A History of Byzantium
- Thread starter VILenin
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The climactic clash of German and Norman forces with Alexios allied to the Normans. He's going to have to find something for those hordes of Germans to do or, longterm, they'll interfere with his plans to take Norman Italy.
Well, isnt't that nice? Italy is about to become a tempest in a teacup, simply waiting for Alexius to sweep in and pick up the pieces of Norman Italy that he wants. Providing, of course, that neither the Germans nor the Normans are strong enough to dispute that dream, and that something closer to home doesn't prove to be a distraction for Alexius.
Good thing that a strong Emperor ended up on the throne. Let's hope he lives long enough to make a mark. Dealing with the Cypriots is a good first step, taking advantage of the situation in Italy to return the Empire's holdings on the south of the Apennine peninsula might be the second. 
RGB: Italy's quite a tumultous place. With two Empires, the Normans and the Papacy all struggling for control it's bound to keep things interesting.
cthulhu: When the showdown between the Byzantines and Normans finally arrives expect some big fights. Glad to see you're still reading!
Chief Ragusa: It's interesting because a strong victory for either side is bad for the Byzantines. Both Apulia and HRE are rivals for control of Italy.
Draco Rexus: That's the problem in a nutshell; if either gets too strong it will interfere with Byzanine plans for reconquest.
Shuma: If he lives long enough Alexius will definitely make his mark.
cthulhu: When the showdown between the Byzantines and Normans finally arrives expect some big fights. Glad to see you're still reading!
Chief Ragusa: It's interesting because a strong victory for either side is bad for the Byzantines. Both Apulia and HRE are rivals for control of Italy.
Draco Rexus: That's the problem in a nutshell; if either gets too strong it will interfere with Byzanine plans for reconquest.
Shuma: If he lives long enough Alexius will definitely make his mark.
Chapter VII (iii)
In Italy the stage was now set for a confrontation between the Pope and the King of the Romans. Victor III, however, would not live to see its resolution. As Heinrich was starting his ascent of the alps the Pope died in his bed, presumably of a heart attack. The Curia quickly elected a new Pope who took the name Urban II. Once installed he quickly put pressure on Roger Borsa who had been reluctant to take a stand against Heinrich. After some discussion, which we may assume included equal amounts of threats and bribes, he was able to bring the Norman Duke around. Roger mobilized his army and marched north to meet the approaching Germans.
When Heinrich had heard of the death of Pope Victor III he had immediately set up the bishop of Salzburg, whom he had dragged along with his army, as an anti-Pope. Furious, Urban II excommunicated the both of them. Heinrich, calling Urban II an imposter, then declared the Pope deposed. His army made straight for Rome so that he might make good on his declaration. They were intercepted along the way, however, by the Normans. Roger Borsa, who despite his initial reluctance had no wish to see a resurgence of Imperial power in Italy, had quietly moved his army north of Rome. As the Germans moved through Tuscany they were ambushed by the Normans. Accounts of the battle give us images ofo Norman soldiers pouring down out of the hills and charging into the unsuspecting German columns. The battle was a rout; the way to Rome was now closed. Humiliated, Heinrich had no choice but to come to terms. The King of the Romans met the Pope in Oviedo and made his obeisance, begging forgiveness for his transgressions against the Holy Church. Heinrich was forced to confirm the right of Papal investiture for all the bishoprics in the Holy Roman Empire, grant further secular powers to the churches and monasteries and, per usual, pay a hefty sum. The poor bishop of Salzburg, who had never wanted to be Pope in the first place, was to be thrown in prison but he managed to flee to Norway where he lived out his life in exile. Now there was nothing left for Heinrich but to slink back northwards to his court in Nassau. Trouble was brewing in his German provinces and he would spend the next decade fighting to hang on to his throne.
And what, you might ask, was Alexius doing during all this? The conflict in Italy had put the Basileus in an interesting position. Defeat for either side would be good news for the Byzantines so long as it didn’t lead to a significant gain for the other. Alexius was not eager to see the upstarts in the West, those pretentious Franks who dared style themselves “Emperor,” lay claim to land that rightfully belonged to the true Roman Empire. Neither would it be desirable for the Normans of Apulia to emerge with greater authority. Faced with this delicate dilemma he had decided to support neither side and simply let them smash each other to bits; all the better for him to move in afterwards and pick up the pieces. But the fighting had not lasted long enough for an appreciable weakening of either side. So Alexius turned south to another former province: Sicily, now in the hands of the Saracens.
