[Footnote160:AccordingtoJuliusAfricanus，&c。，theworldwascreatedthefirstofSeptember，5508years，threemonths，andtwenty—fivedaysbeforethebirthofChrist。SeePezron，AntiquitedesTemsdefendue，p。20—28。AndthisaerahasbeenusedbytheGreeks，theOrientalChristians，andevenbytheRussians，tillthereignofPeterITheperiod，howeverarbitrary，isclearandconvenient。Ofthe7296yearswhicharesupposedtoelapsesincethecreation，weshallfind3000ofignoranceanddarkness；2000eitherfabulousordoubtful；1000ofancienthistory，commencingwiththePersianempire，andtheRepublicsofRomeandAthens；1000fromthefalloftheRomanempireintheWesttothediscoveryofAmerica；andtheremaining296willalmostcompletethreecenturiesofthemodernstateofEuropeandmankind。Iregretthischronology，sofarpreferabletoourdoubleandperplexedmethodofcountingbackwardsandforwardstheyearsbeforeandaftertheChristianera。]
[Footnote161:TheaeraoftheworldhasprevailedintheEastsincethevithgeneralcouncil，A。D。681。IntheWest，theChristianaerawasfirstinventedinthevithcentury:itwaspropagatedintheviiithbytheauthorityandwritingsofvenerableBede；butitwasnottillthexththattheusebecamelegalandpopular。Seel\'ArtdeVerinerlesDates，Dissert。
Preliminaire，p。iii。xii。DictionnaireDiplomatique，tom。i。p。
329—337；theworksofalaborioussocietyofBenedictinemonks。]
ChapterXLI:ConquestsOfJustinian，CharactOfBalisarius。