Crusader Kings
The Mantle of Imperium
Note: I accidentally skipped a few months between 1160 & 1161 where the Castille was beaten by Seville & the Byzantine Empire conquered Azov from the Thocomer.
In 1161, Basil's war against the Thocomer Cumans has been won & the Byzantine Empire has taken control of the important coastal fort of Azov.
The War in Iberia has ended in a catastrophic result for the Christians. The coalition of the Muslim Emirates, dominated by Seville, has succeeded in defeating Castille (who had been isolated from its' fellow Spanish Kingdoms due to supporting France against Aquitaine in an ongoing border conflict between the two nations). As a result Castille has ceded the lands of Southern Porto & Evora to Seville. Seville has also used the victory in the war to dominate the weakening Emirate of Badajoz and turn it into a tribute state. Seville has now fully usurped Castille as the greatest power in Iberia, a most worrisome transition for Christendom.
Alexios soon departs from Epirus to return to his duty as Protostrator of Constantinople, however his brief return to his estates has left many impressed with their new Despots' righteous way of rule - especially in comparison to Sakellarios Prokopios' dubious sense of fairness,
In March 1161, Alexios receives word that one of his vassals, the Mayor of the minor city of Kastoria has converted to "Byzantine" Bogomilism, the term for Bogomilists who follow the official denomination of Bogomilism that is detailed by Basil's laws. Alexios is no zealot, but has a high understanding of many theological & philosophical matters & uses the conversion as an opportunity for a debate.
The effects of the Castillian-Seville war have already had dire consequences for Christianity's grasp on Spain, the most notable of these new developments being the loss of the Balearic islands to the Hammadiyun Sultanate of Africa. The Belearic islands had been French possessions for roughly half a century, but had relied on France's traditional ally of Castille for protection, due to French attention mainly being focused elsewhere (Aquitaine, Poitou & the HRE). However with Castille in a moment of great military weakness and France in revolt & war against Aquitaine, the islands where ripe for taking, even by a weak Muslim state such as Africa.
With his recent military victories in Crimea and his army flourishing under the enlightened & revolutionizing management of Alexios, Basil is finally confident enough & declares that it time to right the wrongs of the previous decade and retake the rightful Byzantine lands that had been lost to the Syrians. Embracing a revanchist policy of retaliation & reconquest, Basileus Basileios III announces that it is time to wage a war to recover Edessa.
The full Byzantine army is raised, and once they are mustered at Ancyra, Alexios' achievement becomes painstakingly clear for all observers. Not since Basil II has the Byzantine army been so mighty.
In 1164, to combat the worsening situation in Spain, the Catholic Church has decreed that a new order of soldiers of the Cross be set up to fight back the Infidels. To this extent a number of Spanish and French petty nobles & knights have banded together to form the Knights of the Order of Calatrava.
With no major battles or engagements as of yet in the War for Edessa, Basileios demands that his council give him the right to rule unopposed for the duration of the war...and perhaps for a while after as well, just to make sure the Empire recovers swiftly. Alexios trusts his liege's decision on this & complies with his demands.
Alexios is hard at work, making sure that reinforcements quickly swell the Byzantine ranks. Under his careful guidance & administration of the recruitment and conscription of men into the army, swathes of soldiers arrive from Constantinople everyday. For every man lost to attrition in the Syrian desert, or the many hazards of siege-work, another is there to replace him.
Finally the Syrian Shah comes to terms with his poor position and order for his army to withdraw from Cyprus. By late 1164, Tell Bashir & Edessa itself have been reclaimed by Basil's men, but now the Syrian march to contest his gains.
In 1161, Basil's war against the Thocomer Cumans has been won & the Byzantine Empire has taken control of the important coastal fort of Azov.
The War in Iberia has ended in a catastrophic result for the Christians. The coalition of the Muslim Emirates, dominated by Seville, has succeeded in defeating Castille (who had been isolated from its' fellow Spanish Kingdoms due to supporting France against Aquitaine in an ongoing border conflict between the two nations). As a result Castille has ceded the lands of Southern Porto & Evora to Seville. Seville has also used the victory in the war to dominate the weakening Emirate of Badajoz and turn it into a tribute state. Seville has now fully usurped Castille as the greatest power in Iberia, a most worrisome transition for Christendom.
