38. Q. What was his course toward Christianity? A. He abolished the
decrees enacted by Julian on behalf of idolatry, and seemed favorably
inclined toward Christianity, but he died suddenly on his way to
Constantinople.
39. Q. About this time what two names became prominent in theological
controversies? A. Basil the Great and Gregory the theologian.
40. Q. What new invasion of the northern barbarians took place in the
latter part of the fourth century? A. That of the Goths, who overran
Thrace, Macedonia and Thessaly, ravaged the country, killed the
inhabitants, and destroyed the cities that were not strongly fortified.
41. Q. To what did Theodosius first direct his attention after he
became emperor? A. To the pacification of the Goths, and succeeded
within the space of four years in rendering them if not fully
submissive to his scepter, at least anxious to seek terms of peace.
42. Q. What did the solemn edict which Theodosius dictated in 380
proclaim? A. The Athanasian doctrine of the Trinity, branded all who
denied it with the name of heretics, and handed over the churches in
Constantinople to the exclusive use of the orthodox party.
43. Q. What synod did he convene at Constantinople a few months
afterward, in the year 381? A. The second General Council of the
Christian Church, which completed the theological system established by
the Council of Nice.
44. Q. After the death of Theodosius, who were the nominal rulers of
the Roman empire? A. Arcadius in the East, and Honorius in the West,
both sons of Theodosius.
45. Q. Who, however, were the real rulers of the empire? A. Rufinus in
the East and Stilicho in the West.
46. Q. How are each characterized? A. Stilicho was noted for his
military virtues, but Rufinus became notorious only for his wickedness.
47. Q. Failing in his project of marrying his daughter Maria to
Arcadius, how did Rufinus seek to revenge himself? A. By plotting the
destruction of the empire itself.
48. Q. What barbarians is it said he called into the empire? A. The
Huns, who laid waste many provinces in Asia; and Alaric, the daring
general of the Goths, who invaded Hellas, plundering and destroying
everything in his path.
49. Q. Who, called the greatest orator of Christianity, became
archbishop of Constantinople near the close of the fourth century? A.
John Chrysostom.
50. Q. After the death of Arcadius, who virtually assumed the
government of the empire? A. Pulcheria, the daughter of Arcadius.
51. Q. What are we told as to the kind of life she led? A. That she
embraced a life of celibacy, renounced all vanity in dress, interrupted
by frequent fasts her simple and frugal diet, and devoted several hours
of the day and night to the exercises of prayer and psalmody.
52. Q. How did her brother Theodosius, who was the nominal emperor,
spend his time? A. His days in riding and hunting, and his evenings in
modeling and copying sacred books.
53. Q. How long did Pulcheria continue to reign? A. For nearly forty
years.
54. Q. What is said of the condition of Hellenism in the meantime? A.
It continued to wither in Hellas, while the modern began to spread and
strengthen itself in Constantinople.
55. Q. What is said of Hellenic literature from this time onward? A. It
produced none of those works by which the memory of nations is honored
and perpetuated.
56. Q. To what is its intellectual decline mainly due? A. To the
incursions of the barbarians, by which society was shaken to its
very foundations, and the genius and enterprise of the nation almost
paralyzed.
57. Q. Under what leader did the Huns ravage without restraint and
without mercy the suburbs of Constantinople and the provinces of Thrace
and Macedonia? A. Attila, called the “Scourge of God.”
58. Q. With the dethronement of what emperor did all political
relations between Rome and the Eastern Empire cease? A. Romulus
Augustulus in 476.
59. Q. How did the emperors of the East continue to be styled? A.
They continued to be styled emperors of the Romans, but legislation,
government, and customs became thoroughly Hellenized.
60. Q. What was the mainspring of the success in life of Justinian who
became emperor in 527? A. An unrestrained desire for great deeds and
his wonderful good fortune in the choice of ministers.
61. Q. What military victories glorified the early years of his reign?
A. Splendid victories over the Persians.
62. Q. What general began his career in this war? A. Belisarius, the
general who imparted such eminent distinction to the reign of Justinian.
