ROME. 



the Latins at Conilantinople, and his cruelties not being 

 confined to them, he was at length torn to pieces by his own 

 people. The territories of his fuccefTor, Ifaac Angelus 

 Comnenus, were ravaged by the emperor Barbaroffa ; the 

 emperor himfelf dethroned, and his eyes put out by his 

 brother Alexius the tyrant, who feized on the reins of go- 

 vernment, but was himfelf foon detefted, as well on account 

 of his conduit towards Angelus, as for the debaucheries and 

 cruelties of which he was guilty. The crufaders, wifhing to 

 free the people from this tyrant, laid fiege to the city, and 

 took it. Alexius was glad to efcape with his life, and young 

 Alexius, the fon of Ifaac, was placed on the throne. This 

 young prince, with the affiftance of the Latins, rellored his 

 father. His coadjutors, in this aft of piety, not receiving 

 the price ftipulated for their fervices, plundered Conitanti- 

 nople, and fet it on fire. Upon this the Greeks revolted, 

 and chofe Alexius Ducas for their leader, who having caufed 

 the young Alexius to be itrangled, was himfelf declared 

 emperor. He was, however, depofed by the Latins, in the 

 year 1204, and this was the commencement of what has 

 been called the 



Latin Empire. — Baldwin, earl of Flanders, was the firft 

 monarch of this dynafty. This prince was killed in a war 

 with the Bulgarians. About the year 1206, David Com- 

 nenus, grandfon of Andronicus, made himfelf mailer of 

 Trebifond, a city of Afiatic Turkey, on the Black fea, 

 which was afterwards confidered as the capital of the Greek 

 empire, and continued fo till 1462, when it was taken by 

 Mohammed II., and the reigning emperor, with his family, 

 were carried prifoners to Conilantinople, where they were 

 moilly put to death. 



Baldwin was fucceeded, in the Latin empire, by Henry, 

 at the fame time that Theodore Lafcaris was acknowledged 

 emperor of the Greeks. Thefe two princes made peace. 

 But Henry was afterwards poifoned at Thefialoniea, and 

 was fucceeded by Peter de Courtenay, a grandfon of 

 Lewis le Gros, who was hailed emperor while he was at 

 Auxerre, of which he was the count. He was murdered 

 by Theodore Angelus Comnenus, and was fucceeded, in 

 1 220, by Robert, the fecond fon of Peter, the eldelt 

 having refufed the crown. This Latin emperor made peace 

 with Theodore Lafcari:,, in order that he might revenge the 

 death of his father, by turning his arms againft Theodore 

 Angelus ; but Lafcaris dying, and being fucceeded, in 

 1222, by John Ducas, Robert found employment in de- 

 fending himfelf and his own rights. Under John Ducas the 

 Latin empire was restrained within very narrow limits, and 

 on the death of its emperor, Robert, in 1228, Baldwin II. 

 Robert's brother, was raifed to the throne. Baldwin was 

 but eleven years old when he came to the crown. During 

 his reign the Bulgarians laid ficge to Conitantinople, but 

 were obliged, by the efforts of the Genoefe and Venetians, 

 to raife it. Baldwin went into the Well to feek fuccours 

 againll his enemies ; in the mean time John Ducas died, and 

 was fucceeded, in 1255, by Theodore Lafcaris II., whofe 

 reign was lliort ; and he was fucceeded, on the Greek 

 throne, by Michael Paleologus in the year 1260, who, in 

 the following year, attacked and took Conitantinople, and 

 thus put an end to the Latin empire, after it had fubiiltcd 

 about fifty-feven years. 



Neiu Empire of the Greeks. — Michael Paleologus having 

 obtained the fovereignty of both empires, endeavoured by 

 all the means in his power to unite the Greek and Latin 

 churches, but without effect. His whole reign, which lalted 

 almoft twenty-four years, was greatly agitated by dilleiitions 

 from within his kingdom, as well as by external enemies. He 

 was fucceeded by 



Andronicus Paleologus in 1283, who, during a long 

 reign of 46 years, conducted himfelf extremely ill, fuffering 

 himfelf to be led into every fault by ambitious and defigning 

 perfons ; of thefe the chief actors were the clergy, to whom 

 he was ever fubfervient. During his government the Turks 

 made dreadful ravages on the empire. He was at laft de- 

 throned by his grandfon, 



Andronicus II. who had been aflociated in the govern- 

 ment with the late emperor. In this reign alfo the Turks 

 made great progrefs, notwithilanding the efforts of An- 

 dronicus to oppofe them. After a reign of about 17 year* 

 he was fucceeded by his fon, 



John Paleologus, who was very young when he came to 

 the throne, and during his minority the government was 

 committed to John Cantacuzenus, who, for fome time, 

 performed all the duties connected with his high Itation on 

 principles of wifdom, united to great moderation. But in 

 1345 he ailumed the imperial title in Thrace, and in 1347 

 took Conitantinople, compelling the lawful prince, John, 

 who had married his daughter, to retire to Salonica. But 

 the exiled emperor, with the aid of the Genoefe, obtained 

 his rights, and compelled the ufurper to quit the throne and 

 capital ; fee his article. During the reign of John, the 

 Turks were continually making inroads on the empire, and 

 were often at the very gates of Conitantinople. The eldeft 

 fon of the emperor confpired againlt his father, but was 

 defeated in his rebellions. During this reign the Genoefe 

 made themfelves mailers of Lelbos, and Amurath I. took 

 the city of Adrianople. John died in 1391, and was 

 fucceeded by his fecond fon, 



Manuel, who, on the death of his father, was at the 

 court of Bajazet: he made his efcape, and came to Conftanti- 

 nople, where he was crowned. He was fuccefsful in his 

 wars upon the Turks, took Bajazet prifoner, and after- 

 wards defeated the fon, fo that the Turks were driven entirely 

 from Conilantinople. He was embroiled in a contefl with 

 the fultan Amurath : this prince laid fiege to Conitantinople, 

 on which occafion cannon were, for the firft time, employed 

 in the armies of the Ealt. At length the Turks and the 

 Greeks made peace, and in a very ihort time after Manuel 

 died, and was fucceeded by 



John II. in the year 1425, who made a moil difgraceful 

 peace with Amurath. In a ihort time ke perceived his 

 error, and fought on all fides for ailiilancc. To obtain 

 the requifite aid from the princes in the Weft, who had re- 

 fufed him fuccours on account of the fchifm of the Greeks, 

 he laboured hard to reunite the two churches. While he 

 was lofing his time at the council of Ferrara, the Turks 

 were making great progrefs. After this, Amurath was de- 

 feated by the celebrated Huniades, king of Hungary. At 

 length John made peace with Amurath, and ended his days 

 in peace. His brother, 



Conltantinc Dragafea, fucceeded him in 1448, and upon 

 the death of fultan Amurath, the empire of the Turks fell 

 to Mohammed II. With this high-minded prince Conllan- 

 tine had the temerity to embroil himfelf, 01 which he had 

 ample occafion to repent, for Mohammed laid liege to Con- 

 ilantinople, which he took, after the moll extraordinary 

 efforts of courage, at Well on the part of the beficged, as 

 on that of the befiegers. This event took place on the 

 29th of May, 1453- Conftantine, not being able to fave 

 his capital, refufed to furvive its hard fate, and was killed 

 in attempting to defend it. Mohammed did every thing in 

 his power to Hop the carnage, and afterward) caufed the 

 city to be the capital of his empire. Such was the end 

 of the Greek empire) which had fucceeded to the Latin 

 empire. 



lO ? Thus 



