Page:Destruction of the Greek Empire.djvu/96

62 DESTEUCTION OF THE GEEEK EMPIRE The reign of Othman is contemporaneous with one of the great periods of immigration from Central Asia. The numbers of the Turks were yearly augmented by such hordes that the Greek writers continually use metaphors derived from the torrent, from floods and inundations, to describe their overwhelming force. Entry of It was partly in order to resist this flood of invasion Europe, that the Catalan Grand Company had been invited to aid 1306-7. ^ e em p erorj after having won several victories over the Turks, the lawlessness of the Spaniards forced the emperor to recognise that his Western auxiliaries were of no value for checking the progress of the enemy. The Christians of Asia Minor flocked to the capital to avoid the Company almost as much as to escape from the soldiers of Othman. Worse than all, to these Christians of Spain must be ascribed the introduction of the Turks into Europe. At the invitation of the Company, a band of them, as we have seen, crossed the Dardanelles to aid in attacking the empire which Koger and his Catalans had come to defend. About the same time, another band of Turks landed in Greece for the purpose of pillage. These invasions are epoch-marking, since from this time (1306-7), Europe was never entirely free from the presence of Turks. Their pro- Their great progress was, however, more marked in Asia Asia Minor. In 1308, one of the divisions of Turks not under Mmor. Othman captured Ephesus, which surrendered to avoid massacre. The city still retained something of its ancient glory. Its famous church of St. John, from the ruins of which the traveller may still gain an idea of its former magnificence, was plundered, and its immense wealth in precious vessels and deposits became the prey of the victors. Many of the inhabitants were cruelly massacred, notwith- standing their submission, and the remainder were driven away as fugitives to find the means of living where they could or to starve. Other places under the rule of Con- stantinople were attacked, and though many victories were gained — for the imperial troops fought well — the Turks were constantly gaining cities and territory from the Christians.