The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire . their cities and altars,and condescended, in the crisis of danger, to name the tribunesand to direct the operations of the provincial troops. But themartial spirit of the pope was checked by the scruples of hu-manity and religion; the imposition of tribute, though it wasemployed in the Italian war, he freely condemned as odiousand oppressive; whilst he protected, against the imperial edicts,the pious cowardice of the soldiers who deserted a militaryfor a monastic life. If we may credit his own declarations, itwould have been easy for Gr
The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire . their cities and altars,and condescended, in the crisis of danger, to name the tribunesand to direct the operations of the provincial troops. But themartial spirit of the pope was checked by the scruples of hu-manity and religion; the imposition of tribute, though it wasemployed in the Italian war, he freely condemned as odiousand oppressive; whilst he protected, against the imperial edicts,the pious cowardice of the soldiers who deserted a militaryfor a monastic life. If we may credit his own declarations, itwould have been easy for Gregory to exterminate the Lom-bards by their domestic factions, without leaving a king, a duke,or a count, to save that unfortunate nation from the ven-geance of their foes. As a Christian bishop, he preferred thesalutary offices of peace ; his mediation appeased the tumult ofarms; but he was too conscious of the arts of the Greeks, andthe passions of the Lombards, to engage his sacred promise forthe observance of the truce. Disappointed in the hope of a. IVORY DIPTYCH WITH REPRESENTATIONS OF GREGORY THE GREAT,AFTER THE STYLE OF A CONSULAR DIPTYCH. ABOUT 600 (treasury ok the catheoral of monza) Chap, xlv] OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 41 general and lasting treaty, he presumed to save his countrywithout the consent of the emperor or the exarch. The swordof the enemy was suspended over Kome: it was averted by the [ 593]mild eloquence and seasonable gifts of the pontiff, who com-manded the respect of heretics and barbarians. The merits of Gregory were treated by the Byzantine court Tbewith reproach and insults; but in the attachment of a grateful Romepeople he found the purest reward of a citizen and the bestright of a sovereign.^ *5 The temporal reign of Gregory I. is ably exposed by Sigonius in the firstbook de Regno Italise. See his works, torn. ii. p. 44-75. 42 THE DECLINE AND FALL [Chap, xlvi CHAPTEK XLVI Revolutions of Persia after the Death of Chosroes or Nushirvan—His Son
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