How rich and wonderful Christendom could have been. A miracle of aesthetic sublimity and principled ethics. As a matter of fact, a world much like this did once exist: A world in bloom.

Around the time, when Theodosius I issued the Edict of Thessalonica (380 C.E.), the Roman Empire bordered Caledonia in the North and integrated African provinces in the South, encircling the entire Mediterranean Sea. After his death, the empire was divided into two halves, each with its own capital: Rome in the West — the center of urban sophistication — and Constantinople in the East — a rising giant favored by its geography, the gateway to the Orient. A string of beautiful, historic cities wound its way through Anatolia and the Levant. And beyond: Jerusalem itself. Christian lands resounding with church bells and hymns. The gospel of love and forgiveness. Civilization in its youth.

Somewhat in the style of the Greek city-states, known to be divided and haughtily neglectful in calls for unity against the common enemy from the East (i.e. the Achaemenid Empire), the Christian principalities of the Middle Ages vied for regional supremacy and squandered their resources on petty intrigues and skirmishes. A reflection of the chaotic power struggles going on in the absence of Pax Romana, their rulers, albeit first-rate duelists or drinkers, as the case may be, were hedonistic, capricious, and driven by anything but noble motives. Occasionally, however, they joined forces and took part in crusades to liberate the Holy Land.

Ultimately, the avarice and imprudence of Westerners helped bring about the downfall of the Eastern Roman Empire. Towards the end of the Fourth Crusade, Franks and Venetians, in defiance of the actual task assigned by Pope Innocent III, committed an unforgivable betrayal: They turned against their fellow believers and sacked Constantinople (1204 C.E.). The tragic events, including the territorial partition of the empire, meant to accommodate the desires of individual knights, led to economic disaster and set in motion institutional decline. As if to add insult to injury, the city was heavily struck by the plague (1347 C.E.).........

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