ABSTRACT
THE Eastern Empire was, during the first six centuries of this period, a harbour of refuge for civilization, where the organization of labour could attain more stability and power than anywhere else. Better protected by its geographical position and by the military system, which it inherited almost intact from the Roman state and itself perfected, this empire braved all the attacks of barbarism for a thousand years. With a marvellous vitality it was able to recover from its defeats; now that its African, Syrian, Danubian, and Western dependencies had been amputated, it fell back upon itself, and found in the concentration of its forces a new element of solidity. For 600 years, with intervals of decadence followed by brilliant returns to prosperity, the most remarkable of which lasted for over three centuries-the eighth to the eleventh-it defended itself against darkness and ruin. Its elegant and refined civilization enabled it to introduce some sort of culture among the barbarian populations of the East and to educate those of the West, as well as to escape the continual anarchy with which the latter had to struggle. It was the first to build up once more a real Hellenic nationality, which, if not founded upon unity of race and language, did at least rest upon a community of political and religious institutions, and was at least animated by an ardent patriotism, zealous for the glory and grandeur of the state. Under the care of a powerful and enlightened government, served by an ordered administration, and protected by a strong religious and military organization, the Eastern Empire facilitated the restoration and development of economic activity in all its forms.
