BYZANTIUM

the name of the dty of Constantinople before its name was dianged by Const an tine the Great. According to the mythological account there was a small village called Lygos on the site the future Byzantium as early as the time of Argonautic expedition. On this spot Byzas, a END QLASQOW: W. O. BLAOKIB gari an, accompanied by a number of emigrants, landed cenin 658 B.C., and selected it as in every respect suitable for the foundation of a colony. The dty which was and built by the first colonists he named after himself. Other colonists followed from different quarters, especially from Miletus, and Byzantium was already the a flourishing town when it was taken and sacked by simi the Persians, in the reign of Darius, the son of Hyslower taspes. After the retreat of the Persians Byzantium soon recovered itself. During the Peloponnesian war state- Italy it acknowledged for some time the supremacy of the A then i ans, from whom at a later period the Byzant heir tines received support in their resistance against who Philip of Maoedon. The barbarian Thradans, who art occupied the neighbouring territory, and the Celts (Galatians), in their migrations to the East, often appeared to threaten the safety of the town; but in The spite of this, chiefly owing to its favourable position called for commerce, it continued to prosper, and survived the the decay of most of the other Greek dties; and even the under the Komans it was left free to manage its own to affairs, and was allowed to demand dues from all ships pa ing through the Bosporus, only part of char of it which was claimed by the Bomans. • At the end of the the second century of the Christian era Byzantium, unfortunately for itself, sided with Pesoennius Niger and against Septimius Severus. By the latter it was be back sie^^ for three years, and when at last it was forced to surrender, Severus ordered its walls to be razed to the ground, deprived the city of its privileges, and ind i placed it under the jurisdiction of the Perinthians. For a time the prosperity of the dty was annihilated, until a new and more brilliant era began for it under More Const an tine the Great. (See Constantinople.) Byzantium was at first a kingdom, but soon after its foundation the form of government was changed into ear an aristocracy, and that again pa ed into an oli- I'Art garchy. In the year 890 B.c. it recdved from Thra- 14me sybulus a democratical constitution, closely resembling that of the A then i ans. Byzantium was the great entrepot for the grain trade between the countries bordering on the Black Sea and those bordering on the Mgean. In its immediate neighbourhood excellent wine was grown, and the surrounding seas of abounded in tunny fish. In addition to that the the Byzantines earned on a laige tirade with neighbour- Meing countries, exporting slaves, hides, honey, OF VOL. I. AND CO., FBINTKAfl, VILLAVDELD.