<>
thyreos

Byzantine Battles

<>
Abydos, 989
Ad Decimum, 533
Ad Salices, 377
Adramyttium, 1205
Adrianople, 324
Adrianople, 378
Adrianople, 813
Adrianople, 1254
Adrianople, 1369
Ajnadayn, 634
Akroinos, 740
Aleppo, 637
Aleppo, 962
Aleppo, 969
Alexandretta, 971
Altava, 578
Alexandria, 641
Amida, 502-503
Amida, 359
Amida, 973
Amorium, 838
Anchialus, 708
Anchialus, 763
Anchialus, 917
Andrassus, 960
Ani, 1064
Anthidon, 634
Antioch, 540
Antioch, 611
Antioch, 969
Antioch on Meander, 1211
Anzen, 838
Apadna, 503
Apamea, 998
Apros, 1305
Apulia, 1155
Aquae Saravenae, 979
Araxes, 589
Arcadiopolis, 970
Arcadiopolis, 1194
Ariminum, 538
Arzamon, 586
Attalia, 1207
Aurasium, 540
Auximus, 539
Azaz, 1030
Babylon, Egypt, 640
Balathista, 1014
Bapheus, 1302
Bargylus, 634
Bari, 1068-1071
Bathys Ryax, 872
Berat, 1281
Veroï, 1122
Balarathos, 591
Bar, 1042
Berzitia, 774
Bitola, 1015
Ganzaka, 591
Bosporus, 1352
Boulgarophygon, 896
Bourgaon, 535
Brindisi, 1156
Brocade, 634
Bursa, 1317-1326
Busta Gallorum, 552
Calavrye, 1079
Callinicum, 531
Campus Ardiensis, 316
Cannae, 1018
Cape Bon, 468
Carthage, 468
Carthage, 698
Cephalonia, 880
Kefalonia, 880
Lipares, 880
Stelai, 880
Castrogiovanni, 859
Chariopolis, 1051
Chersonesus, 447
Chrysopolis, 324
Cibalae, 316
Cillium, 544
Constantinople, 626
Constantinople, 674-678
Constantinople, 717-718
Constantinople, 941
Constantinople, 1047
Constantinople, 1187
Constantinople, 1204
Constantinople, 1235
Constantinople, 1260
Constantinople, 1261
Constantinople, 1422
Constantinople, 1453
Cotyaeum, 492
Crasus, 804
Crete, 824
Crete, 828
Crete, 961
Ctesiphon, 363
Damascus, 634
Damietta, 853
Daras, 530
Daras, 573
Dathin, 634
Dazimon, 838
Demetrias, 1274
Demotika, 1352
Devina, 1279
Diakene, 1050
Diampoli, 1049
Didymoteichon, 1352
Dimitritsi, 1185
Dorostalon, 971
Dranginai, 1040
Dyrrachium, 1018
Dyrrachium, 1081
Caesarea, 1073
Echinades, 1427
Edessa, 1031
Ekato Vounoi, 1050
Emessa, 635-636
Faventia, 542
Fields of Cato, 548
Firaz, 634
Frigidus, 394
Gallipoli, 1354
Gallipoli, 1366
Hades, 1057
Heliopolis, 640
Hellespont, 324
Heraclea, 806
Hieromyax, 636
Hyelion - Leimocheir,1177
Iron Bridge, 637
Ieromyax, 636
Jerusalem, 614
Jerusalem, 637
Kaisareia, 1073
Kalavrye, 1079
Kapetron, 1049
Katasyrtai, 917
Kleidion, 1014
Klokotnitsa, 1230
Kopidnadon, 788
Koundouros, 1205
Krasos, 804
Lalakaon, 863
Larissa, 1084
Lemnos, 1025
Levounion, 1091
Makryplagi, 1264
Mammes, 534
Manzikert, 1071
Maogamalcha, 363
Maranga, 363
Marcellae, 756
Marcellae, 792
Marcianopolis, 377
Mardia, 316
Marj-ud-Deebaj, 634
Marta, 547
Masts, 655
Martyropolis, 588
Mavropotamos, 844
Mediolanum, 539
Melanthius, 559
Melantias, 559
Melitene, 576
Membresa, 536
Mercurii Promontorium, 468
Messina, 843
Milano, 539
Milvian Bridge, 312
Mons Seleucus, 353
Monte Siricolo, 1041
Montepeloso, 1041
Montemaggiore, 1041
Morava, 1191
Mount Lactarius, 553
Mucellium, 542
Mursa Major, 351
Mutah, 629
Myriokephalon, 1176
Naples, 536
Neopatras, 1274
Nicaea, 1077
Nicaea, 1097
Nicaea, 1328-1331
Nicomedia, 782
Nicomedia, 1337
Nikiou, 646
Nineveh, 627
Nisibis, 338
Nisibis, 350
Noviodunum, 369
Olivento, 1041
Ongal, 680
Ophlimos, 622
Orontes, 994
Osimo, 539
Ostrovo, 1043
Palakazio, 1021
Palermo, 830-831
Pancalia, 978
Pegae, 922
Pelacanon, 1329
Pelagonia, 1259
Petra, 549
Petra, 551
Petroe, 1057
Perkri, 1034
Pharsalus, 1277
Philadelphia, 1390
Philomelion, 1117
Phoenix, 655
Pirisabora, 363
Pliska, 811
Poimanenon, 1224
Poson, 863
Preslava, 1053
Prinitza, 1263
Prusa, 1326
Rhodes, 1249
Rhodes, 1309
Rhyndacus, 1211
Rimini, 538
Rishki Pass, 759
Rome, 537-538
Rome, 545 - 546
Rometta, 964
Rometta, 1038
Rousokastro, 1332
Rus Raid, 860
Rus Raid, 941
Rus Raid, 1025
Rus Raid, 1043
Samarra, 363
Sardis, 743
Satala, 530
Save, 388
Saxa Rubra, 312
Scalas Veteres, 537
Sebastia, 1070
Sebastopolis, 692
Sedica, 809
Sena Gallica, 551
Setina, 1017
Shirimni, 1021
Singara, 344
Sirmium, 441
Sirmium, 580-582
Sirmium, 1167
Siscia, 388
Skafida, 1304
Solachon, 586
Spercheios, 997
Strumica, 1014
Strymon, 1185
Sufetula, 647
Svindax, 1022
Syllaeum, 677
Syracuse, 827-828
Syracuse, 877-878
Taginae, 552
Taormina, 902
Tarsus, 965
Thacia, 545
Thannourios, 528
Thasos, 829
Thessalonica, 586
Thessalonica, 615
Thessalonica, 617
Thessalonica, 676-678
Thessalonica, 904
Thessalonica, 995
Thessalonica, 1014
Thessalonica, 1040
Thessalonica, 1185
Thessalonica, 1224
Thessalonica, 1264
Thessalonica, 1430
Thomas the Slav, 821-823
Tornikios, 1047
Trajan’s Gate, 986
Tricameron, 533
Troina, 1040
Tryavna, 1190
Utus, 447
Vasiliki Livada, 1050
Veregava, 759
Versinikia, 813
Vescera, 682
Vesuvius, 553
Vid, 447
Viminacium, 599
Volturnus, 554
Wadi al-Arabah, 634
Yarmuk, 636
Zombos, 1074
Zygos pass, 1053
   4 th   century
   5 th   century
   6 th   century
   7 th   century
   8 th   century
   9 th   century
  10 th   century
  11 th   century
  12 th   century
  13 th   century
  14 th   century
  15 th   century

