1204 AD: What Really Happened (Crusades)

Athens News ^ | 3-9-2004 | Judith Herrin

[blam]

The interior of Agia Sophia's dome. Still Istanbul's landmark, the majestic Byzantine church with all its precious treasures must have awed the crusaders

[Monty22]

The crusades are literally, a 1400 year long war going on to this day.

[blam]

Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, shielded by its walls

[FreedomCalls]

Mark for later read.

[jla]

I just really enjoy your posts, Blam. Always interesting things you find to share here.

[AFreeBird]

B4L8r

[JoeFromSidney]

Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, shielded by its walls

Some of those walls are still standing. When I visited Istanbul for the first time, about 10 years ago, I saw fragments of the walls, and mistakenly thought they represented recent "urban renewal." No, I was told, those were the original walls, over 1000 years old.

[blam]

"I just really enjoy your posts, Blam. Always interesting things you find to share here."

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy them.

[USF]

The crusades are literally, a 1400 year long war going on to this day.

It will continue until the Islamofascists and their ideology of imposing Islams religious and gender apartheid on the Darul Harb are totally humiliated in defeat.

THE AGENDA OF ISLAM - A WAR BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS

[lizma]

Thanks much for the link. It's a must read.

I have a Muslim friend who goes to a mosque that teaches personnel salvation. She has tried to explain to me why this was rare and how it was different from most mosques. After reading this article I understand what she was trying to say.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

We are called the infidels by people like Osama Bin Laden.

[wolficatZ]

Keep a lookout for Cecil B. DeMille's 1935 film on TCM, I have it on tape, one of my faves..

"Summary: DeMille At His Peak!

THE CRUSADES is a film of awesome power with some of the finest costumes, epic battles and all the pagentry expected of the legendary Cecil B. DeMille. Henry Wilcoxon's Richard the Lionheart gives (along with his star turn as Marc Anthony in DeMille's CLEOPATRA the previous year) the greatest performance of his entire career. Mesmerizing in its power, just as effective today as when it was filmed in 1935. A must-see for all who esteem the epic/spectacle genre. Fine performances given by an all-star cast right down to DeMille regulars in supporting roles. They don't get much better than this! (imdb user review)"




http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0026249/

[Antoninus]

The immense losses sustained during these outbreaks of anti-western feeling resulted in Venetian claims for compensation were still unsettled in 1203.

Sadly, if Manuel I and Andronikos I had not driven out the Venetians and Alexios IV had paid the money he promised, this horrible atrocity may never have happened. As it was, the Byzantines became known as perfidous and thus unworthy of the sacrifices the crusaders were expected to endure on their behalf.

And really, the Latins made up for this sin later against the Turks. If it wasn't for Latin assistance during the 14th & 15th century, Constantinople would have been taken much sooner than AD 1453.

[OldCorps]

bump to read later

[Antoninus]

The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

[horse_doc]

Alexios didn't HAVE the money. It was an absurdly-large amount that the Imperial Treasury could not possibly have covered, and he knew it from the start.

I detest historical revisionists, and always pull for the Outremere - but the Fourth Crusade was a total long-term disaster for the West. Nothing good, and plenty bad came out of it.

[Frank_2001]

Good post!

[Antoninus]

Alexios didn't HAVE the money. It was an absurdly-large amount that the Imperial Treasury could not possibly have covered, and he knew it from the start.

Based on the huge amounts of wealth in the city at the time (from the both the Greek and Latin sources), I somehow doubt he couldn't have raised the money. It wouldn't have been the first time Constantinople had paid off a hostile force with an absurd amount of money. Justinian the Great did it several times himself.

I detest historical revisionists, and always pull for the Outremere - but the Fourth Crusade was a total long-term disaster for the West. Nothing good, and plenty bad came out of it.

Not completely true. If not for the treasures taken back to the West from the sack, some of the greatest relics of our ancient patrimony may have been lost to us forever when the Byzantines were overthrown by the Turks. Including, it is thought, the Shroud of Turin.

I always looked at the Fourth Crusade as the inevitable result of the fatally flawed, hubristic Byzantine foreign policy which continuously treated the Crusaders just like every other ignorant horde of barbarians that had fought in the service of the emperor.

But you're right--long term, it was a disaster for the Christian east and west and dashed any hope of reconciliation.

[farmfriend]

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