the story of mankind-第21节

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at　last　was　at　the　mercy　of　every　ambitious　highway　robber

who　could　gather　a　few　followers。



In　the　year　402　the　Emperor　fled　to　Ravenna；　which　was

a　sea…port　and　strongly　fortified；　and　there；　in　the　year　475；

Odoacer；　commander　of　a　regiment　of　the　German　mercenaries；

who　wanted　the　farms　of　Italy　to　be　divided　among　themselves；

gently　but　effectively　pushed　Romulus　Augustulus；　the

last　of　the　emperors　who　ruled　the　western　division；　from　his

throne；　and　proclaimed　himself　Patriarch　or　ruler　of　Rome。

The　eastern　Emperor；　who　was　very　busy　with　his　own　affairs；

recognised　him；　and　for　ten　years　Odoacer　ruled　what　was

left　of　the　western　provinces。



A　few　years　later；　Theodoric；　King　of　the　East　Goths；

invaded　the　newly　formed　Patriciat；　took　Ravenna；　murdered

Odoacer　at　his　own　dinner　table；　and　established　a　Gothic

Kingdom　amidst　the　ruins　of　the　western　part　of　the　Empire。

This　Patriciate　state　did　not　last　long。　In　the　sixth　century　a

motley　crowd　of　Longobards　and　Saxons　and　Slavs　and　Avars

invaded　Italy；　destroyed　the　Gothic　kingdom；　and　established

a　new　state　of　which　Pavia　became　the　capital。



Then　at　last　the　imperial　city　sank　into　a　state　of　utter

neglect　and　despair。　The　ancient　palaces　had　been　plundered

time　and　again。　The　schools　had　been　burned　down。　The

teachers　had　been　starved　to　death。　The　rich　people　had　been

thrown　out　of　their　villas　which　were　now　inhabited　by　evil…

smelling　and　hairy　barbarians。　The　roads　had　fallen　into

decay。　The　old　bridges　were　gone　and　commerce　had　come

to　a　standstill。　Civilisationthe　product　of　thousands　of　years

of　patient　labor　on　the　part　of　Egyptians　and　Babylonians　and

Greeks　and　Romans；　which　had　lifted　man　high　above　the

most　daring　dreams　of　his　earliest　ancestors；　threatened　to

perish　from　the　western　continent。



It　is　true　that　in　the　far　east；　Constantinople　continued　to

be　the　centre　of　an　Empire　for　another　thousand　years。　But

it　hardly　counted　as　a　part　of　the　European　continent。　Its

interests　lay　in　the　east。　It　began　to　forget　its　western　origin。

Gradually　the　Roman　language　was　given　up　for　the　Greek。

The　Roman　alphabet　was　discarded　and　Roman　law　was　written

in　Greek　characters　and　explained　by　Greek　judges。　The

Emperor　became　an　Asiatic　despot；　worshipped　as　the　god…like

kings　of　Thebes　had　been　worshipped　in　the　valley　of　the

Nile；　three　thousand　years　before。　When　missionaries　of　the

Byzantine　church　looked　for　fresh　fields　of　activity；　they　went

eastward　and　carried　the　civilisation　of　Byzantium　into　the

vast　wilderness　of　Russia。



As　for　the　west；　it　was　left　to　the　mercies　of　the　Barbarians。

For　twelve　generations；　murder；　war；　arson；　plundering　were

the　order　of　the　day。　One　thingand　one　thing　alonesaved

Europe　from　complete　destruction；　from　a　return　to　the　days

of　cave…men　and　the　hyena。



This　was　the　churchthe　flock　of　humble　men　and　women

who　for　many　centuries　had　confessed　themselves　the　followers

of　Jesus；　the　carpenter　of　Nazareth；　who　had　been

killed　that　the　mighty　Roman　Empire　might　be　saved　the

trouble　of　a　street…riot　in　a　little　city　somewhere　along　the

Syrian　frontier。







RISE　OF　THE　CHURCH



HOW　ROME　BECAME　THE　CENTRE　OF　THE

CHRISTIAN　WORLD





THE　average　intelligent　Roman　who　lived　under　the　Empire

had　taken　very　little　interest　in　the　gods　of　his　fathers。

A　few　times　a　year　he　went　to　the　temple；　but　merely　as　a

matter　of　custom。　He　looked　on　patiently　when　the　people

celebrated　a　religious　festival　with　a　solemn　procession。　But　he

regarded　the　worship　of　Jupiter　and　Minerva　and　Neptune　as

something　rather　childish；　a　survival　from　the　crude　days　of

the　early　republic　and　not　a　fit　subject　of　study　for　a　man

who　had　mastered　the　works　of　the　Stoics　and　the　Epicureans

and　the　other　great　philosophers　of　Athens。



This　attitude　made　the　Roman　a　very　tolerant　man。　The

government　insisted　that　all　people；　Romans；　foreigners；

Greeks；　Babylonians；　Jews；　should　pay　a　certain　outward　respect

to　the　image　of　the　Emperor　which　was　supposed　to　stand

in　every　temple；　just　as　a　picture　of　the　President　of　the

United　States　is　apt　to　hang　in　an　American　Post　Office。　But

this　was　a　formality　without　any　deeper　meaning。　Generally

speaking　everybody　could　honour；　revere　and　adore　whatever

gods　he　pleased；　and　as　a　result；　Rome　was　filled　with　all

sorts　of　queer　little　temples　and　synagogues；　dedicated　to　the