In Italy the stage was now set for a confrontation between the Pope and the King of the Romans. Victor III, however, would not live to see its resolution. As Heinrich was starting his ascent of the alps the Pope died in his bed, presumably of a heart attack. The Curia quickly elected a new Pope who took the name Urban II. Once installed he quickly put pressure on Roger Borsa who had been reluctant to take a stand against Heinrich. After some discussion, which we may assume included equal amounts of threats and bribes, he was able to bring the Norman Duke around. Roger mobilized his army and marched north to meet the approaching Germans.
When Heinrich had heard of the death of Pope Victor III he had immediately set up the bishop of Salzburg, whom he had dragged along with his army, as an anti-Pope. Furious, Urban II excommunicated the both of them. Heinrich, calling Urban II an imposter, then declared the Pope deposed. His army made straight for Rome so that he might make good on his declaration. They were intercepted along the way, however, by the Normans. Roger Borsa, who despite his initial reluctance had no wish to see a resurgence of Imperial power in Italy, had quietly moved his army north of Rome. As the Germans moved through Tuscany they were ambushed by the Normans. Accounts of the battle give us images ofo Norman soldiers pouring down out of the hills and charging into the unsuspecting German columns. The battle was a rout; the way to Rome was now closed. Humiliated, Heinrich had no choice but to come to terms. The King of the Romans met the Pope in Oviedo and made his obeisance, begging forgiveness for his transgressions against the Holy Church. Heinrich was forced to confirm the right of Papal investiture for all the bishoprics in the Holy Roman Empire, grant further secular powers to the churches and monasteries and, per usual, pay a hefty sum. The poor bishop of Salzburg, who had never wanted to be Pope in the first place, was to be thrown in prison but he managed to flee to Norway where he lived out his life in exile. Now there was nothing left for Heinrich but to slink back northwards to his court in Nassau. Trouble was brewing in his German provinces and he would spend the next decade fighting to hang on to his throne.
And what, you might ask, was Alexius doing during all this? The conflict in Italy had put the Basileus in an interesting position. Defeat for either side would be good news for the Byzantines so long as it didn’t lead to a significant gain for the other. Alexius was not eager to see the upstarts in the West, those pretentious Franks who dared style themselves “Emperor,” lay claim to land that rightfully belonged to the true Roman Empire. Neither would it be desirable for the Normans of Apulia to emerge with greater authority. Faced with this delicate dilemma he had decided to support neither side and simply let them smash each other to bits; all the better for him to move in afterwards and pick up the pieces. But the fighting had not lasted long enough for an appreciable weakening of either side. So Alexius turned south to another former province: Sicily, now in the hands of the Saracens.
Make them taste steel!
Okay, false zealotry aside, excellent AAR.
I can only hope that war against the Sicilian Saracens goes well...
Okay, false zealotry aside, excellent AAR.
I can only hope that war against the Sicilian Saracens goes well...
Good choice of target. Sicily has been away from the Empire too long.
Zealotry was a marked features of this Age driving both Cursaders and Mulsims alike. The struggle to control southern Italy destroyed the Hohenstaufen Emperors and their family became extinct. Trying to take Sicily and southern Italy consumed resources better spent in retaking Anatolia. In game Alexios has an advantage his real life counterpart did not have.
Zealotry was a marked features of this Age driving both Cursaders and Mulsims alike. The struggle to control southern Italy destroyed the Hohenstaufen Emperors and their family became extinct. Trying to take Sicily and southern Italy consumed resources better spent in retaking Anatolia. In game Alexios has an advantage his real life counterpart did not have.
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Well, for Italy, there's always next year for the boot to implode. Now, Sicily, Sicily on the other hand... sounds like a nice little target. Providing the Saracens are able to be "convinced" to relinquish the island to the Basileus.
Chapter VII (iv)
Sicily had been captured by the Arabs more than a century ago and had served as a springboard and haven for Muslim pirates and raiders ever since. The time wasn’t right for a reconquest of southern Italy but that didn’t mean Byzantium had to be idle. Alexius had an army and a navy rested, trained and ready for combat and he intended to use them. He would follow in the footsteps of Justinian who had conquered Sicily as a prelude to Italy itself. Unlike Justinian, however, Alexius would be leading this expedition personally. Two groups of soldiers, totaling over 8,000 men, assembled in Thessalonica. The first, led by Alexius and numbering around 5,000, set out in February of 1087 for Messina. The second contingent, led by the Megas Domestikos Manuel (regrettably little is known about this man and we have only his first name to go on) departed the following month.