Alexios soon departs from Epirus to return to his duty as Protostrator of Constantinople, however his brief return to his estates has left many impressed with their new Despots' righteous way of rule - especially in comparison to Sakellarios Prokopios' dubious sense of fairness,
Basil's conversion to Bogomilism has mostly fallen out of topic in Byzantine politics, after the disastrous Jihad for Syria, the rebellions that followed it & Basil's purge of his opposition. If rumors are to be believed, the Basileus has even abandoned his heretical ways in order to increase his standing among his vassals. However the laws that he passed concerning Bogomilism still stand, allowing the denomination to become sort of a "secondary religion" of the Empire, and forbidding the persecution of its' followers.
In March 1161, Alexios receives word that one of his vassals, the Mayor of the minor city of Kastoria has converted to "Byzantine" Bogomilism, the term for Bogomilists who follow the official denomination of Bogomilism that is detailed by Basil's laws. Alexios is no zealot, but has a high understanding of many theological & philosophical matters & uses the conversion as an opportunity for a debate.
On returning to Constantinople, Alexios' diligence becomes legendary to the point where he puts his fellow council members to shame. Within a month he makes significant amendments to how the Byzantine army is managed, by implementing a better drilling system and greater wages for veteran soldiers. However running such an impressive military force requires a lot of financial & administrative work, and while Alexios has a masterful grasp on stewardship, the list of things that needs to be done is endless...
However, Alexios is too diligent to let anyone take over his personal projects & work, and is cautious about putting himself in anyone's debt. He refuses Phokas' offer.
Despite his saint-like assiduousness, Alexios' work is stressful & tedious. Luckily his wife, Amilia is there to comfort him & very shortly she falls pregnant.
Alexios has other means of relaxing as well. Doux Frujin of Bosnia, a commander of the Byzantine Empire & an old friend from the Cuman war, challenges Alexios to a game of tzykanion.
Unfortunately the stress of Alexios' duties get to him & the game devolves into a brawl between the two sides.
Alexios has inherited the impressive Palaiologoi temper and this incident puts in him a bitter mood for the rest of the week. He is only eventually calmed down by the news that his wife has given birth to a daughter, who he names Anastasia in honor of his mother.
The effects of the Castillian-Seville war have already had dire consequences for Christianity's grasp on Spain, the most notable of these new developments being the loss of the Balearic islands to the Hammadiyun Sultanate of Africa. The Belearic islands had been French possessions for roughly half a century, but had relied on France's traditional ally of Castille for protection, due to French attention mainly being focused elsewhere (Aquitaine, Poitou & the HRE). However with Castille in a moment of great military weakness and France in revolt & war against Aquitaine, the islands where ripe for taking, even by a weak Muslim state such as Africa.
With his recent military victories in Crimea and his army flourishing under the enlightened & revolutionizing management of Alexios, Basil is finally confident enough & declares that it time to right the wrongs of the previous decade and retake the rightful Byzantine lands that had been lost to the Syrians. Embracing a revanchist policy of retaliation & reconquest, Basileus Basileios III announces that it is time to wage a war to recover Edessa.
The full Byzantine army is raised, and once they are mustered at Ancyra, Alexios' achievement becomes painstakingly clear for all observers. Not since Basil II has the Byzantine army been so mighty.
In 1164, to combat the worsening situation in Spain, the Catholic Church has decreed that a new order of soldiers of the Cross be set up to fight back the Infidels. To this extent a number of Spanish and French petty nobles & knights have banded together to form the Knights of the Order of Calatrava.
With no major battles or engagements as of yet in the War for Edessa, Basileios demands that his council give him the right to rule unopposed for the duration of the war...and perhaps for a while after as well, just to make sure the Empire recovers swiftly. Alexios trusts his liege's decision on this & complies with his demands.
Basileios' troops storm into Syria and quickly besiege down Aintab & Alexandretta. The Syrian army, not wanting to engage the superior & more-numerous Byzantine army, instead invades Cyprus hoping to avoid conflict. However it quickly becomes clear that they will need to contest the Emperor's fast advance into Syria, least the entire Shahdom is subjugated & annexed.
Alexios is hard at work, making sure that reinforcements quickly swell the Byzantine ranks. Under his careful guidance & administration of the recruitment and conscription of men into the army, swathes of soldiers arrive from Constantinople everyday. For every man lost to attrition in the Syrian desert, or the many hazards of siege-work, another is there to replace him.
Finally the Syrian Shah comes to terms with his poor position and order for his army to withdraw from Cyprus. By late 1164, Tell Bashir & Edessa itself have been reclaimed by Basil's men, but now the Syrian march to contest his gains.
The Syrian army defeats the Byzantine garrison at Aintab & recapture the city. However they are unable to withdraw in time. On the 16th of January 1165, Basil falls upon the Syrians in a colossal battle.
