The Crusades (1)
"Rome's national power seems to have recovered considerably."
Archbishop Asporos's remark. In response, Ecumenical Patriarch Michael I nodded.
"It was thanks to God's grace, but also the efforts of Empress Zoe and Emperor Rogerius that divided Rome could return as one."
Ioannikios Keroularios, executed as a traitor. Michael was the son of such a rebel.
Yet the reason he could remain in the position of Ecumenical Patriarch was that he had not responded to his father Ioannikios's plea for salvation.
The retreat of the allied Holy Roman Empire's forces. Simultaneously with their withdrawal, the Bulgarian rebellion erupted in Constantinople.
To suppress this revolt, Magistros Ioannikios had asked for help from his son, Michael I.
But Michael I refused, stating that as a cleric, he would follow God's will rather than blood ties.
Thus, without Michael I's aid, Ioannikios was utterly ruined.
Empress Zoe spared Michael I punishment from the Keroularios family, citing his severance of worldly ties as previously stated.
However, as the final act against the traitorous house, all the family's property and lands were confiscated.
For Michael, material wealth and territory mattered little. What was crucial was preserving his position as Ecumenical Patriarch, which allowed him greater influence.
Placing more value on the spiritual than the material, Michael's ascent to Ecumenical Patriarch was to drive the heathens from this land.
Thus, wealth was unimportant. The seat from which he could uphold God's holy command was what mattered.
In a way, he had kept his vow, so he harbored no grudge for his father's death.
On the contrary, he was grateful to Zoe and Rogerius for helping him retain his role in leading the Crusades.
"The holy war is not far off."
Asporos's words dripped with unwavering faith.
White and black. Good and evil. Angels and demons. Christianity and Islam.
Asporos saw the world as divided, and this schism the work of the devil.
For the fractured world to become one again, the devil must vanish.
The devil in this world was Islam. To restore peace, this heresy deceiving people with its wicked doctrine must be uprooted.
Asporos had lived by such convictions, and Michael had inherited them fully, unburdened by his parents' deaths.
"The holy war... Many Christians will manifest God's will on earth with the blood of heathens."
"For that, we need the help of Empress Zoe and Emperor Rogerius."
"Of course. But to confront this great evil, the power of Eastern Rome alone is insufficient."
Michael's remark. Asporos posed a question.
"Do you have something in mind?"
"A Christian League."
"A Christian League, you say..."
"Not just Eastern Rome, but all who believe in Christ must unite to reclaim the lost holy lands."
"Do you mean the Holy Roman Empire, Leon, Navarre, France, England, Denmark, Poland, Hungary, and even the Tsardom of Rus'?"
"Precisely. Though their doctrines differ, they are all servants following God's will. We will remind them of their sacred duty and urge them to join the holy war—by covenant of God."
The covenant. All that is written in the Scriptures as God's word is the covenant.
In the Bible, God promises eternal heaven to humanity through the new covenant.
This promise means leading those who keep the covenant as citizens of heaven.
In other words, participating in the holy war fulfills the covenant. Thus, they qualify as citizens of heaven.
"Those who die in battle against heathens in the holy war will ascend to heaven..."
Asporos echoed Michael's words in a trance-like, fervent tone. Seeing this, Michael nodded firmly, driving the point home.
"Even the gravest sinner, if they join the holy war and shed blood, will be revered by all Christians not as a criminal, but as a holy being."
The heart of the Eastern Roman Empire.
As head of the executive branch, Empress Zoe was the final authority confirming and approving all matters.
Thus, all information flowing in and out of the empire converged upon her.
"Recently, Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land are suffering persecution from heathens."
"A serious issue."
The many problems befalling Christian pilgrims lately. Not only were they robbed by bandits, but slaughtered as well.
Nomadic tribes like those led by Arslan and Chaur, approaching Eastern Rome's borders, were migrating toward the Islamic Empire.
The reason they abandoned their pastures for settled lands: pastures were vanishing, and their livestock—sustaining their lives—began dying.
With livestock gone, surviving nomads turned to banditry. Naturally, they targeted cities with food and settled folk.
The Levant region, advantageous for trade due to the Mediterranean and fertile for farming, was prime prey for nomads.
Bandits swarmed the Levant as a result. The issue spread to innocent Christian pilgrims, causing civilian casualties.
As a problem near the borders, the banditry could not be ignored. Desiring to dispatch troops, yet it lay within Islamic Empire territory—rash action was impossible.
As Zoe pondered the Levant crisis, another attendant approached cautiously.
"A letter from Michael I, Your Majesty."
The attendant handed it over carefully. Zoe slowly read the letter from Michael I.
In the grace of God, Michael, Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch of the Apostolic Throne,
sends greetings of peace to Zoe, Empress of the Romans, who rules the Roman Empire by God's providence.
The Church knows that Your Majesty's rule upholds both the empire's order and the stability of the faith, and has prayed long for this.
Your respect for orthodox faith in leading the empire is the foundation and comfort allowing the Church to stand with it.
This Patriarch clearly remembers the day of Your Majesty's accession.
At that holy occasion, the Church sent Archbishop Asporos to affirm that empire and Church share one faith.
Also mentioned was the will to restore the Holy Land—under heathen dominion—back to God's order.
This was no fleeting passion, but words received as a duty of faith.
Jerusalem is no mere ancient city. It is where Lord Jesus Christ took flesh, endured suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection, revealing the mystery of salvation.
That holy land remains under Islamic heathens—a wound unhealed for all Christians.
The Church has held this in prayer for ages, avoiding rash judgment.
Yet surveying signs and circumstances, this Patriarch cautiously submits it is time to deeply reconsider this matter.
Not to incite war, but to recognize anew the shared duty to restore faith and order.
Your Majesty governs the empire's might and order; the Church preserves the confession and meaning of faith.
If these missions respect boundaries and unite, the result will not be mere conquest, but restoration of orthodox faith and true order.
The Church stands ready to unite believers' hearts in prayer along this path.
This letter is no demand or haste, but a sharing of past words, the Church's long-held prayers, and the reality before us—for Your Majesty's contemplation.
The Church respects final judgment rests under Your wisdom and responsibility.
May the Father of all, through the Son begotten of Him, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father, grant peace and discernment upon Your Majesty and the empire.
From Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Michael.
Ecumenical Patriarch Michael I
The letter revealed Michael's elegant prose. Amidst the florid language, the intent to Zoe was clear.
The Crusades. A call to reclaim holy Jerusalem for sacred purpose.
This perfectly aligned with the Levant issue Zoe had just pondered. The Crusades offered fine pretext to dispatch armies.
Yet confronting the mighty Islamic Empire alone posed excessive risk.
Eastern Rome had successfully rebuilt post-civil war. But coldly comparing strengths, the Islamic Empire held a slight edge.
The reason: Egypt.
Egypt's vast grain production—once sustaining old Rome—bolstered the Islamic Empire's troops.
Heathen forces scattered widely. Operating in cells, they endured via local foraging.
But massed together, it changed. Armies could not subsist on local supplies alone.
This iron rule bit hardest in food-scarce deserts.
Egypt shattered it. Its immense yields sustained massive hosts.
"I think this is a matter to discuss with Emperor Rogerius before replying."
Rogerius handled military affairs. Zoe moved to consult her husband.