CHAPTER 7
1303-1308
THE LAMB OF GOD
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The Aztecs have reformed their savage cult.
Huetlatoani Zolin the Fat was celebrating. Not only he managed to conquer the kingdom of England and strengthen his power by imposing harsher laws for all the vassals of the invaders, but he also succeeded where his father failed. Tlacaeleltzin the Antichrist was a savage beast, a monster who killed thousands and was victorious in a thousand battles. As a leader of Aztec forces, he brought only darkness and death to all good Christians. But with all his power and cruelty there was one thing which he didn't achieve – he couldn't make Aztec faith popular. And for good reason – only a fool or a madman would worship the dark demons from the Far West. But a lot of time have passed since the initial invasion and there weren't a lot of people old enough to remember the terror which was brought to Europe by these strange ships. With the sword as the only alternative - if the savages were merciful and didn't want to play with their victims, as it usually happened – more and more of the conquered population were converting. Some of them, especially the nobility, accepted even barbaric customs from the Far West and started to behave like the savages –
Nahua, as they described themselves.
But even as thousands of Christians and infidels alike were condemning their souls to the eternal torture in Hell by worshipping the dark gods of the West, it wasn't even nearly enough. As the history teaches us, sooner or later every invader slowly mixes with the common folk, taking their habits as their own and in the end both their culture and religion is no more. Huetlatoani Zolin the Fat understood this and that's why he was so dedicated to the idea of reforming the Aztec cult in the image of European religions. Not only he used some elements of the infidel and heretic ceremonies, he also dared to mimic the True Faith by making his own father the saint. This blasphemous mockery of religion, with a holy scripture now written in Latin and reformed priest hierarchy, was created only to strengthen his rule and to impress the subjects of the Aztec rule. Without a doubt it won't work – not even cursed Catholic heretics would be so insane to believe in this so called “reformation”. It was clearly
Diabolos work.
But it was only the beginning of the bad news.
Few months after the blasphemous act of the Zolin the Fat, the Mongol invasion on Arabia has concluded on 13th February 1304. Khagan Belgutei, now called the Great, was victorious – barbarian hordes once again conquered the Arabian Peninsula. After seizing control of Mecca and Medina, this time the Ilkhanate showed no mercy – all Shia inhabitants of the cities of the Prophet were butchered, their property confiscated and their women and children captured as slaves. The once mighty followers of the false Prophet were now reduced to a small realm in Abyssinia. There was also an independent Sultanate of Mali, bastion of Ibadi heretics deep in the jungles of Africa. It seemed that it was only a matter of time before the last muslim is either converted, killed or enslaved. To make things worse, the imperial spies brought puzzling news – an adventurer from the north was gathering an army to attack Basileia Romaion. The revelation of the identity of this lunatic was shocking.
As the agent of the Bureau of Barbarians found out, Arnfinn Eriksson was a pagan, one of the last of his kind, still dwelling somewhere in the wilderness of Scandinavia. The perseverance and endurance of his kind was admirable – after all, not without a reason the members of the Varangiuan Guard were recruited from this wild and harsh lands. But to think that in the first decade of the 14th century there still were Norse believers, worshippers of demons like Odin or Thor? It was truly unexpected.
The pathetic scheme of Arnfinn the Pagan was ended swiftly – Imperial Regent showed him no mercy and soon he was drowned in his own blood. Megistos Basiliakos had other plans to take care of, much important than overambitious worthless pagans.
Weakened by the war against countless Mongol armies, the last Shia sultanate didn't show much resistance and soon the flag of the Empire was on every castle tower in Hayya. Although poor and distant province, this few counties nearby the border with the sultanate were important gains from a certain point of view. After signing the peace on 23rd July 1304, the imperial propaganda praised the Regent as a wise and fearless leader and conqueror of the infidels. Young Leon VII, easily manipulated as always, was very impressed by the renewed religious zeal in the Imperial Palace after this victory. Soon he himself became very dedicated to the Holy Cross – child-emperor dreamed about becoming a great Christian warrior. He started to spent more time with books, which for the first time in his life he found actually interesting. Basileus was especially fascinated by the
hagiographikon, the lives of the saints.
