pean principle, it never took root among The fame of the city continued unim- the Romans; it could not co-exist with paired till the reign of Severus (A.D. 193), Christianity; and the influences of Chriswhen it unfortunately sided with his rival tianity and of Rome were amalgamated in Pescennius Niger; the result was the over-this new compound of Grecian civilization. throw of the buildings, the privation of Accordingly women have found a conspicucivic rights, and subjection for a time ous place in the literature of the time. to the neighboring town of Perinthus. Our readers shall judge how far the porAt length the wrath of the conqueror yield-traiture is satisfactory; but we must preed to compassion, or a wiser policy, and he mise that while our chief informant, St. commenced the repair of its ruins in the Chrysostom, cannot surely be false, much hope that it might still serve as a bulwark of humble excellence might have escaped against the barbarians of Asia; yet the an eye that was ever scrutinizing the follies wrong of which he had repented did not of the great; while his own pages show that deter Gallienus and his soldiers (A.D. there were individuals within his personal 260), from inflicting even more cruel in-acquaintance who deserved even his highest juries; and these were consummated by the commendation. Our loss of 6000 citizens in the siege which it The personal charms of the ladies are endured from Constantine himself (A.D. described far more copiously than their 323) when pursuing Licinius. Here was mental gifts; indeed, the latter seem to have the close of trouble and subjection. In the been in general overlaid by the care bestowvery next year the city was preferred to be ed on their outward adornments. the future capital, and rapidly prepared for readers will recollect how decidedly Aristhis high destination. But whatever were totle* tells us that size (utyɛ00s) is one of the natural advantages of the spot, and how-the virtues of woman; but this was not ever skilfully Constantine labored to im-less a virtue in the times of which we are prove and embellish his selected centre of treating; and Gregory Nazianzen† forcibly government, there was an inherent degra- rebukes a kinsman who depreciated his wife dation of morals in the inhabitants which only because she was too small. This imthreatened to develop in proportion with portant particular being assumed, more their increase. Their bravery had been specific claims were requisite for admisproved in a long succession of wars, yet sion among the belles of the metropolis. * Demost. De Coronâ, xxvii. De Provinciis, Consularibus, iii. iv. Rhetoric, lib. i., 5. Greg. Nazianzen, epist. 155, edit. Morel, 1690. |