1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 387 Aegean Miracle

The weather in late autumn was a little chilly, but the atmosphere in Constantinople was very hot. Citizens wandered the streets, talking about state affairs, wars, gossip, and the recently held Olympic Games.

On October 1477, 10, delegations from various provinces, governorates, colonies and dependent states gathered outside the cathedral at the foot of Mount Olympus. The Eastern Roman Emperor Isaac III announced the official start of the first Olympic Games in the Eastern Roman Empire, with "honor, loyalty, and faith" as the main creed and "faster, higher, stronger" as the main slogan, calling on athletes to fight for themselves, win glory for their hometown, and fight for their motherland.

As the Olympic Games were launched in too short a time, the supporting sports facilities of the Olympic Stadium were not completed. Taking into account the transportation cost issue, in order to allow more people to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Games, the organizers decided to separate the venues. Except for the opening ceremony held at the foot of Mount Olympus, the remaining sports events were held in major cities on the Aegean Sea.

So, during these two months, major cities on both sides of the Aegean Sea fell into a carnival, with football and knightly competitions in Constantinople, horse racing and equestrian competitions in Larissa, javelin and discus in Thessalonica, swimming competitions in Nicaea, wrestling and boxing in Smyrna, marathon in Athens, chariot driving in Mystras... In addition to the traditional events inherited from the ancient Greek Olympics, the 1477 Olympics also added football and swimming. The former was designated as the national sport of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the latter was added at the strong request of the sailor group.

Since the Olympic Games of the Eastern Roman Empire were developed towards commercial goals from the very beginning, this sports feast also greatly promoted the development of industry and commerce in major cities in the Aegean Sea. The citizens who had lived in a prosperous era for 20 years had wealthy families. Some wealthy families took this opportunity to organize group tours and watch one game after another in one city after another. At the call of the emperor, major cities held commodity fairs and music and art festivals. A large number of people moved, promoting the orderly circulation of social wealth.

In order to further stimulate the enthusiasm of city citizens to watch the Olympics, Isaac also advocated that cities hosting major events issue commemorative coins and provide commemorative albums to satisfy citizens' desire to collect. Some wealthy aristocrats always like to show off their wooden boxes full of commemorative coins. Even poorer citizens can cheer for athletes in their own city's stadiums.

Although the preparation time was very short and the athletes were completely selected at short notice, with the discus thrower of the Congolese delegation even being the ambassador himself, the citizens were still very happy to watch these unremarkable competitions. They knew that the athletes' level was not good, but as long as there was something exciting to watch and snacks to buy, they were very happy.

As of November 1477, 11, the Olympic Games were more than halfway through and fifteen gold medals had been awarded. The Central Province won five of them with its denser population and better citizen quality, leading the gold medal list. The Provinces of Africa and Macedonia each won three medals. The sprint team from the Kingdom of Congo actually defeated a number of opponents and won a gold medal for their king. The team from the Province of Cyrenaica won the gold medal in the marathon with the help of an East African black foreign aid.

With half of the medals still to be won, the atmosphere of the Olympics was even more heated, the commercial trade volume of the Aegean cities was rising steadily, and some citizens from other places would often visit the major holy sites on the way, which made the prime minister and patriarch, who were still skeptical, feel a little relieved.

In addition to the investment of capitalists and aristocrats, the expenses of the Olympic Games were shared equally by the royal family, the government and the church, and no taxes were levied on the common people. The empire wanted to take this opportunity to strengthen national cohesion, boost citizens' enthusiasm for consumption, and promote Eastern Roman culture. If it really asked the common people for money, their enthusiasm for participation would not be so high.

In addition to the exquisitely crafted gold, silver and bronze medals, the Eastern Roman royal family also adhered to its consistent ideas of commercialization and cultural expansion, and prepared various gifts with Eastern Roman characteristics for all athletes, such as silk clothing, wool shirts, cotton coats and hats, amber pendants, gem necklaces... These products all have distinctive Eastern Roman cultural characteristics and have received unanimous praise from the participating athletes. Athletes from colonies and dependent countries will take these prizes back to their hometowns, directly promoting cultural colonization and indirectly expanding the commodity market.

The holding of the Olympic Games has undoubtedly given a shot in the arm to the infrastructure of major cities in the Aegean Sea. Ports need to be expanded, roads need to be repaired, hotels need to be upgraded... cement plants, quarries, construction companies... a series of industries are booming.

