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　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