Aspis

Fall of Constantinople

year:

1204

9-13 April 1204
The Crusaders of the 4th crusade captured Constantinople ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
enemy:
Crusaders
location:
Constantinople
 accuracy: ●●●●●
battle type:
City Capture
war:
Fourth Crusade
modern country:
Turkey
  The Byzantines(emperor:  Alexios V Doukas) The Enemies
Commander: Emperors Alexios III Angelos, Alexios V Enrico Dandolo, Boniface of Montferrat
Forces: 15,000 + 20 ships 10,000 Crusaders, 10,000 Venetians, 210 ships
Losses: Heavy Heavy

Background story:
In 1195, Emperor Isaac II Angelos was deposed by his brother in a palace coup. Ascending as Alexios III Angelos, the new emperor had his brother blinded and imprisoned. Isaac had been a failure on the battlefield and in financials but Alexios was even worse, neglecting defense and diplomacy completely, weakening central authority and being reduced to plundering Imperial tombs to meet expenses.
In the West, Innocent III became Pope in 1198, and set as goal of his pontificate a new crusade (the fourth). His call was largely ignored by the European monarchs, but several lesser Barons joined in and a crusading army was finally organized. The Italian count, Boniface of Montferrat was elected leader.
The first task of the crusaders was to organize transportation to Egypt, the object of their crusade. Venice agreed to transport 33,500 crusaders, a very ambitious number which required many ships and costly preparations. The crusade was to be ready to sail in June 1202. As this deadline approached, it became obvious that the army assembling in Venice would be far smaller than expected: only 12,000. This was a serious issue. The Venetians had delivered their part of the agreement preparing 50 war galleys and 450 transport ships, and now they expected to be paid the full amount that had been agreed.
As the crusaders were considering their options to find the money, Boniface of Montferrat met accidentally Alexios Angelos the son of the deposed Byzantine Emperor Isaac II. Alexios offered to pay the entire debt owed to the Venetians, give additional rewards to the Crusaders, provide transportation and place the Orthodox Church under the Pope, if the crusaders would divert to Byzantium and topple the reigning emperor Alexios III Angelos. The crusaders as well
Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo
Dandolo, the Doge of Venice, liked very much the idea.