Constantinople has the best living conditions and the most excellent infrastructure, and naturally attracts the largest number of migrant population. They admire the grandeur of the Theodosian Walls, the antiquity and ferocity of the Sword Tomb Monument, the solemnity of the Cemetery of Seafaring Heroes, the elegance and beauty of Hagia Sophia, the dazzling array of precious collections in the Roman Empire Museum, and celebrate the festival with local residents. During the Olympic Games, the Eastern Roman Empire still followed the example of the ancient Greek city-states and proposed a "sacred truce", requiring the people to put aside all conflicts, refrain from making trouble, and those who violated the order would be severely punished.

After some of the first troublemakers were exiled to New Thrace and Elysium, the citizens finally realized that the law of the "sacred truce" could not be violated. The people of Constantinople and Carthage shook hands and made peace, the Athenians and Mystras wished each other well, and the New Thracian mixed-races and the Elysium natives called each other brothers.

Constantinople was extremely lively during the carnival, but there were always people who were unwilling to follow the trend for various reasons.

In Constantinople, on the Golden Avenue leading from the workshop area to the main city area, the golden trees on both sides of the road have changed into autumn clothes. The holy white flowers are gradually falling, and golden leaves are hanging on the branches. The whole avenue seems to be filled with the faint fragrance of the golden trees.

Unlike other roads in Constantinople, the wide Golden Avenue was divided into six lanes. The two outermost stone lanes were for pedestrians and riders, the two innermost lanes were asphalt roads for four-wheeled carriages, and the two innermost lanes were paved with hardwood tracks covered with iron sheets.

This was the first transportation track in the Eastern Roman Empire that used horse-drawn carts. Unlike later railroads, this track had no sleepers due to its lighter weight and to avoid damage to horse hooves. The two tracks were buried directly under the stone pavement, basically flush with the horizon, thus ensuring that the draft horses could run at the highest speed.

In fact, at the end of the 15th century, some mining areas in Germany had begun using wooden tracks to transport ore. The rail transit of the Eastern Roman Empire was not the first of its kind, but it simply applied tracks to urban transportation to speed up the flow of people and the exchange of goods.

The Eastern Roman rail train was pulled by ten strong horses and carried five modified carriages. The first carriage belonged to the coachman, the first two belonged to the passengers, and the last two were loaded with cargo. Due to the lower friction, the horse-drawn train could not only carry more weight, but also run at a higher speed than ordinary carriages. After it was put into use, the speed of passenger and cargo exchange between the workshop area and the main urban area was greatly improved.

After the initial concept was successful, the rail transit model was gradually promoted along the Aegean coast. The Constantinople municipal government prepared to connect the main urban area with the Cities of David through rail transit. Thessalonica also began to design tracks from the port area to the market area. Major mines followed the German model to transform their transportation systems and improve transportation efficiency.

On the rail carriage leading to the main urban area, a slightly immature young man sat by the window, admiring the beautiful scenery of the Golden Avenue along the way, but his mind was flying skyward.

He was wearing the student uniform of a sailing school. The tight lining and upright windbreaker set off his sturdy body that was still growing and developing perfectly. His dark eyes always revealed an irrepressible loneliness and sadness. Combined with his handsome features, he would always attract the attention of the opposite sex wherever he went.

Taking out the pocket watch given by his godfather to check the time, the young man was still worried, showing a maturity and stability that was inconsistent with his peers.

His name was Andrea Doria, and he came from a noble family of Genoa. After the Republic of Genoa was basically destroyed, the Doria family suffered a serious blow due to their firm insistence on sovereignty and independence. His uncle died of illness, and his brothers and sisters were scattered. The mayor of the Free City of La Spezia, Dimarco Gattiluccio, sheltered some young Doria people and introduced them to the Eastern Roman Empire to receive the education they wanted.

Many young people have been fully integrated into the wealthy and peaceful life in the Eastern Roman Empire. All they want is a better job. But Andrea is different. He is grateful for Dimarco's protection and the emperor's acceptance. He is also willing to be loyal to the Eastern Roman Empire in which he grew up. However, he has never forgotten the fragmentation of Genoa and the desperate scene in Corsica. He has not forgotten the division of Genoa by the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Milan, and hopes to get revenge in his own way.

Perhaps because he had great ambitions, or perhaps because he had the best talent, Dimarco liked him the most and adopted him as his godson, treating him as his own son.

