Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/142

120 CHRISTIAN GREECE AND LIVING GREEK. and their wars against the Mongols so unfortu- nate, that it is possible the Byzantines might in the end have prevailed over them, had the Latin Christians been willing to become the allies and helpers of Christendom in the East. Unfortu- nately the Latins, instead of becoming allies, be- came enemies. Says Bikelas, from whom I have quoted so much : " Blinded by religious and commercial rivalries, by the question of Papal supremacy, and by the material interests of the Italian re- publics, Western Europe failed to see that the line of defence which was imperilled was really her own, and that by being themselves the first to rend and degrade the imperial purple, the crusaders were only hastening the moment when the Turks should trample it down in mire and blood. " Thus it came to pass that the Eastern Em- pire ultimately fell before the unceasing attacks of its Asiatic foes. Equally unceasing was its strife with the enemies who assailed it from the north and west. In the case of these latter, however, there always existed the tie of the common profession of the Christian religion, which always left open the door, in some sort, for the hope of reconciliation. On the other