In the meantime, Imperial Regent was struggling to keep his position. There were to many ambitious
aristoi to appease, too many distant provinces to control – now the stretched out borders were suddenly a burden to deal with. There was peace, both with the external and internal enemies, but the storm was coming – the regency was soon to be ended and a lot of powerful man were more than eager to manipulate the weak basileus. Still, the Empire wasn't at war for almost a year.
Soon these few relatively peaceful months were abruptly ended by a truly shattering news.
On 3rd April 1305 Zolin the Fat has declared war on Basileia Romaion. Pride Aztec wanted to reclaim counties reconqured by the Empie during long civil wars amongst the savages. This several holdings under the Greek rule were a sanctuary for the persecuted Christians from African provinces of the realm of the invaders. Being a thorn in the side of the Aztec domain for far too long they ought to be destroyed, he thought. And so the invasion began and the barbarians rose like a dark wave, ready to swallow the light of the Basileia Romaion.
But not only the savages rose a sword on the Empire.
In his malice Zolin the Fat in secret ordered his agents to give gold and supplies to the infidels in Egypt, who still weren't accepting the benevolent rule of the Empire. And so the cursed Shia uprising broke out on 1st September 1305. With a strength of more than 12000 armed men, the rabble wasn't a threat to the imperial army – but they were a diversion. Their very presence forced the Imperial Regent to divide the forces sent to Tunisia. Megistos Basiliakos was confident in the army of hardened in battle mercenaries and expected them to wipe out the savages even without the support from the imperial levies.
It was a disaster.
Russians, Bulgars, Turks and other mercenaries fighting for the Empire were slaughtered by the savages. Few survived the battle, even fewer managed to escape from Tunisia. It was after this battle when the Aztec cruelty really showed their face. Triumphant Zolin the Fat ordered all the prisoners no to be sacrificed to the dark gods but rather to be crucified in a blasphemous parody of Our Lord and Savior martyr death on the Holy Cross. And although the battle of Gafsa concluded on 7th November 1305, its repercussions were perceptible for much longer. But it was not a time to bemoan the killed Christians – the Aztec army pushed forward, fighting their way through disorganized Imperial Navy and soon the unthinkable happened.
The savages were at the gates of the Queen of Cities.
Terrified
aristoi, senators, priests and ordinary citizens of Konstantinoupolis alike could see with their own eyes from the Walls as the large Aztec army were chasing down the peasants and burning small villages and churches only a several kilometers from the capital of the Empire. In horror their watched the slaughter and soon the small forest of crosses rose nearby the Holy City of Constantine.
But they were safe.
No army have ever captured the Konstantinoupolis and many have tried. Mighty Persians ruled by the House of Sasan together with barbaric Slavs and Avars tried to capture the City in 7th century – and failed. Then came the infidels driven by their false Prophet
hadis ordering them to conquer the City – and they failed twice. Then came the Bulgars and Russians and traitorous Thomas the Slav and even the Romans themselves under the command of a rebel doux Leo Tornikios during his revolt against basileus Constantine IX Monomachos in 1047 – and they all failed. The mighty
teichos Theodosiakon built by the basileus Theodosius II in 5th century were the strongest fortification known to man, widely believed to be indestructible. According to some even the
Diabolos himself wouldn't take the City if it Walls were manned.
Of course, Zolin the Fat knew this and taking the Konstantinoupolis was never his goal. By sending an army so deep into the Empire territory he wanted to create chaos, put a seed of doubt in the hearts of Romans and effectively cripple the Imperial Army by cutting it from the
strategos, High Council and the Imperial Regent. Knowing that, Megistos Basiliakos ordered his generals to amass a great army and swiftly destroy the invaders pillaging the country outside of the Walls.
It was exactly what Zolin the Fat wanted.
Forces which invaded the countryside nearby the capital on 30th December 1305 were just a diversion. Thanks to them and with the half of the Imperial Army occupied by the Shia revolt in Egypt, he had the whole Basileia Romaion opened before him. He decided to concentrate his armies in Tunisia, Peloponnisos and Ionia. This last army was dispatched to capture Rhodos, island with a strategic significance – controlling it, he may use its ports to continue the raiding on all the coast of Asia Minor. What was even worse, he knew that Ionia with its capital Smyrna were the old lands of the House Angelos and were in the possession of the Angelois for more than 200 years. Without a doubt, he wanted to show everyone that Imperial Regent can't protect nor the City nor the basileus domain.
