A History of the Crusades-Vol 2 Read Online Free PDF Page B

of arms fell
into Turkish hands; and the harems and slave-markets of the East were filled by
the younger women and children captured on that day.
    Raymond and his escort managed to reach the
little Byzantine port of Bafra, at the mouth of the river Halys. There they
found a ship to take them to Constantinople. The other knights fought their way
back across the river and arrived at the coast at Sinope. From there they
travelled slowly by the coast road, through Byzantine territory, to the
Bosphorus. They reassembled at Constantinople early in the autumn.
     
    1101: The
Results of Mersivan
    Public opinion amongst the Crusaders, seeking
to find a scapegoat, laid the blame for the disaster upon the Byzantines. Count
Raymond, it was said, was obeying the Emperor’s instructions when he led the
army out of its course to perish in a prearranged Turkish ambush. But in fact
Alexius was furious with Raymond and his colleagues. He received them politely
but icily and made no secret of his displeasure. Had the Crusade won for him
Kastamuni and the Paphlagonian interior, he might have forgiven it; but he was
far more anxious to secure the direct road to Syria, to safeguard his
reconquests in the south-west of Asia Minor, and to enable him to intervene in
Syrian affairs. Moreover, he had not wished to embroil himself in war with the
Danishmend emir, with whom he had opened negotiations to buy the person of
Bohemond. The folly of the Lombards ruined his scheme. But the disaster had
more serious effects. The Christian victories during the First Crusade had
damaged both the reputation and the self-confidence of the Turks. Now both were
gloriously recovered. The Seldjuk Sultan was able to restore his domination
over central Anatolia, and soon he was to establish his capital at Konya, right
on the main road from Constantinople to Syria; while Malik Ghazi the Danishmend
continued his conquest of the Euphrates valley, to the borders of the County of
Edessa. The land-route from Europe into Syria was blocked again both for the
Crusaders and for the Byzantines. Moreover, relations between the Crusaders and
Byzantium had worsened. The Crusaders insisted upon considering the Emperor as
the author of their woes, while the Byzantines were shocked and angered by the
stupidity, the ingratitude and the dishonesty of the Crusaders.
     
    1101: The
Nivernais and Aquitanian Crusades
    It was not long before the results of the
disaster were apparent. A few days after the Lombards had set out from
Nicomedia, a French army arrived at Constantinople, led by William II, Count of
Nevers. He had left his home in February and, travelling through Italy, he had
crossed the Adriatic from Brindisi to Avlona. His army gave an excellent
impression as it marched through Macedonia owing to the strictness of its
discipline. The Count was cordially received by Alexius; but he decided not to
linger at Constantinople. He had probably expected to join forces there with
the Duke of Burgundy, whose neighbour he was at home, so hurried on as quickly
as possible in the hope of overtaking him. When he reached Nicomedia he learnt
that the Crusade had gone on to Ankara, where he arrived towards the end of
July. But at Ankara no one knew the whereabouts of the Franco-Lombard army.
William therefore turned back, to take the road to Konya. In spite of the
difficulties of the journey through country that had not recovered from
devastations at the time of the First Crusade, his army advanced in perfect
order. Konya was now held by a strong Seldjuk garrison; and William’s attempt
to take the city by assault was a failure. He realized that it would be unwise
to delay there and moved on. But meanwhile Kilij Arslan and Malik Ghazi learnt
of the appearance of this new enemy. Hot from their triumph over the Lombards
they hurried southward, probably through Caesarea-Mazacha and Nigde, and
reached Heraclea before him. The Nivernais troops marched slowly eastward from
Konya. Food was short; the wells