Alexius landed in Messina in late April to a very subdued reception. The Norman governor was scarcely pleased to have a Byzantine army in his backyard, even if they professed to be there to fight the infidel. Roger Borsa was equally displeased, harboring his own ambitions towards Sicily. For the moment there was nothing he could do, however, fearing that Heinrich might at any moment return to Italy with a fresh army to avenge his defeat. Though the plan was for the entire Byzantine army to arrive and march out together, Alexius grew impatient at the delay. Now that was again in the field he was bursting with energy and after a week in Messina he dispatched a messenger to the Emir in Palermo; the next day he followed with his army. The Saracens in Sicily were under the rule of the Emir of Palermo, that city being the hub of the island. The central location of Sicily in the Mediterranean ensured a steady flow of commerce and trade and many of the coastal towns had become prosperous. As the heart of the Emirate and the most valuable city, Palermo would be the first target for the Byzantines. When the ambassador handed the Emir a declaration of war from Alexius the Byzantine army was only days away. Shocked at this breach of the rules of “civilized” warfare, the Emir had the poor ambassador beheaded on the spot and sent the head back to the Basileus with an angry missive. Alexius is reported to have justified his actions by saying that the “niceties of war should not be wasted on heathens.”
Having achieved tactical surprise proved an early boon. The Emir was able to rely on only those soldiers stationed in and around Palermo; some 3,500 men. They quickly fell back into the city in face of the superior Byzantine numbers and the siege began. Saracen reinforcements were not long coming, however, as regiments from Agrigento and Trapani assembled and marched to the relief of the city. Before long their banners could be sighted and the defenders of Palermo took this as their cue to sally forth against the Byzantines. Unwilling to be caught between with enemies on both sides, Alexius pulled back his army away from the city. The recent arrivals had given the Saracens a slight advantage in numbers and the Emir pushed forward in a general attack. The Byzantine heavy infantry was superior to their Muslim counterpart but the enemy had the advantage of being on their home ground. Fighting raged back and forth for three days with both sides taking heavy losses. At the end of the third day the weather took a turn for the worse, clouds which had been building overhead now unleashed a torrent of rain, interrupting the battle. Both sides took this opportunity to attempt to consolidate their lines. The Emir had just recently gotten news that soldiers from Syracuse were now less than a week away and he hoped that with their arrival he would be able to crush the invaders. Alexius for his part was urgently looking for any sign of the follow up force led by the Grand Domestic Manuel. His agents reported that no Byzantine ships had entered Messina.
In fact, Manuel had bypassed Messina completely and was making his way directly towards Palermo. News of his sovereign’s actions had reached him enroute and he had altered his travel plans as to not waste time. If Alexius was marching to battle Manuel correctly deduced that he would need his reinforcements as quickly as possible. The storm that had brought a halt to the fighting had scattered his ships and driven them away from shore. As the weather began to clear the squadron reassembled itself and prepared to land its soldiers. Once conditions had improved enough the Emir of Palermo had immediately resumed the fighting, pressing hard against the center of the Byzantine line where the Emperor himself was.
Sicily had been captured by the Arabs more than a century ago and had served as a springboard and haven for Muslim pirates and raiders ever since. The time wasn’t right for a reconquest of southern Italy but that didn’t mean Byzantium had to be idle. Alexius had an army and a navy rested, trained and ready for combat and he intended to use them. He would follow in the footsteps of Justinian who had conquered Sicily as a prelude to Italy itself. Unlike Justinian, however, Alexius would be leading this expedition personally. Two groups of soldiers, totaling over 8,000 men, assembled in Thessalonica. The first, led by Alexius and numbering around 5,000, set out in February of 1087 for Messina. The second contingent, led by the Megas Domestikos Manuel (regrettably little is known about this man and we have only his first name to go on) departed the following month.
Alexius landed in Messina in late April to a very subdued reception. The Norman governor was scarcely pleased to have a Byzantine army in his backyard, even if they professed to be there to fight the infidel. Roger Borsa was equally displeased, harboring his own ambitions towards Sicily. For the moment there was nothing he could do, however, fearing that Heinrich might at any moment return to Italy with a fresh army to avenge his defeat. Though the plan was for the entire Byzantine army to arrive and march out together, Alexius grew impatient at the delay. Now that was again in the field he was bursting with energy and after a week in Messina he dispatched a messenger to the Emir in Palermo; the next day he followed with his army. The Saracens in Sicily were under the rule of the Emir of Palermo, that city being the hub of the island. The central location of Sicily in the Mediterranean ensured a steady flow of commerce and trade and many of the coastal towns had become prosperous. As the heart of the Emirate and the most valuable city, Palermo would be the first target for the Byzantines. When the ambassador handed the Emir a declaration of war from Alexius the Byzantine army was only days away. Shocked at this breach of the rules of “civilized” warfare, the Emir had the poor ambassador beheaded on the spot and sent the head back to the Basileus with an angry missive. Alexius is reported to have justified his actions by saying that the “niceties of war should not be wasted on heathens.”