But it was no longer Megistos Basiliakos concern.
The regency was over and on 23rd January 1306 basilues Leon VII Angelos finally began the rule in his own name. Cruel fate wanted the intronization ceremony to be held at the same time when the Aztec army was hunting down the last alive Christians in the countryside nearby City, just a dozen kilometers from the Hagia Sophia. Imperial Regent didn't oppose nor he tried to influence now adult Leon VII – he was more than happily to give him all the power, confident that the inexperienced ruler will fail dramatically which may finally gave him some right to the throne.
Leon VII Angelos surely wasn't a statesman like his father or his father before him. Lazy and shy, still depressed after the tragic deaths of his mother and sister and with a predisposition towards men it didn't seem that he will become a great basileus. But with all his flaws he knew one thing – he realized his own incompetence. That's why he asked his uncle, grandmaster Leon Angelos, to become the
strategos and advice him in this harsh times. As always completely loyal to the throne, Leon Angelos was more than happy to do this – being removed from the Council years ago, he was waiting for this moment for a long time.
And so the Empire striked back.
Battle of Constantinople was short and on 13th February 1306 it was over –
kataphraktoi tagmata left no survivors. Basilues himself was watching the battle from the Walls together with courtiers and eunuchs of the Imperial Palace as well as the other high officials of Basileia Romaion. Quickly dispatched to Peloponnisos, imperial forces under the command of the Brotherhood generals defeated the savages one more time on 23rd March 1306 near the city of Naupaktos. Victorious
strategos Leon even managed to take some captives, among them Aztec lords, which were punished for their crimes and sent back to Spain to show the others what is the fate of those who dare to attack the Empire.
But the main Aztec army was still intact and Rhodos was under a siege. It was obvious that the frontal attack was impossible – mountainous terrain and attack after crossing the strait - or even worse, after amphibious landing – made it very risky. It was as if the Aztec army was surrounded by a natural Theodesian Walls, confident in their invulnerability. There was no doubt that if basileus even heard about plans on attack on Rhodos, even he would overcome his shyness and forbid his uncle from doing this. It surely could end only in a slaughter and with Imperial Army broken, Mongol attack would be inevitable.
But grandmaster Leon Angelos didn't tell his Emperor anything.
Amassing a giant army from joined forces from Egypt and Peloponnisos, he ordered a frontal assault. If he had lost the battle, he would have surely be remembered as the man who virtually destroyed the Imperial army in the desperate hour of need. But thanks to his tactical genius, the assault was a complete success. On 3rd June 1306 this decisive battle was fought and on the rocky shores of Rhodos Basileia Romaion was victorious. All the savages were slaughtered and the few survivors were either executed or castrated to serve as an exotic servants to the Brotherhood commanders.
Leon VII didn't have a choice but to pretend that was his idea and he sent his uncle a congratulatory letter. But the whole Empire knew the truth – as he was since his father died, Leon VII was still nothing more than a puppet ruler. To give him justice, he was doing it for the good of the Basileia Romaion, as the future events showed.
The campaign in Tunisia marked the turning point of the war.
Brotherhood together with new mercenary units,
tagmata and imperial levies on 23th August engaged the second Aztec army, bigger even than the one defeated on Rhodos. This time however the savages weren't protected by the rocky shores of the island and they were mercilessly slaughtered. Justice was served and the good Christians death was avenged. After the battle of Monastic which concluded on 26th August 1306, triumphant grandmaster Leon Angelos divided his forces, sending them to siege the castles and cities of Aztec Tunisia.
Zolin the Fat, forced to regroup, was furious. He still had tens of thousands of bloodthirsty warriors but this recent defeats meant that the certain – from his point of view - victory in war was now more distant and the war itself would surely prolong. Knowing that he can't beat the Imperial Army just yet, he decided that if the sword can't bring him swift victory, at least dagger can bring him swift revenge.
The Varangians quickly killed the assassins saving basileus life but alas Leon VII was wounded by the Aztec blade. The rumors about the royal blood spilled by the dagger from the Far West in the Imperial Palace alone, together with the recent attack on the countryside nearby Konstantinoupolis, gave birth only to darkness. Despite victories on Rhodos and Monastir, fear ruled over the streets of the capital and always ambitious factions in the Imperial Palace started their petty plots and schemes, hoping for the death of Leon VII.
