帝国更替与文明兴衰——全球史上的1453年

Civilizational Legacy through Political Changes:1453 in Global History

1453年君士坦丁堡的陷落是全球文明史上的一个关键事件。这首先是指代表基督教文明的拜占庭被代表伊斯兰文明的奥斯曼帝国所替代。然而,围绕1453年的改朝换代,却产生了对罗马的不同继承者和阐释者。与君士坦丁的新罗马交相辉映,西方演绎着神圣罗马帝国的故事;而在君士坦丁堡陷落之后,征服者苏丹和莫斯科的大主教都声称是第三罗马的代表。更重要的是,在1453年前后,欧洲发生了从文艺复兴到宗教改革的翻天覆地的变化,地理大发现所开辟的新航路也将欧洲的变革带到世界其他地方。在地方的层面上,君士坦丁堡始终是希腊文明复兴的梦想,并影响了第一次世界大战后奥斯曼帝国的分裂和土耳其的民族独立革命。即便在21世纪,二者之间跨越爱琴海的冲突仍是欧洲政治的重要事件。

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 is a milestone of global history.First and foremost,it means the change between the Byzantine and Ottoman empires as well as between the Christian and Islamic civilizations.However,there also occurs different inherits of Rome with different interpretations.In parallel with the New Rome founded by Constantine the Great,the Holy Roman Empire started its story in the west.After 1453,either the Conqueror Sultan or the Archbishop of Moscow claimed to be the third Rome.Actually,more important changes happened in the west,from the Renaissance to the Reformation.And the Great Discovery also spread these changes to the other parts of the world.In the Mediterranean,Constantinople remains as the ideal aim of Hellenism,which also led to the decline of Ottoman Empire as well as the rise of Turkish nationalism.Even in the 21 st century,enmity between Greece and Turkey is still one key issue of European politics.