Having achieved tactical surprise proved an early boon. The Emir was able to rely on only those soldiers stationed in and around Palermo; some 3,500 men. They quickly fell back into the city in face of the superior Byzantine numbers and the siege began. Saracen reinforcements were not long coming, however, as regiments from Agrigento and Trapani assembled and marched to the relief of the city. Before long their banners could be sighted and the defenders of Palermo took this as their cue to sally forth against the Byzantines. Unwilling to be caught between with enemies on both sides, Alexius pulled back his army away from the city. The recent arrivals had given the Saracens a slight advantage in numbers and the Emir pushed forward in a general attack. The Byzantine heavy infantry was superior to their Muslim counterpart but the enemy had the advantage of being on their home ground. Fighting raged back and forth for three days with both sides taking heavy losses. At the end of the third day the weather took a turn for the worse, clouds which had been building overhead now unleashed a torrent of rain, interrupting the battle. Both sides took this opportunity to attempt to consolidate their lines. The Emir had just recently gotten news that soldiers from Syracuse were now less than a week away and he hoped that with their arrival he would be able to crush the invaders. Alexius for his part was urgently looking for any sign of the follow up force led by the Grand Domestic Manuel. His agents reported that no Byzantine ships had entered Messina.
In fact, Manuel had bypassed Messina completely and was making his way directly towards Palermo. News of his sovereign’s actions had reached him enroute and he had altered his travel plans as to not waste time. If Alexius was marching to battle Manuel correctly deduced that he would need his reinforcements as quickly as possible. The storm that had brought a halt to the fighting had scattered his ships and driven them away from shore. As the weather began to clear the squadron reassembled itself and prepared to land its soldiers. Once conditions had improved enough the Emir of Palermo had immediately resumed the fighting, pressing hard against the center of the Byzantine line where the Emperor himself was.
I apologize for the cut-off ending, my work scheduele's kept me from finishing it. Hopefully I'll be able to post the rest of the Sicilian campaign in the next couple days along with feedback.
Sicily, if the conquest continues to be successful, would indeed be an excellent base from which to keep an eye on - and intervene in - Catholic politics if and when necessary. More confusion to the Italians!
VILenin said:I apologize for the cut-off ending, my work scheduele's kept me from finishing it. Hopefully I'll be able to post the rest of the Sicilian campaign in the next couple days along with feedback.
Nah, cliffhangers are good writing. Still, I hope it's leading up to a "You display courage and bravery in battle" event and not a "Your head turns out to make a lovely coffee mug" one.
j.
Palermo united all the sheikdoms? That makes things a bit more difficult, but hopefully Manuel will arrive in time. Sicily really is a great place to control, whether you decide to go for Italy, northern Africa or somewhere in the west Mediterrenean.
Sorry, no update. I couldn't finish it in time so now it'll have to wait until after this weekend, what with Easter and all.
RGB: I certainly do want ot kick them off Sicily; the battle at Palermo will determine whether I'm able to or not.
CrackdToothGrin:Nothing wrong with some false zealotry, for they shall indeed taste Roman steel!
Shuma:Sicily's prime real-estate and my key to controlling the central Med. The Emirate of Palermo, I believe, starts off in control of all sicily minus Messina. The sheikdoms of Agrigento and Siracusa are it's vassals.
Chief Ragusa:Exactly. Given that the reconquest of S. Italy was a goal of the Comneni - one they were to never achieve - I felt it likely that Alexius would try it here, especially since he has the extra resources not available to him IRL due to Manzikert.
Draco Rexus: Don't worry, the Byzantines can be very persuasive.
Orthex: Thanks, I wish I could too!
stnylan: Italy's time will come, provided the other parts of the frontier can be kept quiet.
Llywelyn: I'll have to keep an eye out for that second event.
RGB: I certainly do want ot kick them off Sicily; the battle at Palermo will determine whether I'm able to or not.
CrackdToothGrin:Nothing wrong with some false zealotry, for they shall indeed taste Roman steel!
Shuma:Sicily's prime real-estate and my key to controlling the central Med. The Emirate of Palermo, I believe, starts off in control of all sicily minus Messina. The sheikdoms of Agrigento and Siracusa are it's vassals.
Chief Ragusa:Exactly. Given that the reconquest of S. Italy was a goal of the Comneni - one they were to never achieve - I felt it likely that Alexius would try it here, especially since he has the extra resources not available to him IRL due to Manzikert.
Draco Rexus: Don't worry, the Byzantines can be very persuasive.
Orthex: Thanks, I wish I could too!
stnylan: Italy's time will come, provided the other parts of the frontier can be kept quiet.
Llywelyn: I'll have to keep an eye out for that second event.
All caught up. I have to say this is very well written piece. The histoy book type flow is excellant. Now that I am here, you will be seeing more of me.