Basileus himself was terrified.
In his eyes, the blade was much more than just a tool of revenge. Obsidian knife or
tecpatl as the savages called it, was a ritual blade used in the blasphemous ceremonies of the dark gods cult. Being pious man he was, Leon VII believed that the blade was cursed. Even worse, he treated the wound as a punishment for his sins, still after all these years being influenced by the terrible execution of his sister. And though he was then merely a manipulated child, the mortal sin of killing his own kin was now terrifying him like never before. In his mind all the misery which Basileia Romaion suffered was caused by this act against the divine law – he even blamed himself for his mother's death. Always of weak health and deep in depression, now wounded and with broken spirit, he was awaiting the God's judgment and punishment in Hell. To save his soul from the damnation he not only ordered to build several new churches and gave big donations to the Church and the still fighting in Africa Brotherhood – he also decided to beg for forgiveness his own sister.
Imprisoned at the age of 16 on 1294 year, after 12 years of being a prisoner in her own palace, Martha Angelos, the last living children of basileus Valerios Angelos, was set set free on 27th October 1306. Not only that, but Leon VII gave his sister the title of
sebastokrator and immediately ordered the eunuchs of the Imperial Palace to find her a suitable husband. A grand ceremony were held during which
sebastokratorissa married a distant relative of the douxes from the House Doukas and was officially recognized as the heir to the Basileia Romaion. Feeling that the secured the throne for the descendants of Saint Markos, Leon VII was spending most of his time praying to God for forgiveness and fasting. Horrified by the vision of eternal torture in Hell, Leon Angelos was slowly loosing the little strength he had – the wound wasn't healing properly. Blaming the dark demons from the Far West for this, he was praying with even more dedication, leaving the matters of state to the High Council – and his sister, who after years spent in a house arrest, was finding great pleasure in discussing the matters of the realm with high lords.
In the meantime the imperial expedition was continuing the slow conquest of Tunisia. Siege after siege, castle after castle, slowly the whole coast was under the firm control of grandmaster Leon Angelos. Just like the savages to Christians before, he showed them no mercy – every man who wasn't a Christian or spoke in Nahua was put to the sword. Whole villages were razed to the ground, cities were destroyed and the bodies of Aztecs and their Shia or Catholic subjects alike were burned in thousands for there were not enough cemeteries in the whole Tunisia to contain them. Dedication and zealous fervor of the Brotherhood was described by some as needless brutality and ruthlessness but grandmaster Leon didn't care about it – he was executing the God's will. Wherever his army set foot, the savage, infidel and heretic blood was flowing like a river. Leon Angelos was pleased – justice was served.
The civil wars which broke out in 1307 in both the vast Aztec realm and the kingdom of Aragon were worrying. By this moment Zolin the Fat understood that he can't win both wars but he was still refusing to surrender, hoping for the soon death of Leon VII. In Aragon however, the revolt against the young king Markos Angelos was completely unexpected. Staying neutral during the conflict between Basileia Romaion and the savages, young Markos in his ambition dreamed about the imperial throne and didn't wish well nor for his brother-in-law nor his sister-in-law.
Finally, after long months of struggle, Zolin the Fat was ready to accept the terms of grandmaster Leon Angelos.
The war was over on 3rd February 1308 and Basileia Romaion was triumphant. The Empire have survived yet another trial but it paid for it in blood – and the price was high. In Konstantinoupolis the citizens were celebrating and even the factions of ambitious
aristoi seemed to abandon their schemes. The savages were defeated – for now. It was obvious that sooner or later the barbarians will return, fueled by their desire for vengeance.
Ill, exhausted and in constant pain from the infected wound, when Leon VII heard the news the same day the peace was signed he smiled for the first time in months. He ordered his sister to be brought to him and after short conversation he asked her to prepare the ceremony for their victorious uncle, soon to be returning from Africa, for which she agreed and left the Emperor's chamber. After that he ordered his servants to leave him because he wanted to pray to God and thank Him for His mercy. Martha Angelos was the last one to speak with the basileus.
His body was found by the eunuchs few hours later.
More details in the next chapter which should be done in 2-3 days - I have quite a lot of work lately but it should be over by tomorrow evening (the work, not chapter sadly).
