File:The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century - a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and (14591611069).jpg

Identifier: greatestnations03elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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stpowerful of the emperors, Frederick Barbarossa, resolved to punish the rebel-lious Guelph cities, and in the year 1154 marched a formidable army into Italy.Some of the smaller Guelph towns submitted to him and begged for mercy;one resisted and was captured; but Milan, the strongest of them all, closed hergates and defied him. His army was wearied with long absence from home,wasted with sickness; and he found himself too weak even to besiege the city.Other cities promptly refused him entrance as Milan had done. Bands of theenemy hovered near, treachery surrounded him, and his retreat into Germanybecame almost a flight. Great was the triumph of the Guelph towns; bitter the humiliation of thefew Ghibellines who had remained faithful to the emperor, Frederick, how-ever, was not a man to be defeated so easily. Four years later he came againwith another army, expressly to punish the Milanese. For three years theywithstood his attacks with the utmost heroism. City after city submitted, but
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Rome—Victory of Milan 461 Milan held out. Fredericks German army faded away as the first had done;but he continued with immovable persistence in Italy, prosecuting the siegewith the Ghibelline troops he had gathered there. At length a third Germanarmy reached him, and Milan surrendered. After taking possession of the city, Frederick waited a month in solemndeliberation before announcing its fate. Then he commanded the tremblinginhabitants to evacuate it and disperse. When the long sad train had passedout, he set his Italian soldiers to destroy the city. The walls were torn down,the houses, palaces, even the churches were demohshed, and the entire placelevelled with the ground (i 162). Frederick must have intended this as a terrible warning to all other rebel-lious cities. But how often force defeats its own object! The scatteredMilanese became in every town the centres of pity and admiration, the parti-sans and preachers of revolt. Scarce was Fredericks army out of Italy beforetown

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