Constantinople

__Constantinople __ This page should include a range of information relating to the city of Constantinople. This should include the historic rivalry between the city and Rome, its religious status, its situation in the east and also what happened when the Princes were requested to take oaths there when they arrived. It should also included information about the role of Constantinople and Alexius I during the Crusade itself.

__ Plan __


 * Introduction **- Mitchell**
 * The City
 * History Prior to the Crusades - **Alex Carling**
 * Religion - **Nico Hobhouse**
 * Situation in the East - ** Jonathan Tsim **
 * Alexius Comnenus - **Ethan Clough**
 * Arrival of the Princes - **Joel Watkinson**
 * Oaths - **Sam Summers**
 * Crusaders Responce
 * Crusader Relations with Constantinople
 * Alexius' Role during the Crusade
 * Constantinople during the Crusade
 * Aftermath of the Crusades

During the first Crusade, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire and was ruled over by the powerful Comnenian Dynasty. Under their rule Constantinople grew significantly in financial, military and territorial terms, to become one of the largest and most powerful cities in Europe, much of this attributed to Emperor Alexius I. During this reign Alexius began the Byzantine - Seljuk wars, which led to him requesting that Pope Urban send forces to aid his fight against the //"pagans"// Ultimately, these Crusaders agreed to the oath set out by Alexius (that all land gained by Crusaders would be turned over to Byzantine) and as a consequence it aided further growth for Byzantine,with them acquiring many territories in Asia Minor. The city was located located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara at the point where Europe meets Asia minor. Founded in the 4th century, Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christian empire, successor to ancient Greece and Rome. Throughout the Middle ages Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city. Its walls were 60 kilometres long and 18 metres high. Its position was ideal for defence (The sea defended its Eastern side allowing its rullers to concentrate on the west. It had a large commercial port which along with its location made it ideal for trade.[EF]

Prior to the Crusade, there was a huge rivalry between the cities of Constantinople and Rome. They were both major patriarchal centres of the world but Constantinople was considerably the larger of the two. For the people in the East, Constantinople seemed to them to be the new Rome. In light of this Rome tried to get a doctrine established in Constantinople but it was refused however. Constantinople refused to recognise the new Pope of Rome and were therefore excommunicated in 1075. However, when Urban II came to power in March 1088, he decided to lift the excommunication and this was done in 1089.[AC]

The Byzantine Empire had been racked by disagreement between Christian sects for several hundred years before the Crusade. However the rise of Islam served to hide the subtle differences between the various Christian doctrines so that by the time of the First Crusade we can simply label the Byzantines as Orthodox Christains. (NH)

The 11th century was harsh on the Byzantine Empire. Once a strong and respectablable empire stretching across Asia Minor and palestine, by 1095, the Empire had been pushed back by Muslim attacks from the south by egypt and other Arabs. Such to the extent that they had lost all the territories East of Constantinople. Byzantine was short of soldiers and mercenaries had previously been seen to be unreliable. Seperated from the large and powerful Muslim armies in Asia minor by a short stretch of sea called the Bosporos, Constantinople and the Byzantine empire was desperate for help and was on the verge of collapse. [JT]

Alexius Comnenus was the Emperor of Constantinople at the time of the First Crusade. He was the third son of John Comnenus and a nephew of Emperor Issac I. From 1068 to 1081, he served in the military, however thanks to help from his brother Issac, mother Anna Dalassena, and his powerful in laws the Ducus Family, he seized the throne from Nicephorus III. Alexius came to power when the Muslim world was on the rise and as mentioned above had occupied much of the Byzantine empire (mainly Asia Minor). Alexius is well known for appealing to Pope Urban II for help in driving these turks from his lost terrortories, however, the resulting crusade would plague him for years to come.(EC)

The Crusaders had taken different routes to the city of Constantinople and once the first army had arrived; started to gather outside the gates between November 1096 and April of the following year. The order in the arrival of the armies was: Hugh of Vermandois, Godfrey, Raymond and finally Bohemond's army arrived at the gates last. Unlike the time of the peoples crusade, Alexius wa prepared for the Knights' arrival and therefore, less incidences of violence occurred. The Princes' Crusade arrived outside the city low on food and other necessaey provisions; they expected help from the Emperor. But Alexius was suspicious due to the fact that Bohemond was present with his Norman army who were old enemies of Alexius and the Byzantine Empire; could it be a plot by Bohemond? No, it was not. The Princes may have believed upon arrival that Alexius would join them and become their leader; but these were not his intentions. Instead he wanted to transport them as quickly a possible to Asia Minor. In return for food and supplies, he wanted them to swear the oath of fealty to him. [JJEW]

Alexius, having already had the people's crusade pass through he knew how much damage a full sized uncontrolled army could inflict. Therefore when the crusading princes arrived in Constantinople he wanted an assurance of fielty so he forced the princes to take on oath of liege to him. This oath involved the handing over of any territory from the old byzantine empire back back to Alexius. This was Alexius' original aim of the crusades so as long as they did this he did not care what else they did. However none of the knights kept this oath claiming that Alexius had betrayed them.[SS]