The most important historic features of the Middle Ages were certain
peculiar forms of society, rather than the development of great nations.
Indeed, the modern nations as such were only in their beginnings, and
these characteristic social peculiarities were common to all of them.
Thus, all the nations of Europe were under that peculiar form of society
called _feudalism_; all bore certain relations to the _papal power_; all
participated in the _Crusades_ and in the spirit of _Chivalry_; and all
passed through the period named the _Dark Ages_, and shared in the
intellectual revival which marked the latter part of the Middle Ages.
THE EASTERN OR BYZANTINE EMPIRE.--This Empire, called also the Greek
Empire, was sustained under various fortunes, for a period of almost
one thousand years after the overthrow of the Western or Roman
Empire. After the fall of Rome nearly sixty different emperors had
occupied the throne at Constantinople, when, A.D. 1202, that city
was taken by the crusaders from France and Venice. By this event the
Greek emperors were forced to establish their court at Nicæa in Asia
Minor. After the lapse of sixty years, their former capital was
recovered; and, subsequent to this, eight different emperors held
the scepter there, until the empire was gradually reduced in
strength and extent, and it consisted of but a little corner of
Europe. Its existence was prolonged to A.D. 1453, when
Constantinople fell into the hands of the Turks, who have retained
it to the present day.
While the new nationalities and the new civilization of Western Europe
were being developed under the influence of German vigor, the emperors
at Constantinople, though they ruled dominions where the language and
civilization were mainly Greek, still claimed to be Roman emperors, and
under their sway the laws and official forms of imperial Rome were
maintained.
The Patriarch of Constantinople was the head of the Christian Church in
the East, as the Bishop of Rome was in the West, while the latter, as
the successor of St. Peter, was the head of the universal Church.