1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 242: Shadow of the Church
The second half of 1465 was busy. Driven by ocean trade and East Indian spices, huge amounts of wealth flowed into the two territories of the Eastern Roman Empire, into the workshops and commercial areas of major cities, and then into the rest of the towns and villages through trade networks.

When merchants and nobles have sufficient wealth, the demand for luxury goods will increase. The desire for luxury goods stimulates the prosperity and prosperity of the workshop area. The demand for low-grade raw materials in the workshop area promotes the prosperity of the agricultural, animal husbandry and mining markets.

With the centralization and standardization of simple industries, a large number of cheap tools were produced. With the continuous development of overseas territories, new animals and plants were brought back to the country. Farmers had money and naturally sought more convenient tools, more productive crops and livestock, which in turn promoted the improvement and development of agricultural and animal husbandry technology.

In the two territories, miners are busy collecting, workers are busy producing, farmers are busy with autumn sowing, herdsmen are busy building sheds for their newly born livestock, and merchants across major cities connect them to form an organic and integrated whole.

This was the best of times. For the people of the Eastern Roman Empire, the powerful military protected them from exploitation and oppression by invaders. The newly conquered lands brought new wealth and new opportunities. The emperor's policy of light taxes and laissez-faire ruling attitude allowed them to have plenty of land, forests and fish ponds to fill their stomachs and feed their children. As long as they worked hard, the door to wealth and power would always be open.

This was the worst of times. For the "lower class of people" of the Eastern Roman Empire, the prosperity and strength of the empire was all built on their exploitation and oppression. Countless Berber Muslims struggled to survive in serfdom manors and dark mines, while an even larger number of West African black slaves were forced to wear heavy shackles and squander their lives on the plantations.

Perhaps, humans have always been like this.

Perhaps, this is how humans are.

In October 1465, following the establishment of the East India Company, another piece of news spread widely throughout the Mediterranean world, quickly sparking widespread discussion among nobles and common people.

Isaac III of the Eastern Roman Empire proposed marriage to Castile, asking for the Castilian princess Isabella for his eldest son Justinian.

This piece of news quickly caused an uproar among the Eastern Roman people. The people of the Eastern Roman Empire still loved politics as always. Citizens of major cities discussed this major event concerning the future of the empire on the streets and expressed their opinions in taverns and squares.

Most of the "New Romans" chose to bless them. In their view, the Trastamara royal family of Castile was worthy of their prince in terms of status, power and identity. The deepening of ties with Iberia would also help the continuation of ocean trade.

Some "old Romans" were very worried about this. What they were worried about was that the Latin blood of the Palaiologos royal family would be further deepened. Starting from Catherine, the Genoese wife of Constantine XI, the main branch of the Palaiologos had married three Latin princesses in succession. If the marriages of the previous emperors were taken into account, the future children of Justinian and Isabella would have less than one-eighth Greek blood.

Due to the successive foreign bloodlines, the four children of Isaac and Leonor had quite different appearances from the traditional Eastern Roman nobles.

The second prince, Alexios, had the most significant difference in appearance. The Capetian and Plantagenet bloodlines from his mother Leonor were fully reflected in him. His light eyes, thick blond hair, pale complexion and angular face made him highly recognizable in the crowd, and he looked out of place among the Greeks with black hair, dark eyes and darker skin.

As the Eastern Roman Empire continued to lose territory and was eventually confined to a corner of Greece, the Eastern Roman people began to become conservative in their attitude towards foreigners. They might be able to accept foreigners as soldiers and generals, but many people would still feel uncomfortable if an aristocrat with strong foreign features was allowed to serve as the supreme emperor.

Of course, they also knew very well that the emperor's will could not be changed. They could choose to express their opinions, but the emperor could also choose not to listen.

After all, only a minority of people hold this attitude. The reconstruction and revival of the Eastern Roman Empire by Michael VIII and Isaac III have allowed the Palaiologos family to wear a sacred crown. In the hearts of the people, their status is supreme. This holy light has been brewing for more than two hundred years and will not be dimmed by a slight difference in appearance.

Among the people of the empire, there were even some staunch supporters of the sanctification of Palaiologos. They began to vindicate several foolish monarchs and find suitable excuses for the mistakes they had made. Since it was really difficult to make up for them, they madly praised several capable monarchs. The two current emperors were not very fond of boasting and praise, so they heaped gorgeous words on Michael VIII and Manuel II, comparing them with Basil II and Alexios the Great.

