History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6

Name: History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6
Author: Gibbon, Edward

Gibbon, Edward

Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.

reason, which rendered it dear and valuable in his eyes: in the
      one he was born; in another he had been first promoted to
      military command; and in a third he had enjoyed, and hoped long
      to enjoy, the pleasures of the chase. “And what then do you
      propose to give us?” said the astonished deputies. “Nothing,”
      replied the Greek, “not a foot of land. If your master be
      desirous of peace, let him pay me, as an annual tribute, the sum
      which he receives from the trade and customs of Constantinople.
      On these terms, I may allow him to reign. If he refuses, it is
      war. I am not ignorant of the art of war, and I trust the event
      to God and my sword.” 56 An expedition against the despot of
      Epirus was the first prelude of his arms. If a victory was
      followed by a defeat; if the race of the Comneni or Angeli
      survived in those mountains his efforts and his reign; the
      captivity of Villehardouin, prince of Achaia, deprived the Latins
      of the most active and powerful vassal of their expiring
      monarchy. The republics of Venice and Genoa disputed, in the
      first of their naval wars, the command of the sea and the
      commerce of the East. Pride and interest attached the Venetians
      to the defence of Constantinople; their rivals were tempted to
      promote the designs of her enemies, and the alliance of the
      Genoese with the schismatic conqueror provoked the indignation of
      the Latin church. 57

      55 (return) [ The gradual losses of the Latins may be traced in
      the third fourth, and fifth books of the compilation of Ducange:
      but of the Greek conquests he has dropped many circumstances,
      which may be recovered from the larger history of George
      Acropolita, and the three first books of Nicephorus, Gregoras,
      two writers of the Byzantine series, who have had the good
      fortune to meet with learned editors Leo Allatius at Rome, and
      John Boivin in the Academy of Inscriptions of Paris.]

      56 (return) [ George Acropolita, c. 78, p. 89, 90. edit. Paris.]

      57 (return) [ The Greeks, ashamed of any foreign aid, disguise
      the alliance and succor of the Genoese: but the fact is proved by
      the testimony of J Villani (Chron. l. vi. c. 71, in Muratori,
      Script. Rerum Italicarum, tom. xiii. p. 202, 203) and William de
      Nangis, (Annales de St. Louis, p. 248 in the Louvre Joinville,)
      two impartial foreigners; and Urban IV threatened to deprive
      Genoa of her archbishop.]

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History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6Gibbon, Edward

History

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6

Gibbon, Edward

Byzantine Empire -- History -- To 527; Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.

reason, which rendered it dear and valuable in his eyes: in the
      one he was born; in another he had been first promoted to
      military command; and in a third he had enjoyed, and hoped long
      to enjoy, the pleasures of the chase. “And what then do you
      propose to give us?” said the astonished deputies. “Nothing,”
      replied the Greek, “not a foot of land. If your master be
      desirous of peace, let him pay me, as an annual tribute, the sum
      which he receives from the trade and customs of Constantinople.
      On these terms, I may allow him to reign. If he refuses, it is
      war. I am not ignorant of the art of war, and I trust the event
      to God and my sword.” 56 An expedition against the despot of
      Epirus was the first prelude of his arms. If a victory was
      followed by a defeat; if the race of the Comneni or Angeli
      survived in those mountains his efforts and his reign; the
      captivity of Villehardouin, prince of Achaia, deprived the Latins
      of the most active and powerful vassal of their expiring
      monarchy. The republics of Venice and Genoa disputed, in the
      first of their naval wars, the command of the sea and the
      commerce of the East. Pride and interest attached the Venetians
      to the defence of Constantinople; their rivals were tempted to
      promote the designs of her enemies, and the alliance of the
      Genoese with the schismatic conqueror provoked the indignation of
      the Latin church. 57

      55 (return) [ The gradual losses of the Latins may be traced in
      the third fourth, and fifth books of the compilation of Ducange:
      but of the Greek conquests he has dropped many circumstances,
      which may be recovered from the larger history of George
      Acropolita, and the three first books of Nicephorus, Gregoras,
      two writers of the Byzantine series, who have had the good
      fortune to meet with learned editors Leo Allatius at Rome, and
      John Boivin in the Academy of Inscriptions of Paris.]

      56 (return) [ George Acropolita, c. 78, p. 89, 90. edit. Paris.]

      57 (return) [ The Greeks, ashamed of any foreign aid, disguise
      the alliance and succor of the Genoese: but the fact is proved by
      the testimony of J Villani (Chron. l. vi. c. 71, in Muratori,
      Script. Rerum Italicarum, tom. xiii. p. 202, 203) and William de
      Nangis, (Annales de St. Louis, p. 248 in the Louvre Joinville,)
      two impartial foreigners; and Urban IV threatened to deprive
      Genoa of her archbishop.]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6

History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire — Volume 6

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