The Byzantine And Turkish Empires.

the public revenues , and the most important of all the colonies of the Venetians , of the Genoese , and of the Pisans which had been established in Constantinople and elsewhere , had received so many privileges and immunities from taxatiou that the public revenue , and especially that accruing from the Customs , had necessarily diminished . We come thus to the conclusion that the revenue Avas

incomparably greater during the ninth and tenth centuries . And , hoAvever excessive the amount may seem , all the information that Ave have upon the subject permits us more or less to accept the highest figure as true . Benjamin Tudela , AVIIO visited the Eastern Empire during the reign of Manuel

Comnenos , after expressing his admiration at the magnificence and the luxuriousness of the capital , avers that , according to information Avith Avhich he Avas furnished , this city Avas paying daily to the Prince 20 , 000 gulden , Avhich Avere collected from

shops , taverns , markets , and the numerous merchants Avho resorted to the city from Bagdad , Mesopotamia , Media , Persia , Egypt , Palestine , Russia , Hungary , Italy , and Spain , 20 , 000 gulden daily being a year about 4 f millions sterling . So it is

not impossible , considering that the capital alone Avas contributing the above amount , for the Avhole Empire to give 21 £ millions , more especially during the tenth century .

Constantinople Avas , indeed , the richest and most commercial city of the Empire , hut not the only rich ancl commercial cit y . From the official list of towns in which the Comnenoi permitted at a later period the establishment of commercial colonies it becomes clear thatbesides

, , Constantinople , there Avere in the Empire at the time the folloAving important towns : —In Asia—Laodicea , Antiocheia , Mcsmistia , Adana , Tarsos , Attaleia , Strovilos , Chios , Theologus , Phocasa . In IHiU'ope—Dyrrachion , Avlona , Cereyra ,

vonitza , Methone , Lerone , Nauplion , Corinthos , Thebje , Athens , Eubosa , Demetr ias , Lalonica , Chrysopolis , Peritheorien , ^ b ydos , Rsedestos , Adrinople , Apros , Heraleia , and Selgoria . And let it be remembered that this list onlincludes those

y commercial toAvns in which colonies had been established , and it is Avell-knoAvn 'oat within the Empire there Avere many "" ore important towns , especially on the

east of the Euxiue in Cyprus and in Crete . Of these toAvns and islands , Corcyra , in the 12 th century , contributed annually about 1 , 840 , 000 francs , which is equal to about 10 , 000 , 000 francs—that more than double of what the kingdom of Greece at the present day collects from the Avhole of the Ionian Islands . Athens and Thebes

Avere so rich that the Dukes of Athens , Avhose jurisdiction did not extend beyond Attica and Bceotia , were soon able to support one of the most luxurious and splendid Courts in Europe . Crete , Cyprus , Cos , Rhodes , Lesbos , Naxos , formed Frank

Principalities more or less independent , ancl all of them Avere famous for their Avealth and their poAver . From these and other testimonies it becomes evident that no surprise ought to lie felt if all these countries united together under the sceptre of the Emperor of Byzantium Avere able tn contribute the amount Avhich is

mentioned above . Else how could Ave account for the extraordinary amounts Avhich some of the Emperors of the Eastern Empire were able to treasure up after all the expenses of the internal administration of foreign wars and the building of innumerable grand edifices 1 There is besides

another reason Avhich explains the above seemingly exaggerated amount . The Byzantine Empire , especially up to the llth century , Avas in respect to manufacture and commerce in its dealings Avith the rest of Europe and with large portions

of Asia ancl Africa , not Avhat either England , or France , or Germany , ancl North America , taken individually , is at the present day ; but its position must be compared to that Avhich all of these most commercial and manufacturing modern

States taken together occupy towards the rest of the Avorld . Most of the objects of luxury or of comfort that people then required were made in the Byzantine Empire only , and many of the raw materials necessary for the production of those

objects Avere there only cultivated or produced . Moreover , it Avas here that articles made of gold , or sdver , or glass , or earthen-Avare , or AVOOCI , or of precious stones , such as onyx , alabaster , crystal , and even of glass , and of every other material , Avere worked , ancl these Avere adorning the residences of the magnates and the churches , or were exported in all direc-