1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 247 Sunday School
The two men walked out of the palace, rode on their horses, and walked onto the streets of Carthage under the cover of the personal guards.

"It seems that this street should be widened again."

Isaac couldn't help but say as he looked at the busy street.

"There are too many people and cars, it's time to widen it."

Basilius nodded, immediately took out a pen and paper from his saddle and wrote it down.

"With the improvement of the Western Post Station, transportation has become much more convenient, and more and more goods can flow into the city. The several carriage workshops in the workshop area are busy all day long, but they still can't keep up with the speed of the increase in orders."

"This is all thanks to you, Your Majesty."

"I'm surprised you can say something nice."

Isaac looked at Basilius with some surprise.

"This is not just my achievement, you also have a share."

"At least, Carthage was not so clean a few years ago. Many places were in chaos, and theft, robbery and murder happened from time to time."

"Now, the Carthage market has been completely transformed. Every store and every market has been registered. You know exactly when to collect taxes and how much to collect."

"You also did a great job in registering the people's identities, household registration, and setting up elders on duty on every street."

"In other cities where retired military personnel are appointed as governors, these things are not done so well, and many places even adopt a laissez-faire attitude."

"It seems that we need to improve the government institutions as soon as possible. It is not a solution to continue like this."

"Your Majesty, if you think this way, it means that my previous work has been valuable."

Basilius said with relief.

"However, if it weren't for your majesty's expedition outside, all of this would be like floating duckweed without roots and could be torn apart by foreign enemies at any time."

Isaac said nothing and just nodded slightly.

When the citizens on the street saw Isaac and his guards, they waved and greeted him, their faces rosy and healthy, their eyes full of respect and reverence.

"This kind of scene is really inspiring. My efforts over the years have finally paid off."

Isaac sighed.

"I hope that one day every Roman will have a chicken in his pot and every middle-class citizen will have a carriage in his home."

"Haha, as long as Your Majesty is still here, the revival of the empire will never stop."

Basilius laughed.

Isaac glanced at him and said nothing more.

"How's the Carthage Orphanage doing lately?"

Isaac asked.

"That's pretty good. We now have 900 orphans."

Basilius replied.

"The current orphanage is still too small and will probably need to be expanded."

"Still young? I gave them my largest estate in Carthage."

Isaac frowned and sighed.

"Forget it, give them another one. It was originally reserved for my daughter, but now it's used as an orphanage. This is a good thing, and God will bless my Thessaloniki."

"Most definitely."

Basilius was very happy to see that he had cheated another royal property.

"Also, don't always target me. There are so many nobles and wealthy businessmen out there. Go ask them for some too."

Isaac said.

"If they don't want to listen to you and don't want to contribute to the empire, then let the priests convince them. If you do good deeds in the name of faith, some people will be willing to do so."

"Yes, I understand."

Basilius nodded.

After crossing another busy street, the group arrived at the suburbs. In front of them was a large construction site. Workers were carefully carving on marble, and engineers were discussing drawings around the table.

"This is the new district I planned, which is mainly focused on cultural and sports undertakings, and is mainly to enrich people's daily lives and increase their centripetal force towards the city and the country."

Basilius pointed at the construction site.

“Architecture represents civilization. When foreigners in the wild see our prosperous culture, they will involuntarily develop a sense of inferiority and respect, and may even voluntarily join our big family.”

"The land where you are standing now once stood the ruins of the ancient republic. I used these ruins as a foundation, repairing what could be repaired and tearing down and rebuilding what could not be repaired."

"The projects included an arena, a colosseum, a library, a hippodrome and a theatre. A large bathing complex was also planned, but water resources were limited and the project was abandoned."

"How much is completed now?"

Isaac asked.

“The racecourse and arena are finished, but everything else is still under construction.”

Basilius pointed awkwardly to the hippodrome and arena which had been basically completed.

"The racecourse was built by Grand Duke Notaras, who was a horse lover. He is old now and can no longer ride a horse, but he still likes to watch people ride horses."

Basilius pointed to the racecourse in the distance.

"His condition is that he hopes we can hold horse racing regularly and allow normal gambling activities."

"Yes, horse racing is also a big industry that can enrich people's daily lives. Horse racing can be held at the hippodrome in Constantinople and Carthage, but taxes must be raised, and most people must not be allowed to invest their hard-earned money in gambling."

Isaac nodded.

"More and more people love horses and like to ride horses, which can also subtly improve people's bravery, which is a good thing."

"The arena is divided into two parts, the Knight Arena and the Slave Arena. The former is smaller in scale, while the latter is very large and can accommodate three thousand spectators."