The victorious war is met with celebration throughout the Empire. By recapturing Edessa, Basileios III has greatly improved his personal standing among his vassals... but many would consider Alexios' wise management of the army to be an even greater contributor to victory in the war, than Basileios' bold leadership.
In Iberia, Abbad IV continues to expand the influence of Seville, helping the Emirate of Granada ward off an joint invasion from Aragon & Barcelona. In return for his aide, he has claimed the province of Almansa from the Tamimids.
However Alexios must end the war quickly, for the Empire's jealous neighbors are eager to act in its' moment of weakness. Syria hungers for Cyprus, Poland & Hungary wish to divide up Byzantine Wallachia and the greatest rival of all, the Seljuk Sultanate, marches into newly reclaimed Edessa.
Alexios arrives at Nikomedia by boat and takes command of the army there, quickly marching to Kyzikos to catch the loyalist forces besieging the province. The army that awaits him is the largest force the loyalists can muster, but they are massively outnumbered, caught unaware by Alexios' forced march & destroyed.
Meanwhile another rebel army under the command of Doux Damianos of Moesia goes to besiege Constantinople.
Alexios sends Protostrator Damainos and a retinue of soldiers to Achaia in order arrest Symmachos. The Basileus' "evidence" has left the Doux of Achaia isolated & he is blissfully unaware of what Damainos' true purpose is when he turns up at Patras Keep requesting a private council with the Doux. Very soon, the Protostrator returns to Constantinople, prisoner in tow.
Alexios decides that the only safe place for a dissenting claimant to the throne is the Oubliette.
Symmachos soon perishes in the Oubilette and his son comes to inherit Achaia. It is clear that Anthimos Batatzes is eager to distance himself for his father's treason & so Alexios allows him to inherit the title.
The Syrians are completely destroyed suffering almost ten-thousand casualties, in what will be remembered as Basileios III's greatest battle. However, as the Basileus led the main charge against the Syrian center flank, an arrow took him off his horse. Despite this, the charge would go on to clear the Syrians from the battlefield & Basil would survive the day... though he would be grievously wounded.
The war in Syria does not go on for much longer. Edessa is completely subjugated & the Syrians are unable to contest any further Byzantine gains. An army of Alexios' reinforcements under the Doux of Moesia are able to successfully oust the Syrians from Cyprus & recapture the Island. Finally the the Syrian Shah concedes defeat & signs a peace treaty with Basileios' heir, Prince Chrysogonos. The Emperor, meanwhile, is being tended for his wounds in Melitene.
The victorious war is met with celebration throughout the Empire. By recapturing Edessa, Basileios III has greatly improved his personal standing among his vassals... but many would consider Alexios' wise management of the army to be an even greater contributor to victory in the war, than Basileios' bold leadership.
In Iberia, Abbad IV continues to expand the influence of Seville, helping the Emirate of Granada ward off an joint invasion from Aragon & Barcelona. In return for his aide, he has claimed the province of Almansa from the Tamimids.
Basil's situation turns for the worst and he fall ill with a fever. Knowing that death is soon upon him, he calls for a jousting tournament at Constantinople to see him off.
Alexios showers himself in Glory at the tournament & catches the eyes of many powerful and ambitious nobles. Many of these influential people prefer to see Alexios as the main catalyst for Byzantine victory in the recent & believe that with him as ruler of the Empire, he can usher in a new golden age for Byzantium.
One such person is Doux Damianos of Moesia, who had used one of the armies Alexios had raised to take Cyprus back from the Syrians. Damianos is the leader of the Glory faction, who seek to install Alexios as the Byzantine Emperor. All they wait for is for the Emperor's strength to finally fail for good.
Seeing this opportunity, Alexios joins Damianos' faction. On the 19th September 1166, Basileios III succumbs to his wounds & illness. Alexios' moment comes.
Prince Chrysogonos inherits his father's crown as Basileus Chrysogonos.
Chrysogonos is an inept leader in most regards. His limited grasp on diplomacy has already been demonstrated to the Imperial aristocracy as his peace treaty with the Syrians failed to secure all of the Byzantine gains in his father's war. He also has little knowledge in regards to administration and while he is a passable commander, he lacks imagination or enthusiasm in ways of tactics & strategy.
Should this immature ruler's reign be allowed to continue, then Byzantium will only have years of stagnation to look forward to.
In response to Basil's succession, Alexios calls a meeting with the Court faction. The Palaiologoi now stand at the verge of true greatness.
