history of florence-第3节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　give　up　the　possession　of　it　to　others；　as　a　charge　full　of　danger

and　expense；　and　sometimes；　without　his　permission；　the　Romans；　seeing

themselves　so　abandoned；　created　an　emperor　for　their　defense；　or

suffered　some　one　to　usurp　the　dominion。　This　occurred　at　the　period

of　which　we　now　speak；　when　Maximus；　a　Roman；　after　the　death　of

Valentinian；　seized　the　government；　and　compelled　Eudocia；　widow　of

the　late　emperor；　to　take　him　for　her　husband；　but　she；　being　of

imperial　blood；　scorned　the　connection　of　a　private　citizen；　and　being

anxious　to　avenge　herself　for　the　insult；　secretly　persuaded　Genseric；

king　of　the　Vandals　and　master　of　Africa　to　come　to　Italy；

representing　to　him　the　advantage　he　would　derive　from　the

undertaking；　and　the　facility　with　which　it　might　be　accomplished。

Tempted　by　the　hope　of　booty；　he　came　immediately；　and　finding　Rome

abandoned；　plundered　the　city　during　fourteen　days。　He　also　ravaged

many　other　places　in　Italy；　and　then；　loaded　with　wealth；　withdrew　to

Africa。　The　Romans；　having　returned　to　their　city；　and　Maximus　being

dead；　elected　Avitus；　a　Roman；　as　his　successor。　After　this；　several

important　events　occurred　both　in　Italy　and　in　the　countries　beyond；

and　after　the　deaths　of　many　emperors　the　empire　of　Constantinople

devolved　upon　Zeno；　and　that　of　Rome　upon　Orestes　and　Augustulus　his

son；　who　obtained　the　sovereignty　by　fraud。　While　they　were　designing

to　hold　by　force　what　they　had　obtained　by　treachery；　the　Eruli　and

the　Turingi；　who；　after　the　death　of　Attila；　as　before　remarked；　had

established　themselves　upon　the　farther　bank　of　the　Danube；　united　in

a　league　and　invaded　Italy　under　Odoacer　their　general。　Into　the

districts　which　they　left　unoccupied；　the　Longobardi　or　Lombards；　also

a　northern　people；　entered；　led　by　Godogo　their　king。　Odoacer

conquered　and　slew　Orestes　near　Pavia；　but　Augustulus　escaped。　After

this　victory；　that　Rome　might；　with　her　change　of　power；　also　change

her　title；　Odoacer；　instead　of　using　the　imperial　name；　caused　himself

to　be　declared　king　of　Rome。　He　was　the　first　of　those　leaders　who　at

this　period　overran　the　world　and　thought　of　settling　in　Italy；　for

the　others；　either　from　fear　that　they　should　not　be　able　to　hold　the

country；　knowing　that　it　might　easily　be　relieved　by　the　eastern

emperors；　or　from　some　unknown　cause；　after　plundering　her；　sought

other　countries　wherein　to　establish　themselves。







CHAPTER　II



　　State　of　the　Roman　empire　under　ZenoTheodoric　king　of　the

　　OstrogothsCharacter　of　TheodoricChanges　in　the　Roman　empire

　　New　languagesNew　namesTheodoric　diesBelisarius　in　Italy

　　Totila　takes　RomeNarses　destroys　the　GothsNew　form　of

　　Government　in　ItalyNarses　invites　the　Lombards　into　ItalyThe

　　Lombards　change　the　form　of　government。



At　this　time　the　ancient　Roman　empire　was　governed　by　the　following

princes：　Zeno；　reigning　in　Constantinople；　commanded　the　whole　of　the

eastern　empire；　the　Ostrogoths　ruled　Mesia　and　Pannonia；　the

Visigoths；　Suavi；　and　Alans；　held　Gascony　and　Spain；　the　Vandals；

Africa；　the　Franks　and　Burgundians；　France；　and　the　Eruli　and　Turingi；

Italy。　The　kingdom　of　the　Ostrogoths　had　descended　to　Theodoric；

nephew　of　Velamir；　who；　being　on　terms　of　friendship　with　Zeno　the

eastern　emperor；　wrote　to　him　that　his　Ostrogoths　thought　it　an

injustice　that　they；　being　superior　in　valor　to　the　people　thereabout；

should　be　inferior　to　them　in　dominion；　and　that　it　was　impossible　for

him　to　restrain　them　within　the　limits　of　Pannonia。　So；　seeing　himself

under　the　necessity　of　allowing　them　to　take　arms　and　go　in　search　of

new　abodes；　he　wished　first　to　acquaint　Zeno　with　it；　in　order　that　he

might　provide　for　them；　by　granting　some　country　in　which　they　might

establish　themselves；　by　his　good　favor　with　greater　propriety　and

convenience。　Zeno；　partly　from　fear　and　partly　from　a　desire　to　drive

Odoacer　out　of　Italy；　gave　Theodoric　permission　to　lead　his　people

against　him；　and　take　possession　of　the　country。　Leaving　his　friends

the　Zepidi　in　Pannonia；　Theodoric　marched　into　Italy；　slew　Odoacer　and

his　son；　and；　moved　by　the　same　reasons　which　had　induced　Valentinian

to　do　so；　established　his　court　at　Ravenna；　and　like　Odoacer　took　the

title　of　king　of　Italy。



Theodoric　possessed　great　talents　both　for　war　and　peace；　in　the

former　he　was　always　conqueror；　and　in　the　latter　he　conferred　very

