Hilaire Belloc on Manzikert and Western Pacifism
"[p.12] During the tenth century, at the end of what was for the West of Europe the Dark Ages (the generations when the Swabian German kings were wrangling for control of the Papacy, and when the Scandinavian pirates came so near to destroying our civilization in northern Gaul and Britain), Imperial Byzantium, the last heir of the Roman Empire, the last island of the ancient culture, passed through a period of military and political resurrection. It owed this to the vigorous character of its Macedonian emperors. These had not only stood up to the pressure of Islam on the eastern borders, they had found it possible to carry the counter-offensive into what had so long been Mohammedan territory. Christendom under their leadership pushed back Islam in spite of the successive waves of Turkish invasion. The Turks would raid into Byzantine territory in
A Byzantine counter-attack upon Mohammedanism even [p.13] reached halfway down the Syrian coast. There was a moment when it threatened
But the strenght of this revival in the Christendom of the East, in the Christians of the Greek rite, was sapped by political intrigue at the center. That political intrigue was mixed up with an 'intellectual' disease comparable to the movement called today in
They still had admirable recruiting material in what was still the numerous peasantry, and ample finance from what were still the wealthy towns of
Sounds all-too familiar?
- Constantinople—new York City Of Ancient Times
Within the city walls—It was dedicated, in 360 AD, to the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. It is said to have changed the history of architecture. Destroyed twice and then rebuilt a third time into an awe-inspiring cathedral. I am, of course, talking...
- Fjordman: Europe's Ability For Critical Analysis Is Born Of Its Cultural Eccentricity
There is an excellent post from Fjordman over at Gates of Vienna. He of the Fjords discusses how Europe's sense of itself as being a culture built on the history of other cultures (Greek/Roman) is what led to its system of self-criticism. This is...
- Teddy Roosevelt On Islam
From the beautiful, and important, Pamela, of Atlas Shrugs: Jeff sent this along, "the following passages were written in 1916 in Teddy Roosevelt's book, "Fear God and Take Your Own Part", reproduced in "What Every American Needs to Know About the...
- Re-examining Islam As Heresy And Blasphemy
I have been toying with this idea for some time, and will expand on this post or in another larger one altogether. The term "mohammedan" is usually objected to by Muslims based on their claim that the worship Allah and not Mohammad (though I find this...
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"ANKARA, Turkey - A Turkish lawmaker said Pope Benedict XVI would go down in history "in the same category as leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini" for remarks he made about Islam. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Vatican's...