. A complete geography. commands the channel through which the com-merce of the Black Sea must pass. This is a natural site for a city; for in addition to its lo-cation on this water route, it is the point where the crossing can best be made from Europe to Asia. The presence of a harbor on the European side — asmall bay at the river mouth called the Golden Horn —and thefact that the founders were Europeans trading in Asia, rather thanAsiatics trading in Europe, are reasons why a large city has groAvnon the European and not on the Asiatic side. Greece. —The southern end of the Balkan peninsula
. A complete geography. commands the channel through which the com-merce of the Black Sea must pass. This is a natural site for a city; for in addition to its lo-cation on this water route, it is the point where the crossing can best be made from Europe to Asia. The presence of a harbor on the European side — asmall bay at the river mouth called the Golden Horn —and thefact that the founders were Europeans trading in Asia, rather thanAsiatics trading in Europe, are reasons why a large city has groAvnon the European and not on the Asiatic side. Greece. —The southern end of the Balkan peninsula is occupiedby Greece. Owing to the many short mountain ranges extending indifferent directions, the coast line is irregular, with numerous penin-sulas, islands, deep bays, and fine harbors, formed by the sinking ofthe irregular land. The influence of the Mediterranean causes awarm, pleasant climate, as in southern Italy; and the rainfall, whichis moderate in winter, is so light in summer that irrigation is neces-. FiG. 462. St. Sophia, a beautiful church in Constantinople nowused as a Mohammedan mosque. This illustratesthe Byzantine style of architecture —Byzantiumhaving been the early name of Constantinople. 460 EUROPE sary for agriculture. The surface is so rough and rocky that largesections are unfit for farming. It was in this small peninsula, under what to our eyes appear tobe very unfavorable conditions, that the marvellous civilization ofancient Hellas, or Greece, was developed (p. 344). But these condi-tions really had the tendency to develop strong intellectual powersand brave men. The sea and mountains protected the races frominvasion, and the many fine harbors and inlets permitted constantintercourse by water. By the commerce which thus arose the Greeks became so acquainted with the sea thatthey were almost as much at home uponit as upon the land. In all parts of the world it has beenunder such general conditions as these thatstrong races have been evolved. I
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