214 THE DECLINE AND FALL The emperor Outrage of the piratcs of Sicily, who had surprised an unguarded pulses the moment, Manuel affected to despise, while his martial spirit A.D. 1148, ui9 and the forces of the empire were awakened to revenge. The Archipelago and Ionian sea were covered with his squadrons and those of Venice ; but I know not by what favourable allowance of transports, victuallers, and pinnaces, our reason, or even fancy, can be reconciled to the stupendous account of fifteen hundred vessels, which is proposed by a Byzantine historian. These oper- ations were directed with prudence and energy ; in his home- ward voyage George lost nineteen of his galleys, which were separated and taken ; after an obstinate defence, Corfu implored the clemency of her lawful sovereign : nor could a ship, a soldier of the Norman prince, be found, unless as a captive, within the limits of the Eastern empire. The prosperity and the health of Roger were already in a declining state ; while he listened in his palace of Palermo to the messengers of victoiy or defeat, the in- vincible Manuel, the foremost in every assault, Avas celebrated by the Greeks or Latins as the Alexander or Hercules of the age. He reduces A prince of such a temper could not be satisfied with having caiabriaf repelled the insolence of a barbarian. It was the right and duty, it might be the interest and glory, of Manuel to I'estore the ancient majesty of the empire, to recover the provinces of Italy and Sicily, and to chastise this pretended king, the grandson of a Norman vassal, i^i The natives of Calabria were still attached to the Greek language and worship, which had been inexorably proscribed by the Latin clergy : after the loss of her dukes, Apulia was chained as a servile appendage to the crown of Sicily ; the founder of the monarchy had ruled by the sword ; and his death had abated the fear, without healing the discontent, of his subjects ; the feudal government was alwaj's pregnant with the seeds of rebellion : and a nephew of Roger him- self invited the enemies of his familv and nation. The majesty of the purple, and a series of Hungarian and Turkish wars, pre- vented Manuel from embarking his person in the Italian expedi- tion. To the brave and noble Palaeologus, his lieutenant, the c. 8, p. 66, transforms them into BfA?) apyevTf'ovs ex°~"- arpoKTov^. and adds that Manuel styled this insuh TTiiynoi- and -yeAw^a . . . x.ri<TTcr:otrr. These arrows, by the compiler, Vincent de Beauvais, are again transmuted into gold. 1^1 For the invasion of Italy, which is almost overlooked by Nicetas, see the more polite history- of Cinnanius (1. iv. c. 1-15, p. 78-101), who introduces a diffuse narra- tive by a lofty profession , rrfot i-rj? 2iKf Aia^ re koI rfs 'IraAon- f o-KCTTTf TO 7>i?, 01? Koi Tovra? 'Pufiaiots «."A<rui(rairo [ui. 5]- A.D. 1155