Isaac, who was far away in Carthage, just laughed it off. He had too many and too complicated things on hand and he really didn't have the time to control the spiritual world of the people.

At his urging, a delegation traveled to Italy in October 1465 to visit the new Pope John Paul II.

In the central part of the Apennine Peninsula, where the empire began, the city of Rome.

In recent years, under the enlightened rule of previous popes, the sacred and majestic city of Rome has added a touch of gentle humanistic color. The advancement of printing technology has enabled the works of ancient Greek and Roman sages to be widely disseminated. Walking in the streets, many people are talking about Plato and Socrates, ancient philosophy and architectural art. Compared with Carthage, which is filled with a solemn atmosphere, Constantinople, which is full of commercial glitz, and the newly rebuilt Athens, this place is more like a real capital of literature and art.

The delegation was walking in the old alleys of Rome. Balsamon approached a small bookstall on the roadside, opened a tattered manuscript and took a look at it casually.

"Teacher Balsamon, I don't think there are any valuable books here. If you really want to look up information, I can take you to a university or private library."

A young man in a clerical robe came forward and glanced at the manuscript on the stall.

"Andronikas, I've been to those places a long time ago, and I've read all the books I could."

Balsamon returned the manuscript to his boss with a smile and picked up another volume.

"Don't underestimate these stalls. They are an important place for folk art masters to exchange ideas. Many of these old books are manuscripts, poems, writings, paintings, and architectural designs they left behind... If you can be patient, you may find something different."

"If you are short on time, go and complete your mission first. I am not a member of the delegation. I am just following you around and doing some research."

"It's okay. We still have plenty of time. Pope John Paul II already knows about our arrival. If he is free, he will definitely send someone to summon us."

Andronikas smiled.

"As for you... From what I know, His Majesty seems to be planning to increase the number of cabinet members. The position of Minister of Transportation has been given to Jerome from the Sfrangis family. If everything goes as expected, you should be the Minister of Education."

"Alas, I am not really willing to be in the officialdom. I am already very satisfied that Your Majesty has handed over the University of Constantinople and the Academy of Athens to me."

Balsamon said this as he flipped through the manuscript.

"Your Majesty was previously busy with wars and trade, and lacked much in the fields of culture and education. The reform of the University of Constantinople and the revival of the Academy of Athens have always been bumpy. Now that there is the East India Company, Your Majesty has finally allocated a sum of money to me."

"Speaking of education, you are also a relative of His Majesty. You have recently become a senior priest of the Bulgarian Metropolitan Archdiocese and are in charge of personnel selection at the Constanta Seminary."

Balsamon looked at Andronicus.

"Will your seminaries be under the jurisdiction of the Education Department in the future?"

"That...I'm afraid not, Mr. Balsamon."

Andronikas looked at the enlightenment teacher with some embarrassment.

"The Constanta Theological Seminary, including the Heraklion Theological Seminary that is being prepared, are directly under the jurisdiction of Your Majesty and serve God and the Emperor."

"After all, we train priests, not secular officials."

"Well, since this is what your majesty wants, I have nothing to question."

Balsamon nodded, and the others said nothing more.

The delegation waited quietly. After a long while, Balsamon finally picked out a few valuable manuscripts and threw a few silver coins to the vendor.

"Silver Isaac of the Eastern Empire! Are you from the East?"

The peddler took the silver coin and looked at the exquisite pattern on it. His previous irritability immediately disappeared and he smiled.

"Why, do you like this kind of silver coin?"

Balsamon asked with a smile in Italian.

"It's exquisite, has good texture, is substantial, and has a large source of precious metals to ensure the stability of the currency value. How can you not like it?"

The peddler blew away the non-existent dust on the silver coin and examined it carefully.

The front of the silver coin is engraved with Isaac's head, and the back is engraved with a double-headed eagle emblem. The workmanship is exquisite, and both the portrait and the emblem are very clear.

"Do you have a gold Constantine? I'll trade it for Florentine florins, okay?"

The vendor held the silver coins and looked at the people expectantly.

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. Our purses are all in our residence, and we only carry a small amount of money with us."

Balsamon shook his head.

