history of florence-第5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！



dominion　further　than　Benevento；　for；　of　the　cities　of　Rome；　Ravenna；

Cremona；　Mantua；　Padua；　Monselice；　Parma；　Bologna；　Faenza；　Forli；　and

Cesena；　some　defended　themselves　for　a　time；　and　others　never　fell

under　their　dominion；　since；　not　having　a　king；　they　became　less

prompt　for　war；　and　when　they　afterward　appointed　one；　they　were；　by

living　in　freedom；　become　less　obedient；　and　more　apt　to　quarrel　among

themselves；　which　from　the　first　prevented　a　fortunate　issue　of　their

military　expeditions；　and　was　the　ultimate　cause　of　their　being　driven

out　of　Italy。　The　affairs　of　the　Lombards　being　in　the　state　just

described；　the　Romans　and　Longinus　came　to　an　agreement　with　them；

that　each　should　lay　down　their　arms　and　enjoy　what　they　already

possessed。







CHAPTER　III



　　Beginning　of　the　greatness　of　the　pontiffs　in　ItalyAbuse　of

　　censures　and　indulgencesThe　pope　applies　to　Pepin；　king　of

　　France；　for　assistanceDonation　of　Pepin　to　the　pontiff

　　CharlemagneEnd　of　the　kingdom　of　the　LombardsThe　title　of

　　cardinal　begins　to　be　usedThe　empire　passes　to　the　Germans

　　Berengarius；　duke　of　Fruili；　created　king　of　ItalyPisa　becomes

　　greatOrder　and　division　of　the　states　of　ItalyElectors　of　the

　　emperor　created。



In　these　times　the　popes　began　to　acquire　greater　temporal　authority

than　they　had　previously　possessed；　although　the　immediate　successors

of　St。　Peter　were　more　reverenced　for　the　holiness　of　their　lives；　and

the　miracles　which　they　performed；　and　their　example　so　greatly

extended　the　Christian　religion；　that　princes　of　other　states　embraced

it；　in　order　to　obviate　the　confusion　which　prevailed　at　that　period。

The　emperor　having　become　a　Christian　and　returned　to　Constantinople；

it　followed；　as　was　remarked　at　the　commencement　of　the　book；　that　the

Roman　empire　was　the　more　easily　ruined；　and　the　church　more　rapidly

increased　her　authority。　Nevertheless；　the　whole　of　Italy；　being

subject　either　to　the　emperors　or　the　kings　till　the　coming　of　the

Lombards；　the　popes　never　acquired　any　greater　authority　than　what

reverence　for　their　habits　and　doctrine　gave　them。　In　other　respects

they　obeyed　the　emperors　or　kings；　officiated　for　them　in　their

affairs；　as　ministers　or　agents；　and　were　even　sometimes　put　to　death

by　them。　He　who　caused　them　to　become　of　more　importance　in　the

affairs　of　Italy；　was　Theodoric；　king　of　the　Goths；　when　he

established　the　seat　of　his　empire　at　Ravenna；　for；　Rome　being　without

a　prince；　the　Romans　found　it　necessary；　for　their　safety；　to　yield

obedience　to　the　pope；　his　authority；　however；　was　not　greatly

increased　thereby；　the　only　advantage　being；　that　the　church　of　Rome

was　allowed　to　take　precedence　of　that　of　Ravenna。　But　the　Lombards

having　taken　possession；　and　Italy　being　divided　into　many　parts；　the

pope　had　an　opportunity　of　greater　exertion。　Being　as　it　were　the　head

of　Rome；　both　the　emperor　of　Constantinople　and　the　Lombards　respected

him；　so　that　the　Romans；　by　his　means；　entered　into　league　with　the

Lombards；　and　with　Longinus；　not　as　subjects；　but　as　equals。　Thus　the

popes；　at　one　time　friends　of　the　Greeks；　and　at　another　of　the

Lombards；　increased　their　own　power；　but　upon　the　ruin　of　the　eastern

empire；　which　occurred　during　the　time　of　Heraclius；　their　influence

was　reduced；　for　the　Sclavi；　of　whom　we　spoke　before；　again　assailed

Illyria；　and　having　occupied　the　country；　named　it　Sclavonia；　after

themselves；　and　the　other　parts　were　attacked　by　the　Persians；　then　by

the　Saracens　under　Mohammed；　and　lastly　by　the　Turks；　who　took　Syria；

Africa；　and　Egypt。　These　causes　induced　the　reigning　pope；　in　his

distress；　to　seek　new　friends；　and　he　applied　to　the　king　of　France。

Nearly　all　the　wars　which　the　northern　barbarians　carried　on　in　Italy；

it　may　be　here　remarked；　were　occasioned　by　the　pontiffs；　and　the

hordes；　with　which　the　country　was　inundated；　were　generally　called　in

by　them。　The　same　mode　of　proceeding　still　continued；　and　kept　Italy

weak　and　unsettled。　And；　therefore；　in　relating　the　events　which　have

taken　place　from　those　times　to　the　present；　the　ruin　of　the　empire

will　be　no　longer　illustrated；　but　only　the　increase　of　the

pontificate　and　of　the　other　principalities　which　ruled　Italy　till　the

coming　of　Charles　VIII。　It　will　be　seen　how　the　popes；　first　with

censures；　and　afterward　with　these　and　arms；　mingled　with　indulgences；

became　both　terrible　and　venerable；　and　how；　from　having　abused　both；