With Dimarco's training, Andrea was able to at least get resources that were not much worse than those of the children of the Eastern Roman families. He gradually gained a foothold in the navigation school, won respect and honor through his own efforts, and also made some people see his potential.

It was still early, and Andrea took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one with the tinderbox, and puffed out the smoke silently.

"Andrea! You are not even twelve years old, how can you smoke!"

A familiar and pleasant voice sounded beside him, and the young and beautiful girl looked slightly angry and stared at Andrea with her beautiful eyes.

"Elsa, in the sailing school, no matter how old you are, only if you learn to smoke and drink, can you become a real sailor and be truly recognized and accepted."

"I'm still a few years away from adulthood, so it doesn't matter."

Andrea said lightly, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

Since the average life expectancy at the end of the 15th century was only about 21 years old and the development period was relatively short, the age of adulthood would of course be earlier than in the st century. The regulations on the age of adulthood were different in each place. The Eastern Roman Empire adopted the most widely used regulation, which was years old for women and years old for men.

"Why, do you want one?"

Seeing Andrea's indifferent look, Elsa's face turned red with anger and she turned her head away in a huff.

The girl named Elsa is the same age as Andrea, but compared with Andrea, the impoverished noblewoman whose country was destroyed and family was ruined, her status is much more prominent. Her father is the military commander of the Doge's District of Venice and the royal retainer Yergubai, her mother is the youngest daughter of Theophilus Palaeologus, the former mayor of Constantinople, and her brother is Zosparfaith, who recently became the commander of the Foreign Legion. She can be called a lady from a famous family.

As Andrea's performance in the navigation school is too good and he will become the captain of at least a squadron in the future, Zosbaffy is willing to invest in this promising young man. Under Dimarco's introduction, Andrea met Elsa. The former quickly attracted the latter with his handsome appearance, elegant conversation and melancholy temperament and became the prospective son-in-law of her fiancé, Count Yergubai.

Andrea was certainly eager for such a marriage. After all, Dimarco seldom traveled around the empire. He had to climb higher trees and step onto a broader platform to gain a place in the power field of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The daughter of a royal retainer, with the blood of the Palaiologos collateral line, and a beauty herself, Andrea would not give up on such a good thing.

This time, the Navigation School organized teachers and students to watch the Olympic Games, but Andrea had no interest in these entertainment activities which he thought were "civilian". He found Elsa and asked her to take him on a tour in Constantinople.

Elsa had a great liking for this talented and elegant peer. She herself was not very interested in the Olympics, so she immediately agreed to his request, took him on a yacht in the Golden Horn, took him to visit the Roman Empire Museum, took him to listen to a concert of the Athens International Orchestra, accompanied him to listen to lectures on science and culture, and accompanied him to lay flowers at the Cemetery of Seafaring Heroes.

Elsa came from a noble family, so she naturally looked down on ordinary people. Seeing that Andrea was also interested in these more "elegant" things, she had a higher opinion of him in her heart.

When Andrea stood solemnly beside the cemetery of seafaring heroes and said that his heart would be buried here one day, Elsa finally determined that the young man in front of her had great ambitions and was exactly the husband of her dreams.

Seeing that Elsa was angry, Andrea was not worried, but looked at the sky outside the window, watching the thick black smoke rising.

"It's getting cold, and Constantinople has once again become a foggy city."

Andrea muttered.

"In my hometown, Genoa, there is never any ice even in winter, and the sky is always blue."

"The mist over Constantinople is the smoke of Palaiologos, whose veins flow with the purest gold."

Elsa, who was sitting next to him, suddenly said this and looked at the cigarette between Andrea's fingers with a strange look.

"Nice sentence. Who said that, the Emperor?"

Andrea smiled.

"No, the emperor wouldn't be so boring."

Elsa shook her head vigorously.

"Prince Anastasius said this when he was bragging to his companions. He believed that he would become a person who could influence history just because he was the son of Emperor Isaac."

"Oh? He smokes like a sailor?"

Andreas became interested.

"I remember the emperor asked the church to call on minors not to smoke."

"Yes, so he was severely beaten by the emperor and is now locked up in the Grand Palace and not allowed to leave."

Elsa shook her head helplessly.

"It is said that the emperor is going to send him to the Navigation School. Maybe he will become your classmate in the future."

"That's not bad."

Andrea raised an eyebrow.

"When the time comes, you must introduce me to him."

