第一章 启章（一） 

Introduction (Part 1)

New Rome, Queen of Cities. The grains of Europe and the olives of Asia nourished this unparalleled crown of the Mediterranean world. Amber and furs from the depths of the Rus' forests, along with spices and silks from Persia, flowed through the Bosphorus into the Golden Horn. The camel bells of merchants rang incessantly, and pilgrims were awestruck by the city's prosperity. Patriarchs and believers offered heartfelt blessings to the Emperor in the Brahna Palace. "Great Basilius! You are the embodiment of the Lord on earth, the restorer of the beginning of the land, the sharp hunter who tears apart vultures and hyenas… You are also the chilling massacre of the Normans, the blood and tears of the Armenians, and the cold nightmare that haunts the Latin heretics night after night." Thus Honiatis wrote in the *Chronicle of Nikiforus*: The pulse of Rome beats because of you…

新罗马，众城之女皇。欧罗巴的谷粒与亚细亚的橄榄滋养着这座地中海世界最无与伦比的冠冕。罗斯森林深处的琥珀、毛皮，连同波斯的香料与丝绸，通过博斯普鲁斯海峡汇入金角湾。商人的驼铃声不绝于耳，朝圣者被城中繁荣惊得目瞪口呆。牧首与信众对布拉赫纳宫的皇帝发出由衷的祝福。“伟大的巴西琉斯啊！您是主在人间的缩影，伊始之地的光复者，撕裂秃鹫与鬣狗的锐利猎手……您也是针对诺曼人的森然屠戮，是亚美尼亚人的血泪悲歌，更是拉丁异端夜复一夜挥之不去的冰冷梦魇。”霍尼亚提斯在《尼基福鲁斯编年史》中如此刻录：罗马的脉搏因您而澎...