the story of mankind-第25章

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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　centuries。　They

had　been　conquered　by　the　Indo…European　Persians　who　had

come　from　the　east　and　by　the　Indo…European　Greeks　who

had　come　from　the　west。　A　hundred　years　after　the　death　of

Alexander　the　Great；　Carthage；　a　colony　of　Semitic　Phoenicians；

had　fought　the　Indo…European　Romans　for　the　mastery

of　the　Mediterranean。　Carthage　had　been　defeated　and　destroyed

and　for　eight　hundred　years　the　Romans　had　been　masters

of　the　world。　In　the　seventh　century；　however；　another

Semitic　tribe　appeared　upon　the　scene　and　challenged　the

power　of　the　west。　They　were　the　Arabs；　peaceful　shepherds

who　had　roamed　through　the　desert　since　the　beginning　of　time

without　showing　any　signs　of　imperial　ambitions。



Then　they　listened　to　Mohammed；　mounted　their　horses　and

in　less　than　a　century　they　had　pushed　to　the　heart　of　Europe

and　proclaimed　the　glories　of　Allah；　‘‘the　only　God；''　and

Mohammed；　‘‘the　prophet　of　the　only　God；''　to　the　frightened

peasants　of　France。



The　story　of　Ahmed；　the　son　of　Abdallah　and　Aminah

（usually　known　as　Mohammed；　or　‘‘he　who　will　be　praised；''；

reads　like　a　chapter　in　the　‘‘Thousand　and　One　Nights。''　He

was　a　camel…driver；　born　in　Mecca。　He　seems　to　have　been　an

epileptic　and　he　suffered　from　spells　of　unconsciousness　when

he　dreamed　strange　dreams　and　heard　the　voice　of　the　angel

Gabriel；　whose　words　were　afterwards　written　down　in　a　book

called　the　Koran。　His　work　as　a　caravan　leader　carried　him

all　over　Arabia　and　he　was　constantly　falling　in　with　Jewish

merchants　and　with　Christian　traders；　and　he　came　to　see　that

the　worship　of　a　single　God　was　a　very　excellent　thing。　His

own　people；　the　Arabs；　still　revered　queer　stones　and　trunks

of　trees　as　their　ancestors　had　done；　tens　of　thousands　of

years　before。　In　Mecca；　their　holy　city；　stood　a　little　square

building；　the　Kaaba；　full　of　idols　and　strange　odds　and　ends

of　Hoo…doo　worship。



Mohammed　decided　to　be　the　Moses　of　the　Arab　people。　He

could　not　well　be　a　prophet　and　a　camel…driver　at　the　same　time。

So　he　made　himself　independent　by　marrying　his　employer；　the

rich　widow　Chadija。　Then　he　told　his　neighbours　in　Mecca

that　he　was　the　long…expected　prophet　sent　by　Allah　to　save　the

world。　The　neighbours　laughed　most　heartily　and　when　Mohammed

continued　to　annoy　them　with　his　speeches　they　decided　to　kill　him。

They　regarded　him　as　a　lunatic　and　a　public　bore　who　deserved　no　mercy。

Mohammed　heard　of　the　plot　and　in　the　dark　of　night　he　fled　to　Medina

together　with　Abu　Bekr；　his　trusted　pupil。　This　happened

in　the　year　622。　It　is　the　most　important　date　in　Mohammedan

history　and　is　known　as　the　Hegirathe　year　of　the　Great　Flight。



In　Medina；　Mohammed；　who　was　a　stranger；　found　it　easier

to　proclaim　himself　a　prophet　than　in　his　home　city；　where

every　one　had　known　him　as　a　simple　camel…driver。　Soon　he

was　surrounded　by　an　increasing　number　of　followers；　or

Moslems；　who　accepted　the　Islam；　‘‘the　submission　to　the　will

of　God；''　which　Mohammed　praised　as　the　highest　of　all　virtues。

For　seven　years　he　preached　to　the　people　of　Medina。　Then

he　believed　himself　strong　enough　to　begin　a　campaign　against

his　former　neighbours　who　had　dared　to　sneer　at　him　and　his

Holy　Mission　in　his　old　camel…driving　days。　At　the　head　of

an　army　of　Medinese　he　marched　across　the　desert。　His　followers

took　Mecca　without　great　difficulty；　and　having　slaughtered

a　number　of　the　inhabitants；　they　found　it　quite　easy　to

convince　the　others　that　Mohammed　was　really　a　great　prophet。



From　that　time　on　until　the　year　of　his　death；　Mohammed

was　fortunate　in　everything　he　undertook。



There　are　two　reasons　for　the　success　of　Islam。　In　the

first　place；　the　creed　which　Mohammed　taught　to　his　followers

was　very　simple。　The　disciples　were　told　that　they　must　love

Allah；　the　Ruler　of　the　World；　the　Merciful　and　Compassionate。

They　must　honour　and　obey　their　parents。　They

were　warned　against　d