"It depends on the situation. Although our family cannot compete with those traditional families and emerging capitalists, we are also close to the royal family. Anastasius and I have met several times."

Elsa held out her hand, and Andrea obediently put out the cigarette and handed it to Elsa.

"He's an optimist, and he longs for the ocean and adventure. If you stay with him, maybe you can change your bad habit of always frowning."

"He probably won't be able to inherit the throne."

Andrea said.

"The emperor was too busy and didn't pay much attention to him."

"Needless to say, the succession law has been determined. The next emperor is Justinian, the next is Constantine, and then Constantine's eldest son."

Elsa shrugged.

"Emperor Isaac has long been paving the way for the Crown Prince. Over the years, when the two emperors were away, the Crown Prince was always the regent."

"As for the co-emperor Justinian, my father said that he did not need my father to pave the way for him, as he was good enough on his own."

"My father also said that it was fortunate that Prince Alexios, who was originally the most likely candidate for the throne, gave up the power of the Eastern Empire and went to Georgia to become the king. Otherwise, he would have been deceived by Justinian in the power struggle and nothing would have been left."

"Not even the famous Alexios could do it, let alone Basil and Anastasius who had no foundation at all."

Andrea nodded silently and gained a deeper understanding of the royal situation of the Eastern Roman Empire.

"It is said that Prince Basil is very close to the civil servants and is liked by the liberals and the literary and artistic factions."

"So what? This country is not ruled by civilians."

Elsa shook her head dismissively.

"My father said that now is different from hundreds of years ago. The civil government is only equivalent to the emperor's steward."

"It's not that serious. They have many ideas that conflict with the emperor, and the emperor doesn't ask them to obey his orders completely."

Andrea said without comment.

"Forget it, it has nothing to do with us anyway."

The horse-drawn train entered the city, and the streets became crowded with vehicles and pedestrians.

“Compared to two months ago, there are fewer people.”

Andrea commented.

"I guess they all went to watch the football game. What a bunch of vulgar people."

"Andrea, are you really not interested in this lively scene at all?"

Aisha asked.

"This is the final of the football match, with the Central Province playing against the African Province. The representative teams are Constantine United and Royal Carthage. The newspapers are promoting it like crazy. The city's shooting corps and Royal Mounted Police are all out for fear that the fans will cause trouble."

"Two weeks ago, the Cossack Kingdom's Donbass Miners played against the Macedonian Foresters. More than a hundred drunk Cossack fans were so angry when their team lost that they chased and beat up thousands of citizens. They were all thrown into prison and have not been released yet." "See, I said this was a barbarian sport."

Andrea pouted.

"It's my turn to bring you out this time. I want to broaden your horizons."

As he spoke, Andrea picked up a crumpled newspaper from his seat and handed it to Elsa.

"Look at the last edition, which contains the latest research on astronomy by Veneto, a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences."

Elsa looked at the last page and saw that it was full of complicated arguments and obscure symbols. She immediately said that she couldn't understand it and returned it to Andrea.

"Forget it. Academician Veneto is going to explain his research to all citizens on the podium in Constantine Square. We are on our way there."

Andrea took the newspaper back with regret.

"The best captain must know astronomy and astrology. In the last exam, astronomy was the only course I didn't get first place in. Academician Veneto's latest research may be the topic of the next exam. I have to go and listen to it as soon as possible."

On the Golden Avenue, the horse-drawn train slowly stopped beside the platform. Andrea and Elsa jumped out of the carriage and walked towards Constantine Square.

Compared to the crowded stadiums, there are much fewer spectators here. After all, scientific research is too advanced and its appeal to ordinary people is far less than that of lively and interesting sports competitions.

Andrea and Aisha squeezed into the crowd. On the podium, Academician Veneto was reviewing the manuscript and making final preparations before his speech.

After waiting for a moment, Veneto looked around, looked at the slightly sparse crowd with some regret, and picked up the manuscript.

"Everyone, my name is Veneto Vittorio. I am from Italy. I currently work at the Olympus Observatory. I am trusted by the emperor and have been able to join the Royal Academy of Sciences."

Veneto's gentle and calm words spread in the square.

"As everyone knows, I am a researcher of natural philosophy. I used to accept some engineering design commissions, but since I invented the telescope, I have been immersed in the vast universe. I want to find out the laws of planetary motion through my own research."