The Battle:
Constantinople
Conquest of Constantinople by the Crusaders
The fleet of the crusaders arrived in front of Constantinople on 23rd June 1203.

Their first act was to attack and capture the district of Galatas (outside the walls) taking control of the Golden Horn. Then 10 Crusader ships sailed alongside the sea walls displaying Alexios Angelos who was supposed to be the rightful and lawful king, but the Byzantines were not impressed.
On July 11, the Crusaders took positions opposite the Palace of Blachernae on the northwest corner of the city. Their first attempts were repulsed, but on July 17 the Venetians took a section of the wall of about 25 towers, while the Varangian guard held off the Crusaders on the land wall. The Varangians shifted to meet the new threat, and the Venetians retreated under a screen of fire. The fire destroyed about 120 acres of the city and left some 20,000 people homeless.
Alexios III tried to counterattack but retreated without a fight. Embarrassed, he preferred to escape and abandon his subjects, fleeing with the imperial treasure to Mosynopolis in Thrace (near modern Komotini). The Byzantines quickly deposed their runaway emperor and restored the blind ex-emperor Isaac II, robbing the Crusaders of the pretext for attack. The Crusaders were now in the awkward position of having achieved their stated aim, but without having achieved the actual objective, namely the reward that the younger Alexios had (unbeknownst to the Byzantines) promised them. The Crusaders insisted that they would only recognize Isaac II's authority if his son was raised to co-emperor and on August 1, he was crowned Alexios IV Angelos, co-emperor.

Now Alexios IV was emperor but unable to keep his promises. The young emperor ordered the destruction and melting of valuable icons in order to extract their gold and silver, but even then he could only raise enough money. In August 1203 Alexios, as he had promised, subsumed the Orthodox church under the Pope. This decision was a shock for the Greeks who turned against him.
Opposition to Alexios IV was now fierce, and one of his courtiers, Alexios Doukas (nicknamed “Mourtzouphlos” because of his thick eyebrows), overthrew him and had him strangled to death in January 1204. Alexios Doukas took the throne himself as Alexios V Doukas. Isaac also died in January 1204, probably of natural causes.

The crusaders and Venetians, furious for the murder of their supposed patron, demanded that Mourtzouphlos honor the contract with Alexios IV. When the new Byzantine emperor refused, the Crusaders assaulted the city once again. On April 9, Alexios V's army put up a strong resistance which did much to discourage the crusaders. A serious hindrance to the crusaders was bad weather conditions. Wind blew from the shore and prevented most of the ships from drawing close enough to the walls to launch an assault.
At this point the Latin clergy intervened to boost the low morale of the attackers. The churchmen used inflammatory language and claimed that “the Greeks were worse than the Jews”, and they invoked the authority of God and the pope to take action. On April 12, 1204, the weather conditions finally favored the Crusaders. A strong northern wind aided the Venetian ships in coming close to the walls. After a short battle, approximately 70 Crusaders managed to enter the city. Some of them opened holes in the walls, large enough for only a few knights at a time to crawl through; the Venetians were also successful at scaling the walls from the sea, though there was extremely bloody fighting with the Varangians. The attackers captured the Blachernae section of the city in the northwest and used it as a base to attack the rest of the city, but while attempting to defend themselves with a wall of fire, they ended up burning down even more of the city. The Crusaders completely took the city on April 13.

The crusaders inflicted a horrible and savage sacking on Constantinople for 3 days, during which many ancient and medieval Roman and Greek works were either stolen or destroyed. Despite their oaths and the threat of excommunication, the Crusaders ruthlessly and systematically violated the city's churches and monasteries, destroying, defiling, or stealing all they could lay hands on.

Noteworthy:
The prominent medievalist Steven Runciman, writing in 1954, stated that “There was never a greater crime against humanity than the Fourth Crusade.”

Aftermath:
The crusaders established the Latin Empire and other “Latin” states in conquered Byzantine lands. The Byzantines continued the war from unconquered parts of the empire such as Nicaea. The City was recaptured in 1261 but Byzantium never really recovered.