Alexios launches in a speech about how the moment has come to depose the false branch of Emperors & restore the Imperial throne to the true heir of Alexios Komnenos. The Glory faction applaud his bold announcement & it clear that they will support his bid for the Imperial throne.
Declaring his claim, that Basil III's usurpation of Kallinikios' throne was unlawful, and thus he is the true successor of Alexios & Ioannikios Komnenos, Alexios demands that Chrysogonos step down as Emperor in favour of him.
Chrysogonos replies with a name-calling letter, denouncing Alexios as a treacherous & shameful creature, along with many other black insults. He refuses to step down, and so Alexios declares war.
The rebellion that breaks out is absolutely one-sided, with Alexios' rebels having a greater & more numerous army, as well as a deeper treasury to fund the war.
Alexios musters his armies in Achaia...
Nikomedia...
And Dyrrachion
However Alexios must end the war quickly, for the Empire's jealous neighbors are eager to act in its' moment of weakness. Syria hungers for Cyprus, Poland & Hungary wish to divide up Byzantine Wallachia and the greatest rival of all, the Seljuk Sultanate, marches into newly reclaimed Edessa.
Alexios arrives at Nikomedia by boat and takes command of the army there, quickly marching to Kyzikos to catch the loyalist forces besieging the province. The army that awaits him is the largest force the loyalists can muster, but they are massively outnumbered, caught unaware by Alexios' forced march & destroyed.
Meanwhile another rebel army under the command of Doux Damianos of Moesia goes to besiege Constantinople.
As Alexios' army smashed into the loyalists, he is able to separate one of the Byzantine commanders away from the majority of his crumbling army.
However the commander is able to get away, fleeing for the battlefield like a dog. Seeing this betrayal & cowardice from their commander, the loyalist army soon joins him in retreat.
Alexios then arrives at Constantinople and takes command of the army besieging the Imperial city, preparing for a grand entrance into his new capital. Moesia is given command of Alexios' army, along with Alexios' kinsman, Nikephoros Palaiologos, the son of his cousin and a renowned tactician.
Damianos & Nikephoros are sent to relieve the province of Paphlagonia which has fallen under siege by loyalist force. On the way, they crush a army sent by Trebizond to aide the Emperor. Soon this war will be over. However Alexios' crushing victories over the loyalists have allowed the enemies of the Empire to attack its' border provinces uncontested...
On the 15th November 1167 Constantinople falls & Alexios leads his army into the city. Prince Staurakios, the heir to the Empire is imprisoned. The rebellion has won, and the continued resistance from the Emperor is meaningless.
Athens falls soon after
And then Nikaea, after a brutal & costly assault by Doux Damianos. Finally Chrysogonos sees the hopelessness of his position, and surrenders.
However, this is not before Syria & Wallachia are lost to the invading Muslims & Hungarians. Furious, Basileus Alexios II begins to prepare the Byzantine army to reclaim these lost territories,
However this will have to come later, first his Imperial coronation awaits.
The Ecumenical Patriarch agrees to support Alexios & acknowledge him as the rightful ruler of the Imperial throne. A coronation by the Patriarch will solidify Alexios' rule & hopefully dissuade any potential rebels.
The Coronation of Alexios II is a truly magnificent event and while Alexios is at the head of the celebrations he also uses it as an opportunity to pick out the greatest threats to his fledgling reign.
One such threat is the tradition faction, whose leader is the weak and incompetent Doux Valerios of Aleppo, who is thoroughly controlled by Doux Staurakios of Thessalonika, a vassal who Alexios singled out as being an open opponent of his reign.
Alexios accuses Staurakios of being a discontent & untrustworthy vassal, and thus unable to rule one of the key Themes of the Empire. He revokes the title & grants it to his Kinsman & wartime ally, Nikephoros Palaiologos.
After a Celebration that spans a number of days, Alexios' vassals prepare to depart from Constantinople. Alexios gives a final speech & it is clear that he is adored throughout the Empire.
Alexios summons his Imperial court. Doux Damainos is granted the position of Protostrator, Doux Akakios of Adrianopolis is appointed as Magistros. Doux Prokopios of Krete retains his title as Skellarios. Doux Pyrros Palaiologos of Cilicia is made Mystikos & lastly Ecumenical Patriarch Euthymios II is given the position of Ecclesiarch.
Alexios also uses the fact that his victory in the rebellion has effectively crushed all opposition to pass a new law that increases the power & authority of the Basileus. It also helps that ever since Basil III, the Emperor had been ruling with absolute authority & could legally pass any law he wanted to with minimal approval from the council.
