A. D. 323. 207 



dred warlike fliips ; about one quarter of the armada, with which Xerxes 

 invaded Greece. The ifland of Samos, without drawing any from its 

 own fleet, could [pare forty triremes as a gratuitous afll (lance to Cam- 

 byfes. But now the fleets of both the rival emperors, who had the ab- 

 folute command of the wealth of the Roman world, though they had 

 been joined together, were far from being equal to fome of thofe, 

 which were equipped by the Angle city of Athens, when in its free and 

 flourifliing flate : nor have we any reafon to believe that the inferiority 

 in number was compenfated by any improvement, either in the lize or 

 force of the vefl^els. 



324-334 * — The imperial refidence and feat of the Roman govern- 

 ment, which for about forty years had flu6tuated between Rome, Me- 

 diolanum (Milan), and Nicomedia (Cofnidia), was finally fixed by Con- 

 flantine at Byzantium, which thenceforth obtained the name of Con- 

 ftantinopolis. It is almoft unnecefll^ry to add, that the favoured capital, 

 tfeough it had repeatedly been befieged and ruined, foon grew up to be 

 a large and beautiful city. 



Before the invention of the compafs rendered the mofl: difl;ant parts 

 of the Ocean pervious to the fkilful navigator, no fpot in the weftern 

 world could be more happily chofen for the capital of a great com- 

 mercial people than that, which was chofen by Conftantine for the ca- 

 pital of a military government. Situated on a peninfula projecting in- 

 to the narrow channel, which divides Ei;rope from Afia, and the Medi- 

 terranean from the Euxine fea, it invited, and could almofl: command, 

 the trade of every country bordering on the Mediterranean. A branch 

 from the main channel,- of feven imiles in length, and only five hun- 

 dred yards in breadth at the entrance, formed its harbour, and had 

 water fuflicient to enable large fliips to lay their fides to the quays : and 

 befides affording fuch convenience for fhipping, it moreover fed and 

 enriched the inhabitants with innumerable annual flioles of a kind of 

 fifli called pelamides (or tunnies), the copious captures of which had 

 for many ages enriched the Byzantines. 



It is well known to every reader of hiftory, that the new arrange- 

 ments, which took place in confequence of the removal of the imperial 

 refidence, accelerated the fall of the weftern divifion of the declining 

 empire of Rome : but then it may with juftice be called the principal 

 fupport of the eaftern empire. 



306-337 — Since the reign of Severus the Roman part of Britain had 

 been divided into two provinces, superior and inferior. The further 



* The building and dedication of Conftantinople, content myfelf with following the learned and in- 

 fo important in the hiftory of the empire, cannot defatigable Gibbon, who dates the firft defion of 

 be reduced to certain chronology, though they the new capital in 324, and the completion of it 

 have employed the acute inveftigations of feveral about ten years after, 

 hiftorical critics. In fuch an uncertainty I may 