Basilius continued his introduction.

Isaac looked at the Colosseum. It was still an antique building, basically modeled after the Colosseum in Rome, except that it did not have such exquisite reliefs.

"That's all the money I have. The Colosseum in Rome can accommodate tens of thousands of people."

Basilius said regretfully.

"That's enough. If it's bigger, it will be a waste of money and manpower."

Isaac shrugged noncommittally.

“Who paid for the construction of the arena?”

"The Knights' Arena was funded by your son Alexios. He had no conditions and specifically told us to prohibit gambling. He only asked that we hold a Knights' Arena once a month and he would provide prizes to the best of his ability."

Basilius said.

"The arena was built with money from several slave traders in North Africa. They wanted to let slaves duel regularly, just like in ancient times, and demanded half of the ticket revenue and gambling taxes."

"Yes, but it cannot be too brutal and bloody. The defeated can surrender, but random killing is not allowed, so as not to damage the city's image."

Isaac said.

"The victors are freed from slavery, the vanquished remain slaves, that's all."

"Well, I will negotiate with them."

Basilius wrote this down.

"The Colosseum is almost finished. I suggest you ask the colonies to offer exotic animals, preferably lions, tigers, brown bears, and other fierce animals that symbolize bravery."

"Although a Ross businessman has already given us a bear he kept at home, his bear is too lazy to be used."

"Yes, I will tell the Colonial Secretary."

"Also, beast fighting is entirely voluntary. Some people do like to challenge themselves, but most people are definitely afraid. You can't force them. You have to supervise them."

Isaac turned around and looked at the other buildings. Some of them were still in ruins or had no foundations yet.

"The several buildings that have been built have all been financed by others. What about the three thousand solidus I gave you? Did you take advantage of them?"

"How dare you, Your Majesty."

"Every penny of money is recorded in detail. The judge of Carthage doesn't like me and has always kept a close eye on me. If you don't believe me, go ask him."

Basilius quickly waved his hand in denial.

"The first few buildings were all profitable, especially gambling, which was loved not only by merchants and nobles but also by ordinary people."

"I built a mailbox in Carthage before, and any citizen could send in their opinions. As a result, many people pointed out that the city lacked entertainment projects, so I put these buildings in the first place."

"What I really want to build is actually a library and a theater, but on the one hand it takes a long time, and on the other hand no one is willing to invest, which leads to slow progress of the project."

"The three thousand solidus you gave me were spent wisely, but they were still quickly spent. Materials, labor, and shipping costs all cost a lot of money."

"Although you have many slaves serving as free labor, you still have to pay to hire engineers and senior craftsmen. You can't save money on this."

"There are also residential buildings in the cultural and sports district, supporting commercial streets, water channels and other infrastructure, all of which cost money."

Seeing that Isaac's face was getting uglier and uglier, Basilius wisely shut his mouth.

After thinking for a while, he spoke again.

"Your Majesty, in my plan, the cultural and sports district will be a new district in Carthage. If it can be completed, it can accommodate a large population. The city of Carthage can be expanded by at least one third, and tax revenue and people's happiness will also be greatly improved."

"If you are willing to give me another 3,000 solidus to complete the construction of the new district, I can guarantee that I can recover the cost within five years, and maybe even have some left over."

"Besides, cultural undertakings have a subtle influence on a country. As long as your city is developed enough, immigrants will naturally flow in continuously, and assimilation will be much easier."

Isaac was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"I am planning to expand my army recently. I don't have 3,000 Solidus, so I can give you 1,000 at most."

"Now Constantinople, Carthage and Thessalonica are all carrying out large-scale construction. Constantinople's new industrial zone, financial district and Thessalonica's university all need money. A little here and a little there. Do you think I am the goose that lays golden eggs?"

"Besides, your methods of attracting investment are clearly inadequate. First, invite a few circuses, or singers and poets to Carthage for open-air performances to mobilize the enthusiasm of the people and call on them to donate money to build their own city."

"Furthermore, let's rename the opera house and library to the Sacred Opera House and St. Andrew's Library, and find a few priests with high reputation among the people to bless the buildings, so that devout merchants and nobles can contribute money and manpower."

"I don't have a lot of money to give you in the short term. When the second wave of East India merchant ships come back, maybe I can give you more."

"Okay then, I'll think of something else."

Basilius sighed, wrote down Isaac's suggestion on a piece of paper, and suddenly thought of something.

"By the way, when I was teaching the princess last time, I happened to hear her say that you have a reserve fund that is independent of various expenses. It seems that you have kept it for many years. Look--"

"Don't even think about it!"