"Your Majesty once told me that when a primitive man looks up at the stars for a certain period of time, when life begins to realize the existence of the mysteries of the universe, it is only one step away from finally solving them."

"Over the years, I have made long observations, records, and calculations at the Olympus Observatory, and have maintained correspondence with Your Majesty. The great and wise emperor has given me valuable advice many times, and sometimes it simply opened my eyes. His wisdom has obviously surpassed that of everyone in this era. I can say with certainty that if he had not been unwilling to devote too much time to the study of natural philosophy, his achievements would definitely have surpassed Aristotle."

Veneto spoke slowly, and the people in the audience did not refute. Over the years, more and more of Aristotle's theories had been overturned, but Emperor Isaac always maintained that he was absolutely right. In their hearts, Aristotle, whom they had never met, was certainly not as good as the wise and powerful emperor.

"During the observation, the telescope has also been improved. Some small suggestions from your Majesty have made the magnification of the telescope higher and higher. This allows me to see the orbits of the planets more clearly, draw them on paper, and calculate them repeatedly."

Having said this, Veneto bowed somewhat excitedly.

"Dear everyone, today, I will make all my research public. I hope it will be helpful to you."

Straightening up, Veneto cleared his throat.

"First, my research proves that the Ptolemaic system is completely wrong. The Earth is not the center of the universe, and the five planets do not move in uniform circles around the Earth. This is completely inconsistent with my observations."

"According to my research, the sun is undoubtedly the absolute center of the earth and the five planets. These planets all revolve around the sun, but their movement trajectories are not circular..."

"At your Majesty's suggestion, I divided the laws of planetary motion into three aspects, describing the shape of the planet's orbit, its speed, and its period."

"First, the paths of all planets around the sun are ellipses, with the sun at one focus of the ellipse..."

"Second, the line connecting the sun and the planets sweeps over the same area in the same amount of time, because..."

"Third, the farther a planet is from the sun, the longer its orbital period. As for how to describe this period, I am still calculating it..."

"I will make the research data open source in the next issue of the Constantinople Weekly. If you have any ideas, please write to my address."

Next, Veneto explained his three major laws and introduced the application of these laws in astrology.

"Sir, why do the planets revolve around the sun?"

A young voice came into Veneto's ears. It was a college student wearing the uniform of the University of Constantinople.

"If the sun is special, then why does the moon revolve around the earth? This is also the result of your previous research."

"You also published an article in the Xuecheng Monthly Magazine saying that Jupiter and Saturn also have their own "moons", so why do they revolve around Jupiter and Saturn?"

The college student asked doubtfully.

"Also, is the effect of this rotation unidirectional or bidirectional? Why do the tides always change abnormally during the full moon?"

"I know this is of course God's arrangement, but God's arrangements are traceable. By exploring nature, we can summarize the objective laws set by God for us. This is also what your majesty said."

"This……"

Veneto was stunned by the series of questions from the college student, but he was still a little happy.

"That's good, kid. Your questions are very valuable, although most of them are beyond our ability to answer right now."

“The road to exploring nature is endless. If you keep pursuing and studying hard, you will always get results.”

Veneto continued to answer questions from the onlookers, while Andrea pulled the bored Elsa away from the square.

"understood?"

Elsa woke up from her fugue and looked at Andrea.

"I didn't hear a word of it."

“Of course I didn’t understand the data analysis, but I still wrote down Academician Veneto’s conclusions.”

Andrea said.

"How useful are these things?"

Elsa asked in confusion.

"I don't think these conclusions have any impact on real life."

"Haha, I'm not sure, but it must be useful."

Andrea smiled.

"Anyway, in the past few years that Academician Veneto has been concentrating on research, the telescopes that the Navigation School has distributed to us have indeed become better and better, and some methods of observing the stars have become more and more mature."

"As far as I know, someone has proposed using optical instruments to determine navigational directions, also using celestial bodies as angle references. Your Majesty encouraged this idea and sent people to conduct research, naming this instrument the Chronometer."

Andrea continued as she led Elsa towards the city.

"One problem will lead to countless other problems. When solving the problems, scholars will find that the existing instruments and materials are not up to standard. They have no choice but to solve them."

“When they finally arrived at the truth, looking back on the road they had come, they discovered that this glorious road had already been more valuable than the truth itself.”

