A History of Greece for Junior Classes, with an Appendix Giving a Sketch of the History from the Roman Conquest to the Present Day, by A. Gennadios (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1875 Excerpt: ... SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF GREECE, FROM B.C. 146 TO THE ACCESSION OF KING GEORGE, 1862. After the capture of Korinth, Greece for the first time became entirely subject to a foreign power, and its history henceforth is that of a two thousand years' agony under foreign dominion. For more than 450 years, from B.C. 146 to A.d. 324, the Romans exercised their supremacy over Greece, and were succeeded by the Byzantine emperors, from A.d. 324 to 1453. The latter were not indeed a foreign K)wer, for the eastern empire was essentially Greek, but still entirely different from the genuine ancient Hellenism, and while it lasted, the country of the Greeks was constantly invaded by barbarians from the north, the east, and the south, and several parts of it fell into their hands. Lastly, during upwards of 400 years (from 1453 to 1821) the Greeks were under the cruel and brutal tyranny of the Turks, who still rule over the greater part of the country. During these 2000 years, the Greeks never quietly acknowledged the right of foreigners to rule over them, but were nearly always in a state of insurrection against their oppressors. Although deprived of their national independence, they always managed in their towns and cities to preserve a kind of local self-government, and though oppressed by the overwhelming power of their conquerors, their innate genius, their language, and their literature always exercised a certain intellectual and moral supremacy even over their oppressors. This strength of their national life and their intelligence have in the end procured their freedom and independence. CHAPTER I. GREECE UNDER THE ROMANS (B.C. 146 TO A.D. 324). It has already been stated that at first the Greeks continued to enjoy a kind of municipal freedom, for every important town c...