Isaac suddenly got angry and interrupted Basilius.

"This is what I left for my children to marry. Justinian has 1,500 solidus, Alexios has 800, and the two younger ones have only 500 for now. These are all saved from my own expenses over the past 20 years."

"Justinian is getting married soon. You dare to take money from him? Aren't you afraid of being hated?"

"It's all for Rome and the people, so why should I be afraid of resentment?"

Basilius shook his head.

"Besides, the Queen should be quite wealthy. Even if you give me your reserved money temporarily, the prince's wedding will not be downgraded due to lack of money, right?"

"Then go ask them. If Justinian and Alexios are willing to give it, you can come to me to withdraw it."

Isaac shook his head helplessly.

"Okay, I'll write to them later."

After looking at the construction site in full swing, Isaac turned his head, looked at the rising sun, took out a letter from his pocket and flipped through it.

"You can go now. You have seen everything you need to see. The racecourse and the arena can start hosting competitions. I will come to watch the first day of competition." "I have other things to do. I will leave first."

Isaac and Basilius went to the chapel in the Carthage workshop area under the protection of the guards.

Carthage's workshop area is located at the foot of a mountain in the southwest of the city. Springs on the mountain flow into the Majerda River, supporting the development of simple industries.

Unlike Constantinople, the workshop area of ​​Carthage was similar in scale but more diverse, divided into only three areas: metallurgy, textile and agricultural product processing.

Due to the rich iron ore resources in the Atlas Mountains, Carthage's metallurgical area was very large. The annual output of various metals was equal to the sum of the Constantinople workshop area and the Thessalonica workshop area. The output of weapons, armor, muskets and artillery was also considerable.

The textile district is of average size, and mainly includes the Carthage cotton mill, linen mill and wool mill invested and built by Isaac. Other merchants also own several large textile mills, carriage workshops and furniture factories, which are mainly responsible for supplying the middle and low-end markets. Although the output is good, the profit still cannot catch up with the textile districts in Constantinople, Thessalonica and Mystras.

Even after the emergence of cotton textiles, silk remained the most valuable fabric. It is not just a piece of clothing, but also a work of art with aesthetic value.

The agricultural product processing area is unremarkable, not much different from Constantinople, except that there are a lot more date processing factories invested and built by Berbers.

The workshop area of ​​Carthage still copied the old model of Constantinople, concentrating the existing simple industries in the city together, and handing over the supply of raw materials and commodity sales to commercial trade unions and government departments. Workshop owners and workers only need to work hard. The more they work, the more they earn.

In this era, there is no need to worry about overproduction. Even if the domestic market is saturated, Isaac still has Egypt and Congo to provide flood relief.

Isaac dismounted and walked into the chapel.

The mass in the church had just ended. The workers' families walked out of the church in twos and threes. When they saw Isaac and his guards, they bowed and spontaneously made way for them.

Isaac smiled and nodded at them, then walked into the hall amid everyone's respectful and admiring eyes and found the parish priest.

The priest was very young, a Berber whose ancestral home was in Birinchi. He was one of the first native North African priests to grow up under the rule of Isaac. He was also a worker by birth and was loved and respected by the workers and their families.

"Father Edlas, I'm here. Is Mr. Becas, the one you mentioned, here today?"

Isaac asked.

"I am, Your Majesty, every day."

The middle-aged man next to Father Edlas bowed deeply to Isaac, his eyes full of excitement, and his red rosacea looked even redder.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Becas, please follow me."

Isaac and Beckas followed Edlas into his study.

A pot of Rooibos tea was brewing in the study, and Edlas took out three glasses and filled them with amber tea.

"Becas, I heard you wanted to see me, what's the matter?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I was planning to visit you at the palace in a few days, but I didn't expect you to come in person."

Beckas spoke quickly, his right hand holding the glass trembling slightly.

"You may not know this, but my father fought against you and died in the Battle of Corinth twenty years ago."

"His soul will surely go to heaven."

Isaac nodded slightly.

"I think so. After my father died, my mother and I moved to various cities with your pension. Later, when Carthage was conquered, I came here and bought a blacksmith shop from a Hafs man who was busy escaping. I kept both the master and the apprentice."

Beckas made the sign of the cross on his chest and continued.

"Later, my blacksmith shop was lucky enough to get an order from the army and made a lot of money. I used the money to buy other blacksmith shops. Finally, I responded to your call and integrated these blacksmith shops into a complete iron smelting workshop."

"Well, that's good. Is there any problem?"

Isaac asked casually as he took a sip of his rooibos.