worship　of　Egyptian　and　African　and　Asiatic　divinities。



When　the　first　disciples　of　Jesus　reached　Rome　and　began

to　preach　their　new　doctrine　of　a　universal　brotherhood　of　man；

nobody　objected。　The　man　in　the　street　stopped　and　listened

Rome；　the　capital　of　the　world；　had　always　been　full　of　wandering

preachers；　each　proclaiming　his　own　‘‘mystery。''　Most　of

the　self…appointed　priests　appealed　to　the　sensespromised

golden　rewards　and　endless　pleasure　to　the　followers　of　their

own　particular　god。　Soon　the　crowd　in　the　street　noticed

that　the　so…called　Christians　（the　followers　of　the　Christ　or

‘‘anointed''）　spoke　a　very　different　language。　They　did　not

appear　to　be　impressed　by　great　riches　or　a　noble　position。

They　extolled　the　beauties　of　poverty　and　humility　and　meekness。

These　were　not　exactly　the　virtues　which　had　made

Rome　the　mistress　of　the　world。　It　was　rather　interesting　to

listen　to　a　‘‘mystery''　which　told　people　in　the　hey…day　of　their

glory　that　their　worldly　success　could　not　possibly　bring　them

lasting　happiness。



Besides；　the　preachers　of　the　Christian　mystery　told　dreadful

stories　of　the　fate　that　awaited　those　who　refused　to　listen　to

the　words　of　the　true　God。　It　was　never　wise　to　take　chances。

Of　course　the　old　Roman　gods　still　existed；　but　were　they

strong　enough　to　protect　their　friends　against　the　powers　of

this　new　deity　who　had　been　brought　to　Europe　from　distant

Asia？　People　began　to　have　doubts。　They　returned　to　listen

to　further　explanations　of　the　new　creed。　After　a　while　they

began　to　meet　the　men　and　women　who　preached　the　words　of

Jesus。　They　found　them　very　different　from　the　average

Roman　priests。　They　were　all　dreadfully　poor。　They　were

kind　to　slaves　and　to　animals。　They　did　not　try　to　gain　riches；

but　gave　away　whatever　they　had。　The　example　of　their　unselfish

lives　forced　many　Romans　to　forsake　the　old　religion。

They　joined　the　small　communities　of　Christians　who　met　in

the　back　rooms　of　private　houses　or　somewhere　in　an　open　field；

and　the　temples　were　deserted。



This　went　on　year　after　year　and　the　number　of　Christians

continued　to　increase。　Presbyters　or　priests　（the　original

Greek　meant　‘‘elder''）　were　elected　to　guard　the　interests　of

the　small　churches。　A　bishop　was　made　the　head　of　all　the

communities　within　a　single　province。　Peter；　who　had　fol…

lowed　Paul　to　Rome；　was　the　first　Bishop　of　Rome。　In　due

time　his　successors　（who　were　addressed　as　Father　or　Papa）

came　to　be　known　as　Popes。



The　church　became　a　powerful　institution　within　the　Empire。

The　Christian　doctrines　appealed　to　those　who　despaired

of　this　world。　They　also　attracted　many　strong　men　who

found　it　impossible　to　make　a　career　under　the　Imperial　gov…

ernment；　but　who　could　exercise　their　gifts　of　leadership　among

the　humble　followers　of　the　Nazarene　teacher。　At　last　the

state　was　obliged　to　take　notice。　The　Roman　Empire　（I　have

said　this　before）　was　tolerant　through　indifference。　It　allowed

everybody　to　seek　salvation　after　his　or　her　own　fashion。　But

it　insisted　that　the　different　sects　keep　the　peace　among　themselves

and　obey　the　wise　rule　of　‘‘live　and　let　live。''



The　Christian　communities　however；　refused　to　practice　any

sort　of　tolerance。　They　publicly　declared　that　their　God；　and

their　God　alone；　was　the　true　ruler　of　Heaven　and　Earth；

and　that　all　other　gods　were　imposters。　This　seemed　unfair

to　the　other　sects　and　the　police　discouraged　such　utterances。

The　Christians　persisted。



Soon　there　were　further　difficulties。　The　Christians　refused

to　go　through　the　formalities　of　paying　homage　to　the　emperor。

They　refused　to　appear　when　they　were　called　upon

to　join　the　army。　The　Roman　magistrates　threatened　to

punish　them。　The　Christians　answered　that　this　miserable

world　was　only　the　ante…room　to　a　very　pleasant　Heaven　and

that　they　were　more　than　willing　to　suffer　death　for　their

principles。　The　Romans；　puzzled　by　such　conduct；　sometimes

killed　the　offenders；　but　more　often　they　did　not。　There　was

a　certain　amount　of　lynching　during　the　earliest　years　of　the

church；　but　this　was　the　work　of　that　part　of　the　mob　which

accused　their　meek　Christian　neighbours　of　every　conceivable

crime；　（such　as　slaughtering　and　eating　babies；　bringing　about

sickness　and　pestilence；　betraying　the　country　in　times　of　danger）

because　it　was　a　harmless　sport　and　devoid　of　danger；　as

the　Christians　refused　to　fight　back。



Meanwhile；　Rome　continued　to　be　in