However Alexios makes sure to sooth things over with his vassals & announces Grand tournament in Constantinople on the same day.
Basileus Alexios and his wife, Amalia, frequently celebrate his rise to absolute power and soon she is wife child again.
Swathes of Knights & Nobility flock to Constantinople in preparation for Alexios' tournament. Alexios is competing in the tournament and has a reputation for being a legendary warrior that all throughout the Empire want to experience first hand.
The influx of visitors to the Imperial city also means an influx of gossip & rumors. The most concerning of these it that the ungrateful Doux Achaia, Symmachos Batatzes, has being talking about how Alexios "unlawfully" usurped the throne from the Komnenoi, using a claim founded upon the weakness & inability of his father to keep his imperial title. If Alexios can claim the Imperial throne in such a manner, that why not he? Surely any ruler would be better than the Palaiologoi, a family who had blackmailed Basileus Ioannikios into giving them extensive power and by their refusal to co-operated with Basileios III, had been responsible for the loss of Syria!
While there may be a grain of truth in these accusations, Batatzes is now a threat to Alexios' rule that he cannot allow.
The Imperial tournament is a glorious event indeed, with Basileus Alexios unhorsing many opponents effortlessly, only to be unhorsed himself in the semi finals by Philaretos Dalassenos, who would go on to win the tournament.
As a reward for his valiant effort, Alexios grants Dalassenos the Barony of Prilep.
Basilissa Amalia gives birth to a son, Kyrillos. As he is born in the purple, he inherits the throne over his older brother, Prince Kallinikos.
A most alarming development unfolds in Iberia. Emir Abbad IV of Seville invades the Tamimid Emirate of Granada, justifying his war by saying that it refused to submit & pay tribute to Seville like Badajoz had done. Abbad easily wins the war & with this victory, Seville becomes by far the greatest power on the peninsular, eclipsing the Christian Kingdoms & Muslim Emirates. Abbad IV declares himself Abbad I of a revived Sultanate of Al-Andalus. He then quickly annexes the Emirate of Badajoz, which had been a tribute state of Seville.
As the Catholic West is thrown into outrage by this dastardly power-grab, Alexios gets his wife with another child.
It a been ages since the Byzantine Empire has truly dominated the Mediterranean trade and instead the position has been usurped & then dived between a number of Italian Merchant republics. The most dominant of these was Venice & Genoa, until the latter was finally brought to heel by the Holy Roman Empire. In its' place, the cities of Pisa & Amalfi have filled in the void in the western Mediterranean, while Venice continued to dominate the East.
However the balance between these cities states abruptly changed during the reign of Kaiser Augustin "the Wise" of the Holy Roman Empire who established the city Ancona, a Holy Roman Vassal, as a rival to Venice. With the might of HRE behind it, Ancona has now completely eclipsed the once dominant Venice to become the main trading power of the East, a settlement that has greatly benefited Ancona & thus the Holy Roman Empire as an extension.
Alexios is intrigued by this relationship & believes it is in the best interests of the Byzantine Empire to follow in suit & create a similar arrangement. To this extent the Basileus sets up the Republic of Cherson, hoping that in time it will come to dominate the Black Sea & give Ancona competition in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Basileus Alexios is approached by his Mystikos, Pyrros Palaiologos, who informs him that he has "come by" a substantial amount of evidence that Doux Symmachos of Achaia is plotting to rebel against the Throne. These include a handful of "eyewitnesses" who will testify against the Doux (and are most certainly not telling fabricated accounts) and a (definitely not forged) letter by the Doux himself that states dozens of different treason & his intent to usurp Alexios throne.
Glad, Alexios tells Pyrros to send out his agents & spread this evidence through every court in the Empire, so that all will know of & support action against the traitor.
It does not take long for Alexios to receive numerous letters from his supporters, all encouraging him to act swiftly & ruthlessly against the "snake".
Alexios sends Protostrator Damainos and a retinue of soldiers to Achaia in order arrest Symmachos. The Basileus' "evidence" has left the Doux of Achaia isolated & he is blissfully unaware of what Damainos' true purpose is when he turns up at Patras Keep requesting a private council with the Doux. Very soon, the Protostrator returns to Constantinople, prisoner in tow.
Alexios decides that the only safe place for a dissenting claimant to the throne is the Oubliette.
Symmachos soon perishes in the Oubilette and his son comes to inherit Achaia. It is clear that Anthimos Batatzes is eager to distance himself for his father's treason & so Alexios allows him to inherit the title.
