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CHAPTERS IN THE HISTORY OF ARMENIA 271
strengthening influence upon the destinies of this world
empire throughout a lengthy period.
But with all their ability the Armenians could not save
their own country. Though they had a strong feeling of the
spiritual unity of their people, shown among other things by
the way in which they invariably closed their ranks in defence
of their Church and its doctrine against all Greek Orthodox
or Roman Catholic attempts at oppression, they never felt
that completely unifying and absolutely compelling love of
country and people which is the foundation of all political
unity and freedom. This was probably due in the main, as
has been suggested elsewhere (p. 242), to the physical formation
of their country, which divided the people up into isolated
valleys and districts. These fractions of the nation, under
chiefs of their own, looked upon themselves more or less as
separate entities, and their mutual dissensions greatly reduced
the national power of resistance to enemies from without.
Another important factor which tended to weaken the
nation was the frequent and extensive emigration already
described (p. 265), which drained the country of much of its
best blood. Nature has obviously endowed the Armenians
with that desire to travel and see the world which is often
found in gifted races, and the force of circumstances has more
than gratified their wish. Again and again from the earliest
times the incursions of hostile hosts have driven out large
numbers and scattered them over other lands. Moreover,
some of the Byzantine emperors, such as Mauricius (582-602),
Phocas (602-610), and Basil II (976-1025), transferred whole
populations—Phocas transferred 30,000 families—from the
subjugated territories of Armenia to Thrace and Macedonia,
in order to strengthen the country against enemies from beyond
the Danube or against the Bulgarians.
In many of the countries to which they came the Armenian
emigrants founded larger or smaller colonies ; and they
brought with them efficiency, enterprise, and prosperity.
Those who went eastwards settled in Persia, India, the Sunda
Islands, and China ; while in the west they entered Syria,
Egypt, and the Mediterranean countries, where they formed
colonies in most of the larger coast towns. They also emi
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