"Forget it, I can't afford to exchange a few anyway."

The vendor nodded with some regret.

“Has Eastern Empire coins been common in Italy in recent years?”

Andronikas asked from the side.

"It's very common among businessmen. Those who flow into the lower class are still a minority, but the number is increasing."

The vendor fished out a few copper coins and handed them to Balsamon as change.

"The Venetian ducats have been heavily watered down lately. It seems they don't have enough precious metals available."

"Now, the beautifully crafted coins of the Eastern Empire are the most popular among merchants, such as the gold Constantine, the silver Isaac, and the bronze moon."

The vendor thought about it, trying to think of the original names of these currencies.

"That is what you call a gold solidus, a silver dinar, and a bronze drachma."

The vendor then went on to talk in great detail about the precious metal content, minting methods and artistic value of each coin.

"I can't believe you know a lot about these things."

Balsamon said with a smile.

"From the way you talk, I'm sure you're not an ordinary person. Can you read and write?"

"Yes, my Lord."

Speaking of this, the vendor sighed.

"I've been educated before. I was a student at the University of Siena."

"Oh? I also visited the University of Siena. What did you study?"

Balsamon became interested.

“I studied architecture and engineering.”

The vendor sighed again.

"When my father was alive, the family had some savings, enough for me to study. Later, my brother inherited his property, and he gambled away all the money in the family. So I ended up here, making a living by selling books."

"Your Excellency, you may not know that when I was studying, architecture was still a very good subject. The previous popes were committed to humanism and spent a lot of gold coins on engineering projects, especially Nicholas V, who built many humanistic buildings during his lifetime."

The vendor complained.

"But now Pope John Paul II doesn't seem to like humanism very much. Many buildings have been stopped, and we are out of work." "When I sell all these old books and save enough money for the trip, I will try my luck in Milan in the north."

Balsamon smiled and nodded, then handed the copper coin back to the vendor.

"Take it. It'll be my financial support to you."

"If you want, you might as well look for opportunities in the east and south. In recent years, there are more and more wealthy families in Constantinople, and luxury houses are being built one after another. If you go there, you may find many opportunities."

"Thank you, sir. If I have enough money for the journey, I will go."

The peddler was overjoyed and quickly took the copper coins, nodding his head repeatedly.

Leaving the bookstall, the delegation walked through the alleys and onto the main streets of Rome.

"Teacher Balsamon, in your opinion, does Pope John Paul II really hate humanism?"

Andronicus looked towards Balsamon.

“He’s certainly not as big a supporter of humanism as his predecessors, but he’s definitely not a hater either.”

Balsamon said.

"He did think that excessive pursuit of classical polytheistic culture would have an adverse impact on Christianity, so he suspended support for the arts."

"In fact, his worries are not without basis."

Balsamon thought about it.

"As far as I know, many humanities scholars really want to go back to the classical period, restore ancient religious rituals, and even rebuild the republic."

"Don't even mention Pope Paul II. If you ask them to go to Constantinople, do you think our Majesty will allow them to exist?"

Balsamon spread his hands.

"Besides, John Paul II is really broke. The previous popes' support for the arts has earned them a very good reputation, but it has also caused the church's finances to fall into a serious deficit. If the cultural cause is not put on hold, the Roman Catholic Church will sooner or later run into big problems."

"I sometimes wonder why the Western Church owns so much land and so many properties, and can collect all kinds of taxes without scruples, but it still often runs into deficits, and borrowing money from others has become a common occurrence."

Andronikas laughed.

"They still haven't paid back the money they owe Venice, and they probably don't want to pay it back."

"The Roman Church is no longer what it used to be. A large number of redundant officials and widespread corruption have drained the Vatican's financial resources. Many secular monarchs are no longer willing to accept the Vatican's exploitation and have begun to appoint bishops on their own, prohibiting the Roman Church from arbitrarily collecting tithes and various taxes."

Balsamon shook his head slightly.

"The most fierce resistance came from France. I believe you also know that some time ago, Pope Paul II published several articles to criticize the infidelity of the French Church, but it had no effect at all. Louis XI completely ignored it."

"All Western European countries are now moving towards centralization. In the future, there will be more and more countries like France. It is estimated that it will be difficult for the Holy See to maintain the supreme authority it had hundreds of years ago."

"Well, I know about this."

