Fall of New Rome 3

Currently, I am meticulously filtering the data for a new chapter, where the insights of Geoffrey of Villehardouin and Robert of Clari play a pivotal role. 

Villehardouin, being intimately connected to the crusade leadership, provides us with invaluable insights into the treaties, secret meetings, war councils, and military tactics. On the other hand, Robert of Clari, an ordinary knight with a burning desire to liberate Jerusalem, serves as our window into the mood of the crusading host, military collisions, and the partition of the booty.

 I am still determining the plot, but it should include a description of the main events of the Fourth Crusade and its implications on the political climate in the Eastern Mediterranean and the emergence of the Venetian Empire. 

My latest scholarly endeavor involves translating my article, The Byzantine Contribution to Maritime Warfare, and preparing an engaging Zoom lecture on the same topic. This work is a testament to my commitment to sharing knowledge and fostering a deeper understanding of historical maritime warfare. See https://www.academia.edu/114642803/Byzantine_Contribution

I will add a few notes from my previous article, Early War Galleys, about their dimensions, design, and displacement. See https://www.academia.edu/111701661/Early_War_Galleys

Looking ahead, I am excited to delve into editing a new article exploring the evolution of Latin galleys from the 11th to 15th centuries. This upcoming project promises to shed new light on this fascinating topic.

Fall of New Rome 2

I continue assessing the data collected on the Fourth Crusade, especially its diversion to Constantinople and the sack of the Queen of Cities. I began writing notes, groping my way to understanding the events. 

Donald E. Queller & Thomas F. Madden's "The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople"  traces the whole enterprise from its proclamation by Pope Innocent to the inception of the Latin Empire on the ruins of Byzantium. I accept the author's conclusion that found no clues for the malicious plot on the part of Venetians or Philip of Swabia against the Eastern Roman Empire. I disagree with those who search the Roman emperors to blame for the destruction of their power. Though politicians tend to make erroneous decisions, the diversion of the Crusade was a gamechanger ushering in a vicious circle of crime. 

Now, I reread Geoffrey of Villehardoiun's chronicle about the conquest. He seems to be a knowledgeable source for the train of events. We can rely on him for figures,  dates, and motives as he seems to base his plot on previous notes. 

My guess is that when the barons' envoys arrived in Venice, they had a vague idea about the logistics of the future crusade. They could only present their chivalric enthusiasm and hope that the doge would help them fulfill their dream. Enrico Dandolo talked business. He figured out the size of the fleet required for this outstanding enterprise and picked up the target, Egypt. He also used crusading rhetoric but did not forget about the commercial boost of his hometown, which he hoped to raise to new heights. The inability of crusaders to pay their debts gave the doge enormous power to use the host of warriors as pawns in his geopolitical game. 

The Fall of the New Rome (1)

The Sack of  the New Rome on a Venetian mosaic

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frammenti_di_mosaico_pavimentale_del_1213,_09.JPG

 I have finished collecting data about the sack of Constantinople by a crusading army in 1204. The material is so extensive that it covers about one and a half "notebooks." By a "notebook," I mean up to 150 pages completed in Colibri 11. I have found several sources compiled by the witnesses, both Roman and Latin. 

On the Roman side, we have the superb "Annals of Niketas Choniates," the insider report of a Byzantine historian based in Constantinople who endured the siege and fall of the Queen of Cities. I reread this account and can't help admiring his style and vigor. I will adopt some of his descriptions in other narratives. 

 In the following extract, Niketas refers to the emperor Alexios III Angelos as an unscrupulous pilot plunged in adorable pastime and sensitive to courtly flattery:  

"Like a steersman compelled by the waves to let go of the rudder, he withdrew from the administration of public affairs and spent his time wearing golden ornaments and giving ear to, and granting, every petition of those who had helped raise him to power."

Next week, I will re-edit a new chapter of my project, consisting of the Byzantine contribution to maritime warfare and the technological breakthrough during the second half of the first millennia C.E.  The first part focuses on dromons and East Roman galleys. In contrast, the second half discusses a novel approach to shipbuilding and the lateen sail. When I am through, I will upload the article on my page on the Academia site

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

The Catalan Dominance in the Western Sea

Mariano Barbasán Laguerue 

King Pedro of Aragon at the Pass of Pass of Panissars

I have nearly completed the draft of a new chapter telling the story of the Crusade against Aragon undertaken by Philip, king of France, with the papal endorsement in 1285. As personal matters played a significant role in the train of events, I put the ousting of Charles of Anjou from the Sicilian throne as one of the main reasons for this enterprise. 

Admiral Roger of Lauria cast a long shadow on Catalan maritime activities, and my account devotes some time to his tactics, especially in the Battle of Las Formigues. The ill-fated Crusade ended with the French recognition (de facto) of the Catalan dominance in the Western Mediterranean Sea. I follow the plot issued by Ramon Muntaner's Chronicle. 

My next topic is the sack of Constantinople by the participants of the Fourth Crusade. I've just started collecting the data. I will speak briefly of the zigzags of the Crusade and focus on the amphibious activities of the Venetian fleet. 

