kingdom of nations

Chapter 191 What I Saw and Heard in Constantinople (1)

"This is not a city, but a country."

Cesar lived on Arrassa Road and also visited Damascus and Al-Apol. People said that Al-Apol Citadel was nine times the size of Arrassa Road, which was actually an exaggeration. Moreover, they included the surrounding wilderness, woodlands and rivers—although according to Saracen custom, these were indeed part of the citadel, just as the Caliph's palace would have large areas of natural landscape.

And how big is Constantinople?
Even taking into account the surrounding towns and hills, Yalasa Road is only one-fiftieth the size of it...

“Although, according to these people, this place should be called New Rome,” Raymond said to his son David, sitting on his horse. Although the priests should have covered this in history lessons, what could be more intuitive than learning in person?
Constantine I hesitated between Jerusalem and Troy, but ultimately decided to establish his new capital here, which he regarded as the new Rome. Unfortunately, the people eventually called the city after him – which is the origin of Constantinople.

While there's nothing inherently wrong with the name, Constantine originally meant "hard" or "solid," which is fitting for a person and even more so for a city. Furthermore, Constantinople's predecessor, Byzantium, was named after a king named Byzantium, making it a traditional name.

"Is that the walls of Theodosius, Father?" David asked, looking up in awe.

“Isn’t that right?” Raymond replied sarcastically.

There were some things he couldn't tell his son—in fact, Godfrey, Bohemond, and Raymond were not the first Crusaders; before them, the first to arrive in Constantinople were a group of poor peasants.

Pope Urban II initially only wanted to assemble a force of knights led by lords, perhaps only a few hundred men, to defend Byzantium, but Europe was in a rather dire state at the time.

From the 9th to the 11th centuries, the Vikings constantly harassed the coast and plundered the inhabitants. In 1094, a massive flood destroyed southern Frankish territory, followed by locust plagues and disease. The following year, a drought brought widespread famine—at that time, people thought the end of the world was coming.

Just then, the Pope's messengers arrived. These priests, always known for their silver tongues, were even more eloquent with the Pope's hint. In their sermons, the East was described as so rich and abundant, as if rivers flowed with milk, forests dripped with honey, and countless wild beasts and fruits awaited people to pick at will.

While the lords and knights hesitated, the peasants immediately believed the priests' words—after all, they had done the same before. The priests had told them to endure the rule of kings and lords, pay heavy taxes, and serve in the castles and churches, and they had all listened. Now, they were simply being asked to leave their homes and seek a living elsewhere, so why would they object?
Afterwards, two more lunar eclipses occurred in northern Frankish territory, and a meteor shower occurred in the south. These seemed to be bad omens. Some people said that those who were willing to go on the expedition would have the marks of a cross on their bodies, while those who refused to leave their homeland would suffer from edema in their limbs and die in agony. This disease was regarded as a punishment imposed by Saint Anthony.

So, before the knights took any action, the first group to arrive with a priest were 15,000 poor peasants, dressed in rags and armed only with wooden farm tools. At first, the officials of Constantinople did not refuse them; instead, they allowed them into Constantinople.

Then something unexpected happened. Constantinople, which Raymond called a country, was not overstepping its bounds; it was a single cape, shaped very similarly to the Anatolian peninsula, only upside down and mirrored horizontally.

Located on the western shore of the Bosphorus Strait, perched atop a small hill, its shape resembles a raised thumb extending into the strait, with its rounded base bordering the Sea of ​​Marmara. To the north lies the Golden Horn, to the east it guards the entrance to the Hellespont, and to the west it overlooks the Thracian plain. The entire city resembles a naturally formed fortress, easily defended and difficult to attack.

It was also the intersection of the Egnandian Road, an important military road of the Roman Empire, and the military road of Asia Minor. It was a necessary passage to Asia and the only route from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea.

The winding bay that extends from the strait into the land is a natural harbor with excellent conditions. Since ancient times, it has been a gathering place for merchant ships from all over the world, bringing endless wealth to the local residents. Therefore, it was named "Golden Ram Horn" - in the legends of the ancient Greeks, the golden ram is a symbol of wealth.

In the city of Constantinople, the poor people were overwhelmed with wonder and could hardly contain themselves. Yes, there were poor people in Constantinople, but even the poorest of them could afford bread and light wine, have decent clothes to wear, and houses to live in. They could even hang icons on their doors, icons that shimmered with gold and were brightly colored.

Moreover, there are hundreds of churches and chapels here, and fountains and pools in the streets with clean and clear water. On holidays, the emperor or other nobles would distribute food and invite them to the arena to watch the gladiatorial games.

All of this threw the skeletal Franks into a frenzy, and they began robbing the residents of Constantinople who were right next to them...

While they were fighting tooth and nail over a pair of shoes, the official, recovering from his shock, quickly summoned the guards, who dispersed and drove them away.

But it wasn't just the poor who were affected. When they arrived in Constantinople, didn't they also harbor evil thoughts? Compared to the poor, they saw far more: domes, colonnades, gilded bronze statues and monuments, books like flocks of birds and schools of fish, exquisite paintings, mosaics, luxurious furniture, and walls adorned with precious marble...

But after the previous Poor Man's Crusade, the emperor of Constantinople no longer dared to allow a large army to enter and instead attack the city—Raymond was not that arrogant.

Constantinople is surrounded by the sea on three sides, with only one side facing the vast Thracian plain. Therefore, successive Byzantine emperors devoted their efforts to the city walls facing the plain—the famous Theodosius walls.

This city wall was built continuously for seven hundred years, and now it has become a wonder.

(End of this chapter)