Andronika nodded.

"Among all the countries, only the Holy Roman Empire in the north is in disarray, and the Roman Church can still receive money there."

"However, it is estimated that it will be difficult to make up for the deficit just by collecting money. I am afraid that we will have to issue indulgences."

"Indulgence... hehe."

Balsamon smiled and shook his head.

"This little thing is a slide to the abyss. Whenever there is a deficit, indulgences are issued. The greater the deficit, the more indulgences are issued. The various priests enrich themselves in it. In the end, the Deli Group is deeply rooted and cannot be stopped even if they want to."

"The Holy Roman Empire was indeed a loose sand, but they could not continue to tolerate this kind of intensified exploitation. From the monarch to the common people, they certainly did not want to see their hard-earned wealth being cheated away by a small piece of paper."

Balsamon said, a flash of reminiscence in his eyes.

"When I was studying in Italy, the Hussite movement happened to break out. It was really vigorous at that time. The army of the Holy Roman Emperor was defeated repeatedly and lost cities and territories."

"I thought that after such a tragic incident, the Vatican would have learned a lesson, but I didn't expect that they didn't change at all and continued to do as they pleased."

"The use of force to suppress ideas cannot extinguish the flames of thought. Just wait and see. This phenomenon will become more and more common in the future."

"Even now, the Hussites and various heretics still have a wide living space in the north, and even have parishes in Poland."

Balsamon smiled at Andronicus and changed the subject.

"By the way, let's not talk about this. Why did His Majesty ask you to visit Pope John Paul II?"

Andronikos thought about it and decided to answer truthfully.

"There's nothing to keep secret. On the surface, our mission is to negotiate the marriage between Prince Justinian and Princess Isabella."

"Prince Justinian belongs to the Eastern Church, and Princess Isabella belongs to the Western Church. Although marriages between our two factions are relatively common, we still have to negotiate with the Pope."

"Besides, the prince and the princess are somewhat related by blood. Although not very close, we are afraid that Henry IV will use this as an excuse to make excuses. We must be prepared for any eventuality."

"Well, what's the deeper reason?"

Balsamon asked.

"Your Majesty is ready to convene an ecumenical council to reaffirm the consensus on church unity reached by the Council of Florence and to make revisions to the unreasonable parts of the Council of Florence."

Andronika whispered.

"It was actually Pope John Paul II who proposed this to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty thought it was feasible, so he agreed to it."

"This is a really big deal. If this gets reported back to the country, I'm afraid those diehards will be furious."

Balsamon said noncommittally.

"His Majesty Isaac and His Majesty Constantine both support this matter. They have no choice but to talk about it."

Andronika curled her lips.

"But why did Pope John Paul II make such a proposal? Our previous alliance was to deal with the Ottomans, but now the Ottomans are no longer a force to be reckoned with."

Balsamon was a little confused.

Before Andronicus could answer, there was a sudden commotion in the square in the distance. The crowd parted, and several soldiers grabbed two prisoners who were tied up and walked towards the stake in the center of the square.

At the same time, another team of guards found the delegation and walked up to them.

"Bishop Andronikos, welcome here. The Holy See is waiting for you in the Vatican."

Andronicus and Balsamon looked at each other and nodded slightly.

"I'll be there right away, but could you please help me with a question?"

Andronikas looked at the captain of the guard.

"You said, tell me everything you know."

"What happened up front?"

Andronikos pointed to the commotion in front of him.

"Judge heretics!"

The captain answered in a sonorous voice.

"What heresy?"

"Bohemian heresy."

The captain turned around and looked at the two Hussites who had been put on the fire.

"Your Excellency, you may not know that just now, the Holy See officially excommunicated the false King of Bohemia, Jiri Podebrad, and abolished his crown."

The captain held his head high, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

"We have declared war again on the Hussite devils!"

Andronicus smiled, looked at Balsamon, and switched to Greek.

"Teacher Balsamon, you just asked me why Pope John Paul II made such a proposal."

"I think you have seen the answer."

Balsamon pointed to the flames burning in the square.

The flames were blazing, the Hussites were struggling in the flames, and their screams echoed throughout the world.

Among the crowd, some clapped and cheered, while others looked terrified.

Others walked through the crowd without saying a word, disappearing into the shadow cast by the cathedral.

(End of this chapter)