63. Q. What were Justinian’s most glorious and useful memorials? A.
The composition of the celebrated collection of laws comprising the
Institutes, the Digest or Pandects, and the Code.
64. Q. To whom was the work entrusted? A. To ten law-teachers, over
whom the famous Tribonian presided.
65. Q. What are of special importance as among other memorable events
which signalized the reign of Justinian? A. The successful wars which
he waged against the Vandals in Africa and the Goths in Italy, and his
expeditions to Sicily and Spain.
66. Q. Among the many edifices erected during the reign of Justinian
which is the most famous? A. That of St. Sophia.
67. Q. To what epoch does the reign of Justinian partly belong? A. To
the Roman epoch of the Eastern Empire.
68. Q. What does the reign of Heraklius from 610 to 641 form? A. An
integral part of mediæval Hellenism.
69. Q. By what was Heraklius invited to ascend the throne, and how long
did his posterity continue to reign over the empire of the East? A. The
voice of the clergy, the senate, and the people invited him to ascend
the throne, and his posterity till the fourth generation continued to
reign over the empire of the East.
70. Q. In 627, after many brilliant actions, what defeat did Heraklius
inflict upon the Persians? A. So severe a defeat that their empire was
nearly crushed.
71. Q. Almost at the same time what unexpected and more terrible
opponent arose in the Arabian peninsula whose conflict with Hellenism
continues to the present day? A. Mohammedanism.
72. Q. What did the Mohammedans of Arabia wrest from the empire? A.
Syria, Egypt, and Northern Africa.
73. Q. What was the Mohammedan religion called, and to what two dogmas
was it limited? A. Islam, meaning devotion; its dogmas were the belief
in a future life, and the unity of God.
74. Q. In what words was the latter expressed? A. “There is only one
God, and Mohammed is the apostle of God.”
75. Q. Who was the next emperor of real historic value after the death
of Heraklius? A. Constantine IV., surnamed Poganatus, or the Bearded.
76. Q. For what was the reign of Constantine especially memorable? A.
For the first siege of Constantinople by the Mohammedans.
77. Q. How long did this siege last? A. For seven years, but was not
carried on uninterruptedly throughout this time.
78. Q. What was the result of the siege? A. The Mohammedans were
finally forced to relinquish the fruitless enterprise in 675.
79. Q. What formidable weapon did the Byzantines employ during this
siege, the composition of which is now unknown? A. The Greek fire.
80. Q. What declarations of an œcumenical council he convoked at
Constantinople in 680 did Constantine sanction by a royal edict, and
thus reëstablish religious union in the empire? A. That the church has
always recognized in Christ two natures, united but not confounded—two
wills, distinct, but not antagonistic.
81. Q. When did the next siege of Constantinople by the Mohammedans
take place? A. In the year 717, during the reign of Leo III.
82. Q. What was the result? A. In the following year the Arabs were
driven away, having suffered a loss of twenty-five hundred ships and
more than five hundred thousand warriors.
83. Q. What decrees did Leo III. issue in 726 and 730? A. A decree
forbidding the worship of images, and another banishing them entirely
from the churches.
84. Q. How did these decrees divide the nation? A. Into two
intensely hostile parties, of iconoclasts or image-breakers, and
image-worshipers, by whose contests it was long distracted.
85. Q. What action did Leo V. take in regard to image-worship? A. He
not only banished the images from the churches, but also destroyed the
songs and prayers addressed to them.
86. Q. What further order was made in regard to their worship by
Theophilus who became emperor in 829? A. He forbade the word “holy” to
be inscribed on the images, and also that they should be honored by
prayers, kissing, or lighted tapers.
87. Q. After the death of Theophilus what action did the empress
Theodora, into whose hands the positive power of the government passed,
take in regard to the images? A. She herself worshiped images. The
pictures were again hung in the churches, and the monastic order more
than ever became potent both in society and government.
88. Q. During the reign of Alexius what storm suddenly burst from the
west? A. The so-called First Crusade.