"That's right. I've discovered that although your workshop area seems to be thriving, it still has great hidden dangers."

Becas rubbed his hands, a little hesitant.

"Just speak directly. If there is a problem, it must be corrected. It is a great achievement to be able to find the problem."

Isaac said.

"Your Majesty, the current metallurgical area uses charcoal as the main fuel. As the iron smelting workshop expands, several nearby forests have been cut down, and many hills have become bare."

As Bekas spoke, he pointed to the hill outside the window. There were not many tall trees on the hill, and sparse weeds and shrubs grew on the yellow land.

"It's not just Carthage. I've been to Constantinople and the situation there is similar. If our iron smelting industry continues to develop, sooner or later all the nearby trees will be cut down."

"As a result, we have to go to more distant mountains and forests to cut wood for firewood, which greatly increases the cost."

"Not only that, after the trees near the city are cut down, it is easy to have floods during the rainy season, which is very detrimental to the development of the city."

Isaac nodded slightly. It was true that some officials had reported this problem to him, but there was no permanent solution for the time being.

Industrial development requires fuel, and people's lives require fuel. Although most buildings in North Africa are made of earth and stone, wood is still indispensable.

"Your Majesty, at this time two years ago, I met a group of English merchants. From them, I learned that many places in England have begun to use a black mineral called coal as a fuel for life. At that time, I wondered if coal could be used to replace charcoal for mineral smelting?"

"Did you make it?"

Isaac asked.

"Only partially successful, Your Majesty."

Beckas smiled awkwardly.

"Iron smelted with coal is too brittle and often needs to be smelted again with charcoal, which does not reduce costs."

"But I think this development direction is correct. This time I came to see Your Majesty in the hope of obtaining some research funds so that we can find a way out of coal-to-iron smelting."

Hearing this, Isaac shook his head helplessly.

There are too many people asking him for money recently. The profits brought by the East India Company are indeed considerable, but they are not endless!

"Becas, I discovered the problem you mentioned a long time ago. Your research direction is very correct, but it will be difficult for you to make a breakthrough in a short period of time."

"As you know, our second East India Fleet has already set sail. I have already told them to focus on searching for books on science and culture after arriving in India, and to recruit advanced talents."

In fact, the coal ore that has just been mined cannot be used directly for smelting. It must undergo a process to transform the coal into coke.

For the Mediterranean world at the end of the 15th century, coke ironmaking was a very high-end and advanced technology, and it could even be said to be an unattainable dream.

However, in the far east, people began to use coke for mineral smelting and heating many years ago.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the hardworking and wise Oriental people began to explore more advanced iron-smelting technology, and the prototype of coke appeared. Later, the coke iron-smelting method was greatly developed during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. By the Ming Dynasty, it had matured and began to spread to the surrounding areas.

Moreover, the early blast furnace ironmaking method that is now widely used in the Mediterranean world was also introduced from the East, and it is only two centuries old today.

"Civilization develops through communication. India is also an ancient civilization that has also produced a brilliant civilization. Their iron and steel making technologies are better than ours and are worth learning from."

Isaac said.

India's iron smelting industry also has a long history, and Wootz steel is their creation.

"The second East India Fleet will focus on collecting advanced technologies from the East, including Wootz steel, wooden human-powered textile machines, coal coking technology, and coke ironmaking technology."

"Wait a little longer. When the second East India Fleet returns, I may be able to give you a satisfactory answer."

Isaac promised.

He was well aware that even today's most advanced coke ironmaking technology could not reach modern levels and could not completely replace charcoal, but it was ultimately a technological advancement and worthy of promotion and encouragement.

If we preserve a seed of science, it will likely grow into a towering tree in the future under the stimulation of war and the watering of wealth.

"Your Majesty, you mean, learn from the Indians?"

Beckas asked carefully.

“Do they have such good technology?”

“Not just Indians, but Arabs and Persians and even Malaccas.”

"Don't underestimate them, Becas."

Isaac took a sip of tea and looked at Beckas.

"They are ahead of us in many aspects. As long as it is good, there is nothing we cannot learn. We must maintain an open and inclusive attitude, so that we can make progress."

In fact, at the end of the 15th century, Europe had not yet completed the Renaissance, and the great voyages of discovery had just begun, and its science and technology were not more advanced than that of Arabia, Persia, India, and China in the East.

The shipbuilding industry was indeed far ahead, the musket was slightly ahead, astronomy and mathematics had developed to some extent, the papermaking and printing industries were basically on par, but in other areas it was really lagging behind in all aspects.

