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the Christians refused to fight back。
Meanwhile； Rome continued to be invaded by the Barbarians
and when her armies failed； Christian missionaries went
forth to preach their gospel of peace to the wild Teutons。
They were strong men without fear of death。 They spoke a
language which left no doubt as to the future of unrepentant
sinners。 The Teutons were deeply impressed。 They still
had a deep respect for the wisdom of the ancient city of Rome。
Those men were Romans。 They probably spoke the truth。
Soon the Christian missionary became a power in the savage
regions of the Teutons and the Franks。 Half a dozen missionaries
were as valuable as a whole regiment of soldiers。
The Emperors began to understand that the Christian might
be of great use to them。 In some of the provinces they were
given equal rights with those who remained faithful to the old
gods。 The great change however came during the last half
of the fourth century。
Constantine； sometimes （Heaven knows why） called Constantine
the Great； was emperor。 He was a terrible ruffian；
but people of tender qualities could hardly hope to survive
in that hard…fighting age。 During a long and checkered career；
Constantine had experienced many ups and downs。 Once；
when almost defeated by his enemies； he thought that he would
try the power of this new Asiatic deity of whom everybody was
talking。 He promised that he too would become a Christian
if he were successful in the coming battle。 He won the victory
and thereafter he was convinced of the power of the Christian
God and allowed himself to be baptised。
From that moment on； the Christian church was officially
recognised and this greatly strengthened the position of the
new faith。
But the Christians still formed a very small minority of
all the people； （not more than five or six percent；） and in order
to win； they were forced to refuse all compromise。 The old
gods must be destroyed。 For a short spell the emperor Julian；
a lover of Greek wisdom； managed to save the pagan Gods
from further destruction。 But Julian died of his wounds during
a campaign in Persia and his successor Jovian re…established
the church in all its glory。 One after the other the doors of the
ancient temples were then closed。 Then came the emperor
Justinian （who built the church of Saint Sophia in Constantinople）；
who discontinued the school of philosophy at Athens
which had been founded by Plato。
That was the end of the old Greek world； in which man
had been allowed to think his own thoughts and dream his own
dreams according to his desires。 The somewhat vague rules
of conduct of the philosophers had proved a poor compass
by which to steer the ship of life after a deluge of savagery
and ignorance had swept away the established order of things。
There was need of something more positive and more definite。
This the Church provided。
During an age when nothing was certain； the church stood
like a rock and never receded from those principles which it
held to be true and sacred。 This steadfast courage gained the
admiration of the multitudes and carried the church of Rome
safely through the difficulties which destroyed the Roman state。
There was however； a certain element of luck in the final
success of the Christian faith。 After the disappearance of
Theodoric's Roman…Gothic kingdom； in the fifth century；
Italy was comparatively free from foreign invasion。 The
Lombards and Saxons and Slavs who succeeded the Goths were
weak and backward tribes。 Under those circumstances it was
possible for the bishops of Rome to maintain the independence
of their city。 Soon the remnants of the empire； scattered
throughout the peninsula； recognised the Dukes of Rome （or
bishops） as their political and spiritual rulers。
The stage was set for the appearance of a strong man。
He came in the year 590 and his name was Gregory。 He belonged
to the ruling classes of ancient Rome； and he had
been ‘‘prefect'' or mayor of the city。 Then he had become
a monk and a bishop and finally； and much against his will；
（for he wanted to be a missionary and preach Christianity to
the heathen of England；） he had been dragged to the Church
of Saint Peter to be made Pope。 He ruled only fourteen
years but when he died the Christian world of western Europe
had officially recognised the bishops of Rome； the Popes； as
the head of the entire church。
This power； however； did not extend to the east。 In
Constantinople the Emperors continued the old custom which had
recognised the successors of Augustus and Tiberius both as
head of the government and as High Priest of the Established
Religion。 In the year 1453 the eastern Roman Empire was
conquered by the Turks。 Constantinople was taken； and Constantine
Paleologue； the last Roman Emperor； was killed on
the steps of the Church of the Holy Sophia。
A few years before； Zoe； the daughter of his brother
Thomas； had married Ivan III of Russia。 In this way did the
grand…dukes of Moscow fall heir to the traditions of Constantinople。
The double…eagle of old Byzantium （reminiscent of
the days when Rome had been divided into an eastern and a
western part） became the coat of arms of modern Russia。
The Tsar who had been merely the first of the Russian nobles；
assumed the aloofness and the dignity of a Roman emperor
before whom all subjects； both high and low； were inconsiderable
slaves。
The court was refashioned after the oriental pattern which
the eastern Emperors had imported from Asia and from Egypt
and which （so they flattered themselves） resembled the court
of Alexander the Great。 This strange inheritance which the
dying Byzantine Empire bequeathed to an unsuspecting world
continued to live with great vigour for six more centuries；
amidst the vast plains of Russia。 The last man to wear the
crown with the double eagle of Constantinople； Tsar Nicholas；
was murdered only the other day； so to speak。 His body was
thrown into a well。 His son and his daughters were all killed。
All his ancient rights and prerogatives were abolished； and the
church was reduced to the position which it had held in Rome
before the days of Constantine。
The eastern church however fared very differently； as we
shall see in the next chapter when the whole Christian world is
going to be threatened with destruction by the rival creed of
an Arab camel…driver。
MOHAMMED
AHMED； THE CAMEL…DRIVER； WHO BECAME
THE PROPHET OF THE ARABIAN DESERT
AND WHOSE FOLLOWERS ALMOST
CONQUERED THE ENTIRE KNOWN WORLD
FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF ALLAH； THE
ONLY TRUE GOD
SINCE the days of Carthage and Hannibal we have said
nothing of the Semitic people。 You will remember how they
filled all the chapters devoted to the story of the Ancient World。
The Babylonians； the Assyrians； the Phoenicians； the Jews；
the Arameans； the Chaldeans； all of them Semites； had been
the rulers of western Asia for thirty or forty centu