It is almost superfluous, after this painful and bloody record of dynastic crimes and tumults, continuing century after century for upwards of a thousand years, to affirm that the history of the world never witnessed so miserable and degraded a caricature e4 imperial government as the B. E. affords, or to express the conviction that nature was sternly satisfied to behold it finally swept from the face of the earth, even by the hands of barbarous Turks.
The constitution of the B. E. was founded on the institutions of Diocletian and Constantine the great, and was purely despotic. The emperors, who were consecrated by the patriarchs of Constantinople, claimed, as the true descendants of the Caesars, a sovereignty over the west as well as the east, and styled themselves "rulers of the Ro mans," even after Charlemagne had founded a new dynasty. Though great influence was at various times exercised by the clergy as well as by women, courtiers, and ministers, the emperors were pure autocrats, having supreme power in all departments of government, and being themselves superior to all laws. By pompous titles, by great splendor of cos tume. and by a strict observance of an elaborately minute court ceremonial, as well as by the cruel penalties inflicted for any insult offered to the imperial dignity, or to the dignity of the emperor's relatives,they kept themselves sacredly apart from the people. Gradually, everything disappeared that might have been a cheek upon the utter despotism of the supreme. power. As early as the 6th c., the consulate was absorbed into the mass of imperial honors, while the traces of the senate which Constantine had established at Byzantium, and which was composed of those on whom the emperor had bestowed the dignity of patriciate, as well as the chartered privileges of the towns, had entirely van ished in the 10th century, The privy council,. to whom the conduct of the state was
intrusted, was arbitrarily chosen by the emperor. The state offitials were very numer ous, and their respective ranks carefully distinguished. They were raised far above the populace by titles and. privileges, but were utterly dependent on the throne. Among these, the domestiei (including ninny eunuchs), claimed the highest rank as immediate attendants on the emperor. The rank of the curopalates, who had charge of the four chief imperial palaces, became, in course of time, subordinate to that of the protoresti arius, who was invested with the highest dignity of all. The domestici were made com manders-in-chief of the army. Among them, the domesticus of the east (styled, par excel lence, megadomesticus) held the highest rank, and finally, under the Palmologi, was con sidered the first civil and military officer of the realm. The provinces were ruled by governors bound to contribute certain sums to the royal revenue, which gave rise to oppressive exactions. No distinction was made the state-revenue and the privy purse. For military service, the land was divided into districts (themata); and the army, down to the later times, consisted almost entirely of foreign mercenary troops, the imperial body-guard, or spatharii, who were mainly Germans, holding the highest rank. The admiral of the fleet was styled megas dux. In the midst of constant internal and external disturbances, the administration of justice was grossly neglected and abused, though Justinian and other emperors earnestly endeavored to establish just laws.