I re-edited a piece titled "The Byzantine Contribution to Maritime Warfare." I will upload it on the Academia site. Still, I have to decide first what to do with another piece devoted to the technological transition in shipbuilding during the VI-XI centuries. 

I prepared a third and final Zoom lecture of the cycle, "A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands." I will deliver it on January 15th under the auspices of the Institute of Integration. 

A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands

 I'm not ready yet to unveil the outline of my current project titled "The Fright and Thrill of Navigation: Seafaring in the Medieval and Renaissance Mediterranean,"  but I will disclose a few details. The first part will be "The Age of the Galley." It consists of the intro, A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands, and two chapters, Early War Galleys and Late War Galleys. 

The introduction is ready, at least as a magazine version, and I even uploaded it on the Academia site, not as one but as three articles:

https://www.academia.edu/104456432/War_galleys_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean

https://www.academia.edu/107397680/Sailing_Ships_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean

https://www.academia.edu/109918628/Galleys_vs_Sailing_Ships_Comparison_and_Contrast

I am currently editing Chapter 1: Early War Galleys, which I divided into portions for possible magazine publication. 

I am also assessing the material collected for a new chapter based on the Battle of  Los Formigues. The extract will recreate the atmosphere of the Crusade against Aragon and the behavior of the Catalan fleet, first of all of its renowned admiral, Roger of Lauria.   

I delivered the second lecture about sailing ships. I plan to prepare the third one to compare the performance of galleys and commercial ships. 

Battle of Meloria

 A friend asked me whether I retell the known circumstances in my writing. I find it a tricky issue. Of  course, I base my narrative on familiar descriptions, trying to relate the events in my words. I search for lively expressions to convey the meaning. However, I check the well-known descriptions with the sources, applying logic to estimate the value of both the sources and modern rendering. 

I have recently finished writing a new chapter, The Battle of Meloria (August 6, 1284), which pitted the Pisan and Genoese fleets in the view of Porto Pisano. 

Before that, the Pisan fleet made an abortive effort to blockade the port of Genoa, taking advantage of the fact that a decent-sized Genoese squadron under Benedetto Zaccaria engaged elsewhere. The Ligurian war council recalled the ships, and Zaccaria entered the harbor unharmed. How could it be when the Pisans surrounded the entrance to the port? Why didn't the Genoese attempt to squeeze the less powerful rival navy and dispel it in the open sea? There were answers to these questions when I ran across a reliable source. View Paul Crawford, The Templar of Tyre. [446] (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003), 89. The chronicler claims that the Pisans were aware of foul weather and anticipated the arrival of the Genoese reserve, which joined the main fleet in pursuit of the escaping opponents. It's so much clearer!

The second reservation concerns the battle itself. Before the contact, both sides threw liquid soap and hot oil to make the enemy decks slippery. However, the adversaries intended to board the hostile ships. How slippery decks would help them? Nobody explains this. 

Some historians describe that the Pisan fleet attacked the Genoese late in the afternoon, with the sun in their (Pisan) eyes. However, the Templar of Tyre claims that the combat continued from morning till  sunset (until the Vespers). Is it probable that the Pisans started the battle with the sun in their eyes? They might have a fair wind on their side. In some versions, authors claim that though the priest's staff fell while blessing the fleet, the Pisans said that with the fair wind, they could overcome their rivals even without the Lord's help. 

What next? I commenced collecting data on Roger of Lauria, the renowned admiral of the Catalan fleet. I ran across Charles Stanton's book on Roger and enjoy reading it.

   https://dokumen.pub/roger-of-lauria-c1250-1305-admiral-of-admirals-1783274530-9781783274536.html

The author is a former naval officer, a good researcher, and an excellent writer. I want to choose one battle and elaborate on it. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_of_Lauria

 

The Siege of Chandax (3)

 I have finished writing this chapter. It starts with a small introduction about Byzantine chronicles. I added this section because my narrative primarily draws from these chronicles, and I want   to caution the reader about their credibility. Often penned by monastic historians poorly versed in naval and military matters, they contain hagiographic material or facts biased by the witnesses' viewpoints and political agenda. I also attached the Reassessment, the summing up of my story. As usual, I will keep it on hold.

My next chapter will deal with the Battle of Meloria, August 1284, which pitted the Pisan and Genoese fleets off Porto Pisano. Like the Battle of Chandax, it was a decisive confrontation that put an end to the naval domination of the City on the Arno. It also supplies an excellent  example of the encirclement of  hostile forces, worth discussing in military academies.

I also received an OK from the Institute of  Integration coordinator for a series of lectures based on Chapter 1, Prelude: A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands. My first lecture, appointed on November 13th, will speak about medieval galleys. To talk about shipping in the medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean, we must distinguish two  vessel types: galleys and so-called round ships. They differed in construction, choice of routes, length of sailing, and designation. My lectures and articles will open this topic for discussions.

The first two articles are available on my Academia page:

 https://www.academia.edu/104456432/War_galleys_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean

https://www.academia.edu/104456432/War_galleys_in_the_Medieval_Mediterranean