Especially in terms of technologies related to people's livelihood, such as medicine and urban planning, they are still far behind those in the East.

Isaac actively recruited Arab doctors and translated the famous Arabic "Canon of Medicine" into Greek and Latin in order to quickly promote the medical progress of the empire, enter the era of anatomy based on scientific research as soon as possible, and get rid of stupidity and ignorance.

As for literature and art, there is no concept of whether these things are advanced or not. A good West African indigenous handicraft can still be loved by European aristocrats.

"Okay, Your Majesty."

Beckas didn't get the money and nodded regretfully.

"Nevertheless, the promise I made in the letter still stands, the school has been established and the first batch of students has been enrolled."

"Your Majesty, Mr. Beckas is a famous philanthropist. He funded the construction of the workers' school in response to your call. This is the first Sunday school in the empire."

Father Edlas filled Isaac's tea and added with a smile.

Sunday school, as the name suggests, is a church school that conducts teaching activities on Sundays, providing an opportunity for the lower classes to learn religious and language knowledge.

This was of course also the work of Isaac, and its purpose was to improve the quality of the people and assimilate people of other ethnic groups.

Sunday schools were funded by businessmen, nobles and churches. They were charitable schools that provided free education and were mostly taught by knowledgeable priests.

Isaac currently does not have the ability to implement compulsory education for all citizens and can only make up for it through this method.

"That's great. Are you going to be the teacher of this Sunday school?"

Isaac looked at Father Edlas.

"Yes, the students are all children of workers. I am also from a working class family. In addition to theological and literary education, I can also teach them some simple technical knowledge."

Father Edlas nodded.

"Thank you for your hard work. You can buy the books, paper, and pens and ink necessary for teaching from the Commercial Guild. I will ask them to give you the best price."

Isaac said.

"Sunday schools are of great significance to the empire. I will ask other parishes to learn from you and call on merchants and nobles to donate money."

Isaac thought about it and looked at the priest again.

"Since this is the first Sunday school, we might as well expand its scale. I remember there is a small manor nearby that belonged to the Hafs family twenty years ago. I gave it to my second son Alexios last year. You can write him a letter and request that the manor be converted into a Sunday school. I think he will not refuse."

"There are also the empire's merchant class and commercial aristocracy. They have made a lot of money following me over the past twenty years. It's time to give back to society."

"Orthodoxy does not have indulgences, so we might as well sanctify these charities. The more money we donate, the greater the chance of going to heaven in the future, and the sins we committed in the past can also be forgiven."

You believe in God? Then it should be okay to donate some money to God's holy cause, right?

Don’t want to donate? That means your faith is not strong enough, and we will never bring you along if there is any good business opportunity in the future.

"Okay, that's all. I have to go back and prepare."

Isaac drank his rooibos tea in one gulp and walked out of the chapel.

In the spring of 1466, the Eastern Roman Empire began to rectify its internal affairs and launched large-scale construction projects in major cities. A large amount of funds flowed from the upper class to the private sector, providing convenience for ordinary people.

On March 3, Isaac signed a decree in the royal palace of Carthage, calling on each parish to establish Sunday schools and calling on upper-class believers to donate money and manpower.

The second prince Alexius, who was far away in the reclamation area of ​​Bulgaria, was the first to respond to the call and donated all four estates given by his father and grandfather to the Sunday schools in Carthage, Constantinople and Bilinchi, on the condition that the children of serfs were allowed to participate in education and identity discrimination was prohibited.

After this, other members of the royal family also donated money and provided venues. The eldest prince Justinian donated his largest estate in Carthage to the church in the name of his fiancée Isabella, and renamed it Isabella College. Subsequent educational funds will be provided by Isabella.

The royal family set an example, and other great nobles also had to do the same. All of a sudden, all kinds of Sunday schools emerged. Although some small nobles could not afford the education expenses, they allowed students to use their unused houses for teaching activities.

In recent years, agricultural technology has been improved. The prosperity of the iron smelting industry has led to a large influx of iron farm tools into the private sector. The development of the animal husbandry industry has allowed farmers to have more and more livestock. The wealth of farmers and citizens has greatly increased. Young children no longer need to stay at home all day to help their parents, and slightly more open-minded parents are also willing to send their children to Sunday school.

In order to increase the enthusiasm of the nobles, Isaac also built monuments in Carthage and Constantinople, engraved the names of nobles and wealthy businessmen who contributed to charity on the monuments, and received the admiration of the people and the blessings of the priests.

Time flies. In the hot atmosphere brought by the large-scale construction, spring is coming to an end and midsummer is coming.

(End of this chapter)