undertheshieldoffreedom，onthewingsofemulationandvanity，eachAthenianaspiredtothelevelofthenationaldignity；fromthiscommandingeminence，somechosenspiritssoaredbeyondthereachofavulgareye；andthechancesofsuperiormeritinagreatandpopulouskingdom，astheyareprovedbyexperience，wouldexcusethecomputationofimaginarymillions。TheterritoriesofAthens，Sparta，andtheirallies，donotexceedamoderateprovinceofFranceorEngland；butafterthetrophiesofSalamisandPlatea，theyexpandinourfancytothegiganticsizeofAsia，whichhadbeentrampledunderthefeetofthevictoriousGreeks。ButthesubjectsoftheByzantineempire，whoassumeanddishonorthenamesbothofGreeksandRomans，presentadeaduniformityofabjectvices，whichareneithersoftenedbytheweaknessofhumanity，noranimatedbythevigorofmemorablecrimes。ThefreemenofantiquitymightrepeatwithgenerousenthusiasmthesentenceofHomer，\"thatonthefirstdayofhisservitude，thecaptiveisdeprivedofonehalfofhismanlyvirtue。\"Butthepoethadonlyseentheeffectsofcivilordomesticslavery，norcouldheforetellthatthesecondmoietyofmanhoodmustbeannihilatedbythespiritualdespotismwhichshacklesnotonlytheactions，buteventhethoughts，oftheprostratevotary。Bythisdoubleyoke，theGreekswereoppressedunderthesuccessorsofHeraclius；thetyrant，alawofeternaljustice，wasdegradedbythevicesofhissubjects；andonthethrone，inthecamp，intheschools，wesearch，perhapswithfruitlessdiligence，thenamesandcharactersthatmaydeservetoberescuedfromoblivion。Norarethedefectsofthesubjectcompensatedbytheskillandvarietyofthepainters。Ofaspaceofeighthundredyears，thefourfirstcenturiesareoverspreadwithacloudinterruptedbysomefaintandbrokenraysofhistoriclight:inthelivesoftheemperors，fromMauricetoAlexius，BasiltheMacedonianhasalonebeenthethemeofaseparatework；andtheabsence，orloss，orimperfectionofcontemporaryevidence，mustbepoorlysuppliedbythedoubtfulauthorityofmorerecentcompilers。Thefourlastcenturiesareexemptfromthereproachofpenury；andwiththeComnenianfamily，thehistoricmuseofConstantinopleagainrevives，butherapparelisgaudy，hermotionsarewithouteleganceorgrace。
Asuccessionofpriests，orcourtiers，treadsineachother\'sfootstepsinthesamepathofservitudeandsuperstition:theirviewsarenarrow，theirjudgmentisfeebleorcorrupt；andweclosethevolumeofcopiousbarrenness，stillignorantofthecausesofevents，thecharactersoftheactors，andthemannersofthetimeswhichtheycelebrateordeplore。Theobservationwhichhasbeenappliedtoaman，maybeextendedtoawholepeople，thattheenergyoftheswordiscommunicatedtothepen；
anditwillbefoundbyexperience，thatthetoneofhistorywillriseorfallwiththespiritoftheage。
Fromtheseconsiderations，IshouldhaveabandonedwithoutregrettheGreekslavesandtheirservilehistorians，hadInotreflectedthatthefateoftheByzantinemonarchyispassivelyconnectedwiththemostsplendidandimportantrevolutionswhichhavechangedthestateoftheworld。Thespaceofthelostprovinceswasimmediatelyreplenishedwithnewcoloniesandrisingkingdoms:theactivevirtuesofpeaceandwardesertedfromthevanquishedtothevictoriousnations；anditisintheiroriginandconquests，intheirreligionandgovernment，thatwemustexplorethecausesandeffectsofthedeclineandfalloftheEasternempire。Norwillthisscopeofnarrative，therichesandvarietyofthesematerials，beincompatiblewiththeunityofdesignandcomposition。As，inhisdailyprayers，theMussulmanofFezorDelhistillturnshisfacetowardsthetempleofMecca，thehistorian\'seyeshallbealwaysfixedonthecityofConstantinople。TheexcursivelinemayembracethewildsofArabiaandTartary，butthecirclewillbeultimatelyreducedtothedecreasinglimitoftheRomanmonarchy。
OnthisprincipleIshallnowestablishtheplanofthelasttwovolumesofthepresentwork。Thefirstchapterwillcontain，inaregularseries，theemperorswhoreignedatConstantinopleduringaperiodofsixhundredyears，fromthedaysofHeracliustotheLatinconquest；arapidabstract，whichmaybesupportedbyageneralappealtotheorderandtextoftheoriginalhistorians。Inthisintroduction，Ishallconfinemyselftotherevolutionsofthethrone，thesuccessionoffamilies，thepersonalcharactersoftheGreekprinces，themodeoftheirlifeanddeath，themaximsandinfluenceoftheirdomesticgovernment，andthetendencyoftheirreigntoaccelerateorsuspendthedownfalloftheEasternempire。Suchachronologicalreviewwillservetoillustratethevariousargumentofthesubsequentchapters；andeachcircumstanceoftheeventfulstoryoftheBarbarianswilladaptitselfinaproperplacetotheByzantineannals。Theinternalstateoftheempire，andthedangerousheresyofthePaulicians，whichshooktheEastandenlightenedtheWest，willbethesubjectoftwoseparatechapters；buttheseinquiriesmustbepostponedtillourfurtherprogressshallhaveopenedtheviewoftheworldintheninthandtenthcenturiesoftheChristianarea。AfterthisfoundationofByzantinehistory，thefollowingnationswillpassbeforeoureyes，andeachwilloccupythespacetowhichitmaybeentitledbygreatnessormerit，orthedegreeofconnectionwiththeRomanworldandthepresentage。I。TheFranks；ageneralappellationwhichincludesalltheBarbariansofFrance，Italy，andGermany，whowereunitedbytheswordandsceptreofCharlemagne。ThepersecutionofimagesandtheirvotariesseparatedRomeandItalyfromtheByzantinethrone，andpreparedtherestorationoftheRomanempireintheWest。II。TheArabsorSaracens。Threeamplechapterswillbedevotedtothiscuriousandinterestingobject。Inthefirst，afterapictureofthecountryanditsinhabitants，IshallinvestigatethecharacterofMahomet；thecharacter，religion，andsuccessoftheprophet。Inthesecond，IshallleadtheArabstotheconquestofSyria，Egypt，andAfrica，theprovincesoftheRomanempire；norcanIchecktheirvictoriouscareertilltheyhaveoverthrownthemonarchiesofPersiaandSpain。Inthethird，IshallinquirehowConstantinopleandEuropeweresavedbytheluxuryandarts，thedivisionanddecay，oftheempireofthecaliphs。Asinglechapterwillinclude，III。TheBulgarians，IV。Hungarians，and，V。Russians，whoassaultedbyseaorbylandtheprovincesandthecapital；butthelastofthese，soimportantintheirpresentgreatness，willexcitesomecuriosityintheiroriginandinfancy。VI。TheNormans；orrathertheprivateadventurersofthatwarlikepeople，whofoundedapowerfulkingdominApuliaandSicily，shookthethroneofConstantinople，displayedthetrophiesofchivalry，andalmostrealizedthewondersofromance。