they　ceased　to　possess　any　influence；　and　were　wholly　dependent　on　the

will　of　others　for　assistance　in　their　wars。



But　to　return　to　the　order　of　our　narration。　Gregory　III。　occupied　the

papacy；　and　the　kingdom　of　the　Lombards　was　held　by　Astolphus；　who；

contrary　to　agreement；　seized　Ravenna；　and　made　war　upon　the　pope。　On

this　account；　Gregory　no　longer　relying　upon　the　emperor　of

Constantinople；　since　he；　for　the　reasons　above　given；　was　unable　to

assist　him；　and　unwilling　to　trust　the　Lombards；　for　they　had

frequently　broken　their　faith；　had　recourse　to　Pepin　II。；　who；　from

being　lord　of　Austria　and　Brabant；　had　become　king　of　France；　not　so

much　by　his　own　valor　as　by　that　of　Charles　Martel；　his　father；　and

Pepin　his　grandfather；　for　Charles　Martel；　being　governor　of　the

kingdom；　effected　the　memorable　defeat　of　the　Saracens　near　Tours；

upon　the　Loire；　in　which　two　hundred　thousand　of　them　are　said　to　have

been　left　dead　upon　the　field　of　battle。　Hence；　Pepin；　by　his　father's

reputation　and　his　own　abilities；　became　afterward　king　of　France。　To

him　Pope　Gregory；　as　we　have　said；　applied　for　assistance　against　the

Lombards；　which　Pepin　promised　to　grant；　but　desired　first　to　see　him

and　be　honored　with　his　presence。　Gregory　accordingly　went　to　France；

passing　uninjured　through　the　country　of　his　enemies；　so　great　was　the

respect　they　had　for　religion；　and　was　treated　honorably　by　Pepin；　who

sent　an　army　into　Italy；　and　besieged　the　Lombards　in　Pavia。　King

Astolphus；　compelled　by　necessity；　made　proposals　of　peace　to　the

French；　who　agreed　to　them　at　the　entreaty　of　the　popefor　he　did　not

desire　the　death　of　his　enemy；　but　that　he　should　be　converted　and

live。　In　this　treaty；　Astolphus　promised　to　give　to　the　church　all　the

places　he　had　taken　from　her；　but　the　king's　forces　having　returned　to

France；　he　did　not　fulfill　the　agreement；　and　the　pope　again　had

recourse　to　Pepin；　who　sent　another　army；　conquered　the　Lombards；　took

Ravenna；　and；　contrary　to　the　wishes　of　the　Greek　emperor；　gave　it　to

the　pope；　with　all　the　places　that　belonged　to　the　exarchate；　and

added　to　them　Urbino　and　the　Marca。　But　Astolphus；　while　fulfilling

the　terms　of　his　agreement；　died；　and　Desiderius；　a　Lombard；　who　was

duke　of　Tuscany；　took　up　arms　to　occupy　the　kingdom；　and　demanded

assistance　of　the　pope；　promising　him　his　friendship。　The　pope

acceding　to　his　request；　the　other　princes　assented。　Desiderius　kept

faith　at　first；　and　proceeded　to　resign　the　districts　to　the　pope；

according　to　the　agreement　made　with　Pepin；　so　that　an　exarch　was　no

longer　sent　from　Constantinople　to　Ravenna；　but　it　was　governed

according　to　the　will　of　the　pope。　Pepin　soon　after　died；　and　was

succeeded　by　his　son　Charles；　the　same　who；　on　account　of　the

magnitude　and　success　of　his　enterprises；　was　called　Charlemagne；　or

Charles　the　Great。　Theodore　I。　now　succeeded　to　the　papacy；　and

discord　arising　between　him　and　Desiderius；　the　latter　besieged　him　in

Rome。　The　pope　requested　assistance　of　Charles；　who；　having　crossed

the　Alps；　besieged　Desiderius　in　Pavai；　where　he　took　both　him　and　his

children；　and　sent　them　prisoners　to　France。　He　then　went　to　visit　the

pontiff　at　Rome；　where　he　declared；　THAT　THE　POPE；　BEING　VICAR　OF　GOD；

COULD　NOT　BE　JUDGED　BY　MEN。　The　pope　and　the　people　of　Rome　made　him

emperor；　and　thus　Rome　began　to　have　an　emperor　of　the　west。　And

whereas　the　popes　used　to　be　established　by　the　emperors；　the　latter

now　began　to　have　need　of　the　popes　at　their　elections；　the　empire

continued　to　lose　its　powers；　while　the　church　acquired　them；　and；　by

these　means；　she　constantly　extended　her　authority　over　temporal

princes。



The　Lombards；　having　now　been　two　hundred　and　thirty…two　years　in　the

country；　were　strangers　only　in　name；　and　Charles；　wishing　to

reorganize　the　states　of　Italy；　consented　that　they　should　occupy　the

places　in　which　they　had　been　brought　up；　and　call　the　province　after

their　own　name；　Lombardy。　That　they　might　be　led　to　respect　the　Roman

name；　he　ordered　all　that　part　of　Italy　adjoining　to　them；　which　had

been　under　the　exarchate　of　Ravenna；　to　be　called　Romagna。　Besides

this；　he　created　his　son　Pepin；　king　of　Italy；　whose　dominion　extended

to　Benevento；　all　the　rest　being　possessed　by　the　Greek　emperor；　with

whom　Charles　was　in　league。　About　this　time　Pascal　I。　occupied　the

pontificate；　and　the　priests　of　the　churches　of　Rome；　from　being　near

to　the　pope；　and　attending　the　elec