Instead, he had bolstered the garrisons of Constantinople. Alexios had done this in fear of the rising power, and thus potential threat to himself, of the theme commanders.
Alexios could not stop the Seljuks though, and he had only himself to blame for his territorial losses as it was he who had weakened the military provinces ( themes) in Asia Minor. 1081-1118 CE), himself a veteran of Manzikert. Several Byzantine emperors came and went but some stability was achieved during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (r. The Seljuks were even more ambitious, though, and by 1087 CE they controlled Jerusalem.
1078 CE, created the Sultanate of Rum with their capital at Nicaea in Bithynia in northwest Asia Minor, which was captured from the Byzantines in 1081 CE. Meanwhile, the Seljuks took full advantage of this military neglect and, c. The sword of Christendom could prove a very useful weapon in preserving the crown of Byzantium. Knights - to defend Christianity (its believers and holy places), follow the principles of chivalry and gain material wealth in this life and special favour in the next one.Merchants - to monopolise important trading centres currently under Muslim control and earn money shipping crusaders to the Middle East.The Pope - to strengthen the papacy in Italy and achieve ascendancy as head of the Christian church.The Byzantine Emperor - to regain lost territory and defeat a threatening rival state.
Although we can never know exactly the thoughts or motivation of individuals, the general reasons why the crusading ideal was promoted and acted upon can be summarised according to the following key leaders and social groups: (10)Īn estimated 90,000 men, women, and children of all classes were persuaded by political and religious leaders to participate in the First Crusade (1095-1102 CE), and their various motivations, along with those of the political and religious leaders of the time, must each be examined to reach a satisfactory explanation. It cannot be stressed often enough that crusades were arduous, disorientating, frightening, dangerous, and expensive for participants, and the continuing enthusiasm for them displayed over the centuries is not easy to explain.
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