great　benefits　upon　the　cities　and　people　under　him。　He　distributed

the　Ostrogoths　over　the　country；　each　district　under　its　leader；　that

he　might　more　conveniently　command　them　in　war；　and　govern　them　in

peace。　He　enlarged　Ravenna；　restored　Rome；　and；　with　the　exception　of

military　discipline；　conferred　upon　the　Romans　every　honor。　He　kept

within　their　proper　bounds；　wholly　by　the　influence　of　his　character；

all　the　barbarian　kings　who　occupied　the　empire；　he　built　towns　and

fortresses　between　the　point　of　the　Adriatic　and　the　Alps；　in　order；

with　the　greater　facility；　to　impede　the　passage　of　any　new　hordes　of

barbarians　who　might　design　to　assail　Italy；　and　if；　toward　the　latter

end　of　his　life；　so　many　virtues　had　not　been　sullied　by　acts　of

cruelty；　caused　by　various　jealousies　of　his　people；　such　as　the　death

of　Symmachus　and　Boethius；　men　of　great　holiness；　every　point　of　his

character　would　have　deserved　the　highest　praise。　By　his　virtue　and

goodness；　not　only　Rome　and　Italy；　but　every　part　of　the　western

empire；　freed　from　the　continual　troubles　which　they　had　suffered　from

the　frequent　influx　of　barbarians；　acquired　new　vigor；　and　began　to

live　in　an　orderly　and　civilized　manner。　For　surely　if　any　times　were

truly　miserable　for　Italy　and　the　provinces　overrun　by　the　barbarians；

they　were　those　which　occurred　from　Arcadius　and　Honorius　to

Theodoric。　If　we　only　consider　the　evils　which　arise　to　a　republic　or

a　kingdom　by　a　change　of　prince　or　of　government；　not　by　foreign

interference；　but　by　civil　discord　（in　which　we　may　see　how　even

slight　variations　suffice　to　ruin　the　most　powerful　kingdoms　or

states）；　we　may　then　easily　imagine　how　much　Italy　and　the　other　Roman

provinces　suffered；　when　they　not　only　changed　their　forms　of

government　and　their　princes；　but　also　their　laws；　customs；　modes　of

living；　religion；　language；　and　name。　Any　one　of　such　changes；　by

itself；　without　being　united　with　others；　might；　with　thinking　of　it；

to　say　nothing　of　the　seeing　and　suffering；　infuse　terror　into　the

strongest　minds。



From　these　causes　proceeded　the　ruin　as　well　as　the　origin　and

extension　of　many　cities。　Among　those　which　were　ruined　were　Aquileia；

Luni；　Chiusi；　Popolonia；　Fiesole；　and　many　others。　The　new　cities　were

Venice；　Sienna；　Ferrara；　Aquila；　with　many　towns　and　castles　which　for

brevity　we　omit。　Those　which　became　extended　were　Florence；　Genoa；

Pisa；　Milan；　Naples；　and　Bologna；　to　all　of　which　may　be　added；　the

ruin　and　restoration　of　Rome；　and　of　many　other　cities　not　previously

mentioned。



From　this　devastation　and　new　population　arose　new　languages；　as　we

see　in　the　different　dialects　of　France；　Spain　and　Italy；　which；

partaking　of　the　native　idiom　of　the　new　people　and　of　the　old　Roman；

formed　a　new　manner　of　discourse。　Besides；　not　only　were　the　names　of

provinces　changed；　but　also　of　lakes；　rivers；　seas；　and　men；　for

France；　Spain；　and　Italy　are　full　of　fresh　names；　wholly　different

from　the　ancient；　as；　omitting　many　others；　we　see　that　the　Po；　the

Garda；　the　Archipelago；　are　names　quite　different　from　those　which　the

ancients　used；　while　instead　of　C鎠ar　and　Pompey　we　have　Peter；

Matthew；　John；　etc。



Among　so　many　variations；　that　of　religion　was　not　of　little

importance；　for；　while　combating　the　customs　of　the　ancient　faith　with

the　miracles　of　the　new；　very　serious　troubles　and　discords　were

created　among　men。　And　if　the　Christians　had　been　united　in　one　faith；

fewer　disorders　would　have　followed；　but　the　contentions　among

themselves；　of　the　churches　of　Rome；　Greece；　and　Ravenna；　joined　to

those　of　the　heretic　sects　with　the　Catholics；　served　in　many　ways　to

render　the　world　miserable。　Africa　is　a　proof　of　this；　having　suffered

more　horrors　from　the　Arian　sect；　whose　doctrines　were　believed　by　the

Vandals；　than　from　any　avarice　or　natural　cruelty　of　the　people

themselves。　Living　amid　so　many　persecutions；　the　countenances　of　men

bore　witness　of　the　terrible　impressions　upon　their　minds；　for　besides

the　evils　they　suffered　from　the　disordered　state　of　the　world；　they

scarcely　could　have　recourse　to　the　help　of　God；　in　whom　the　unhappy

hope　for　relief；　for　the　greater　part　of　them；　being　uncertain　what

divinity　they　ought　to　address；　died　miserably；　without　help　and

without　hope。



Having　been　the　first　who　put　a　stop　to　so　many　evils；　Theodoric

deserves　the　highest　praise：　for　during　the　thirty…eight　years　he

reigned　in　Italy；　he　brought　the　country　to　such　a　state　of　greatness

that　her　previous