Heaven On Earth: Part One

Emperor Baldwin was apparently a greedy man. He had conquered all of Egypt and now was pushing his Empire’s limits. And with his words “crush the Coptic heretics,” he damned the Eastern Mediterranean to war. Emperor Alexius I, as Protector of Orthodoxy, had no choice but to declare war on the Levantine Empire and defend the Copts. Immediately, the Orthodox reserves all across the Empire were called up. About 250,000 were called up. They were divided into five groups of 50,000. One would leave from the Morea and invade Cyrenacia. Another would depart from Crete and strike at Alexandria. Others would depart from Cyprus, striking Galilee, and two groups from Cappadocia would invade Syria. The overall plan was to completely overwhelm the Latins.


The Orthodox Empire was at a very high advantage during the Orthodox-Levantine War. The Papacy could do nothing but wait out the war. The Pope could not declare a crusade against the Orthodox because they were so close to Rome. An attack on the Orthodox Empire would be greeted with a siege of Rome, and this would be devastating. So the Pope did nothing but warn other Catholic countries to be wary of the Orthodox Empire and not to attack them in the Name of God or unprovoked. And, like all kings of the time, the lords of Western Europe obeyed and stayed out of the “eastern war.”

So 250,000 Orthodox men then descended upon the Levantine Empire with their borders clear. The effect was awesome. The horror the townspeople of the Levant must have felt when armies with more men than their entire town must have been devastating to morale. Baldwin I never expected the Orthodox to respond so intensely over a small Nubian nation. But Alexius I had other reasons aside from protecting a fellow Orthodox nation. Mainly, he wanted to stop the ever-growing Levantine Empire for becoming too powerful and he wanted to show the world how powerful the Orthodox Empire was. And what better way to do that than to completely crush every Latin army thrown at you. And this is what Alexius I did.

He was, essentially, a military genius. He recruited local Arab scouts to get a feel of the land and always bribed non-Latins to show him where the Latin armies were. The Latin Levantine Empire ruled an empire with very few Latins and this was their folly. With local help, Alexius I was able to win every battle in Syria and took down the Latin armies piece by piece. Meanwhile, in Cyrenacia, the Orthodox generals there were far more competent and better-armed than the small Latin garrisons. However the Cretan group blockading Alexandria, did not have the power to lay a land siege upon the heavy defenses of the city.

With Syria and Cyrenacia secured, more Orthodox troops were freed up to help the Cypriot and Cretan army groups conquer Jerusalem and Alexandria. Meanwhile, in Nubia, the Latins had made deep advances against the brave, yet outnumbered and out equipped Nubians. And the Latins had taken a scorched earth policy out of desperation, which angered the Orthodox community even more. By the end of the year, the outer rims of the Levantine Empire had been conquered, and the armies of Alexius I stood poised to lay siege on Jerusalem and Alexandria.

Thanks for all the comments everyone! (and showcase as well)

A new saint is greatly overdue and will come as soon as the "chosen one" answers the damn questions!!

Maybe an update will come too....



asd

The strength of the Levantine Empire was dwindling. Baldwin I lay inside the city of Jerusalem. He looked over the walls and “wept” as he saw the vastness of the Orthodox army and the wealth of Alexius I’s field tent. The whole scene must have been very disheartening for all the Latin residents of Jerusalem. However the other demographics of the Levant actually greeted the Orthodox with celebrations. The Muslims had taxed them heavily and the Latins had done the same, not to mention killing many of them during the Great Crusade. And Emperor Alexius I made sure he wouldn’t face the same problems as the Muslims and Latins, once he ruled the Levant. He would tax all demographics the same and allow complete freedom of religion, although Imperial missionaries and churches would be sponsored.


In the early months of 1104, Alexius I used his very effective strategy of battering the city walls. For a couple of weeks, the city of Jerusalem was constantly bombarded by rocks, fired from large catapults. Then, historians set the date at March 21st, a large breach was made in the walls and Alexius I immediately charged his cavalry into it. They shocked the lightly armed defenders and cleared the way for the heavy infantry of the Orthodox Empire. Once the infantry had entered the city, the battle was hopeless for the Levantine Empire.

Baldwin I ordered all troops back to the city center. The outer areas of Jerusalem were abandoned in a chaotic rush of Latin troops. All the women and families the Latins had brought with them were all rushing the grand palace of the Levantine Emperors, recently built in the center of the city. Outside, Baldwin I left his Arab mercenaries to wear down the Orthodox soldiers as they approached his lavish palace. Fearful Muslims and Jews crowded the giant doors to the palace, fearful of another massacre reminiscent of the one the Latins caused. However, even through the screaming and pounding on the doors of the palace, Baldwin I refused to let them in. The doors took quite a long time to open and close, and he could not risk Orthodox troops breaching his palace.


In the city square, Alexius I and his men slaughtered the Arab mercenaries, which must have been a terrible sight for the civilians. However, he then ordered his trumpeters to blow their horns, ordering everyone to be silent. Then the Emperor’s booming voice cried out that the civilians would be spared and given freedom. With this announcement, a massive sigh of relief was let out from the non-Christians of Jerusalem.

Then, the Latin palace was laid under siege. The Orthodox siege engines were brought into the city itself, and they carefully fired their flaming rocks at the palace, making sure not to damage any other buildings. After midnight on March 22nd, after the stones and walls of the palace had been broken down, the palace itself was lit aflame. Baldwin I then made a do-or-die decision. He gathered his few remaining men and charged out the great palace doors in the middle of the night. His heroic charge has been replicated in numerous paintings.

But like all heroic charges, Baldwin I’s charge failed. Along with all his troops, he was killed. The surviving Latins were allowed safe passage to the coast and evacuation, or they could stay in Jerusalem. Alexius I had conquered Jerusalem. He would forever be known for this feat. The palace was burned to the ground, along with its overly lavish gardens. The fires light up the dark Levantine sky. The next day, the people of Jerusalem celebrated their “liberation.” At the cost of 10,000 Orthodox men and 15,000 Latins, the Levant had been conquered by Alexius I, now “the Great.” But the war was not over, and horrors unimaginable would lay in wait for the Orthodox.