Entering the downtown area, the atmosphere immediately became strong. Immigrants from Elysium were selling taco snacks, citizens from Bulgaria were performing wrestling fights, the Arab converts' shawarma was sizzling with oil, and the stalls of small vendors were filled with owl silver coins and Venezuelan gems, whose authenticity was unknown. The sailors' laughter was bold and rough, and the newsboys' hawking voices were clear and loud.

"Sports Times! Macedonia Forest defeated the Nicea Potters and won a bronze medal for the Macedonian province. The gold and silver medal competition will be held tonight. Notaras Gold and Silver Carving Workshop reminds you that for gold and silver carving, look for Notaras..."

"Business Monthly! The Liximei Fertilizer Factory announced that they have made a new type of fertilizer by calcining serpentine and apatite at high temperatures. This fertilizer is more effective for dark brown soft soil..."

"Due to the booming textile and chemical industries, the share price of Sicily Sulphur Company has risen rapidly, second only to the newly established Black Sea United Tea Group. Interested investors do not need to wait any longer..."

Andrea took Elsa for a stroll in the downtown area. It seemed that she was inspired by this wonderful life and her originally cold expression relaxed a little.

"Why do you want to join in the fun today?"

Aisha asked curiously.

"I thought you were going to go straight back."

"I'm in a good mood today, let's just go for a stroll."

Andrea said.

“People say that no matter where you come from, once you come to Constantinople, you will immediately fall in love with this city, its richness, and its science and culture.”

"My father once said that when he first came to Constantinople with the emperor, it was just a big rural village. The culture, technology, and art you see today all come from your majesty's vigorous promotion."

Aisha said.

“It’s really a miracle.”

"No, your Majesty's greatest achievement is to ensure that Roman citizens have enough food to eat, clothes to wear, cheap fuel to use, and ordinary schools to attend."

Andrea shook her head.

“Only when these are accomplished can science and technology, culture and art flourish, and the progress of these things will also bring a better quality of life, complementing each other.”

"You can't ask people who can't even afford food to study science, and you can't ask people who can't even afford clothes to read and write. Your Majesty has achieved prosperity and wealth in the core territories through cruel foreign exploitation. This prosperity has promoted the progress of science and culture. The gap between us and those colonies will become wider and wider."

Andrea said.

"Their local handicraft industry will be destroyed by us, their local culture will be devoured by us, their economy will be controlled by us, their talents will be loyal to us, and their people will yearn for the good life of the Eastern Empire, but they will never think about where this good life came from."

"Now, there is no one else who can pose a threat to the empire except ourselves, but as long as Your Majesty is still here, everything will get better and better."

Andrea said, bowing slightly and holding out her hand to Elsa.

"Let's go, let's go to the Imperial Hotel for dinner, then go to the opera house to listen to the opera, and when the opera is over, we'll go to the street to buy some snacks to satisfy our cravings."

"I have some of my scholarship money left, which I will use to entertain you, my dearest lady."

With love in her eyes, Elsa gave her right hand, which was covered with a gauze glove, to Andrea.

"Thank you very much, my most trusted knight!"

……

In the autumn of 1477, after thirty-five years of revival and development, the Eastern Roman Empire leapt from the brink of collapse to become a world hegemony. Its economy continued to develop, its culture was continuously exported, its science and technology made rapid progress, its music and art flourished, and there was peace everywhere.

In the autumn of 1477, the Aegean coast was plunged into a carnival of the Feast of Olympus. People from half the world felt the civilization of the Eastern Roman Empire and yearned to become its citizens. They were amazed that in just thirty-five years, the old look had been transformed into a new one.

The rapid economic development suppressed all dissatisfaction, and the extremely abundant life covered up all darkness. The reputation of the Palaiologos Dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire reached a new peak at this time. People began to believe that the Golden Dynasty was protected by God and that the dynasty's prosperity would never end.

An autumn rain brought coolness, and in Constantinople, the fallen leaves of the golden trees covered the streets. People with enough food and clothing did not have to fear the coming of the cold winter, because they knew that the next vibrant spring was just around the corner.

The fallen leaves brought a message that it was a prosperous era. On the other side of the sea, in the hometown of the Romans, at the junction of Europe and Asia, in Constantinople, the "city of world desire", the golden age of Isaac III entered its heyday. Major newspapers rushed to report on it, and poets sang praises. They described the scene before them as the greatest prosperity in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire, and described the rapid development brought to them by Isaac III as a dream come true, giving it a nice name:
Aegean miracle.

(End of this chapter)