Alexios how now successfully dealt with two challenges to his rule from his vassals & it seems that the Palaiologoi hold on the throne is secure.
However, soon another challenge arises. The Abbasid Caliph, Al-Rashid, hopes to exploit any instability in the Empire, created by Alexios' rebellion & succession and declares War.
The Caliph is aided by the powerful al-Kesran Shahdom of Azerbaijan
With Cherson beginning to spread its' influence of the Black Sea, the families of Venice are outraged with Alexios for allowing such a potential rival to grow. Alexios cares little & uses this souring of relationships as an excuse to dislodge Venetian influence in Achaia.
As 1170 turns to 1171, the situation in Iberia finally becomes a crisis for the Catholic Kingdoms. Al-Andalus successfully conquers Salmanaca from Castille. However this is the least of the worrying news coming from the westernmost corner of the World...
Al-Andalus has allied with the last remaining Emirate, Cordoba and together they have overpowered the forces of Aragon and Barcelona! Now Emir Utman of Cordoba has crowned himself, the Sultan of Aragon & the Suzerain of Barcelona.
This is truly a Black Day for Christendom. Only Castille & Navarra remain of the Christian Kingdoms; The former has proven itself unable to protect its' borders for Andalusian expansion, while the later is too small to even waste time in conquering. Has Spain been lost to the Infidels?
Hoping to end the war before the al-Kesran can return from fighting against the Thocomer in Alania, Alexios leads a small band of 6000 men through the Syrian desert, to take the Mosque of Karbala, the seat of the Sunni Caliph.
Alexios' plan works. Karbala falls and the Caliph is brought before him. Alexios forces him to sign a peace treaty and then castrates him, as a sign of Byzantine power.
This spreads outrage throughout the Muslim world, that the Byzantines where able to march into the heart of Islam & castrate their Caliph. Alexios expects many more wars with the infields to come, but it is clear who the dominant power of the East is.
In 1173, Alexiso decides that is finally time to start expanding Byzantine influence throughout the East & embracing its' role as the major power. To achieve this, then the Empire's rivals must be removed.
Using the mistreatment of the Greeks in Taron as justification, Alexios declares war on the Seljuk Sultanate.
The Seljuk's quickly respond to the declaration of war by sending a small vanguard force into Edessa.
However Alexios is able to react to this much quicker than the Seljuk's expect and destroys this small force in battle with a much large one.
With this Skirmish won, Alexios begins to move his main armies into Seljuk territory & begins to besiege down Taron.
The Seljuks attempt to push the Byzantines out of Taron, however, they are easily beaten once the main army, lead by Alexios himself, arrives in the province.
Taron soon falls, as Alexios spreads out his armies to subjugate the surrounding provinces. The Seljuks, however, are still not defeated.
The Seljuks are able catch Alexios' largest force by surprise at the Battle of Tella, in Bira. However once again Alexios quickly responds by sending in his armies from Nisibin & Amida to turn the tide of what will possibly the decisive battle.
Reinforcements arrive in time, giving the Byzantines a large numerical advantage. This is enough to win the day!
The Seljuks are repelled, but the battle is not as decisive as Alexios had hoped. Soon they return in full force, putting all their remaining men into attempting to break through Alexios' defensive positions. However this time, the Basileus is prepared & Alexios personally leads the defense of Bira.
The 2nd Battle of Tella starts in a similar manner to the first, with the Seljuk's gaining the initial advantage, until reinforcements arrive to tip the scales. However the armies from Taron & Nisibin are delayed, allowing the Seljuks' to retain their numerical superiority.
Luckily for the Byzantines, Alexios is a quick learner and is already an expert in Desert warfare. He is well learned in the various stalling tactics required to prolong the battle in order for reinforcements to arrive and how to prevent the Seljuks from pressing their number advantage an stealing a quick victory.
Finally the reinforcements from Nisibin & Amida arrive and the battle in won!
Humiliated by their defeats & unable resist the Byzantine conquest of Taron, the Seljuk Sultan surrenders.
This is both a victory for the Byzantine Empire & a personal achievement for Alexios, as his wise command & strategy can claim the biggest responsibility for winning the war. Let's just hope his vassals realize this.
The World is changing fast. As the Muslims are nearing total victory in Iberia, the Christians are growing ever more powerful in the East & South. For the Byzantine Empire, one thing is clear: The Komnenoi Restoration is over, The Palaiologoi Golden Age has just begun.
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