Making Rome Great Again or how I was born as Constantine IX, Emperor of the Romans ch 29 (Historical Fiction SI)

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HistoryMarche - Makedonian Renaissance - 2-Hour Documentary

With the recapture of Jerusalem, shockwaves reverberated not only across the Empire but throughout the entire oikumene. The Emperor dispatched messengers across the realm, proclaiming the joyous news that Jerusalem had been reclaimed. Church bells rang in triumph across the great cities such as Antioch, Nicaea, Constantinople with cries of victory echoing through the streets. The Symbasileus, Constantine VIII, declared three days of celebration in the capital, with feasts funded personally by him and his son. In the west, his son also proclaimed a holiday for his troops, allowing them to share in the momentous occasion.

In Rome, Pope John XVI sent a letter to the Emperor, stating: "We lift our hearts to God, giving sincere thanks to Your Imperial Majesty for the victory of Christ's blessed children."

Otto III, Kaiser of the Germans, upon hearing the news, also declared a day of celebration, personally attending a mass to commemorate the event. The recapture of Jerusalem ignited a wave of zealous fervor across Europe, a frenzy that would eventually culminate in the Reconquista, driving Muslims out of Europe and North Africa. But that is a story for another time. In this documentary, we will focus on the immediate aftermath of the recapture of Jerusalem.

The recapture of Jerusalem was a blow the Fatimid Caliphate could not take lightly. Jerusalem was not only the site where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was believed to have ascended to heaven but also a cornerstone of legitimacy for every Caliph. For the young Caliph Al-Hakim, this loss was intolerable, despite his tender age. The shock reverberated through the Fatimid court, briefly uniting warring factions. In response, an army was organized to reclaim Jerusalem from the Romans.

The Emperor, anticipating such a reaction, prepared accordingly. As the celebrations died down, he ordered Jerusalem to be fortified. Coastal cities such as Jaffa, Acre, and Tyre were expanded to facilitate the movement of troops and supplies. While the Emperor longed to take the offensive, the Roman supply lines were stretched perilously thin. Instead, he resolved to force the Fatimids into attacking him on his terms.

The Fatimid army, led by Al-Hasan ibn Ammar al-Kalbi, a chief of the Kutama Berbers, marched out of Egypt with the intent to retake the holy city. Their first target was Gaza, a coastal city along their route. The garrison at Gaza, overwhelmed, opened its gates and was taken prisoner. Strengthened by their victory, the Fatimid host pressed onward.

The Emperor's strategoi urged him to intercept the Fatimids en route, but the Emperor refused to move prematurely. He knew that every inch of land the Fatimids advanced would strain their supply lines and deplete their forces. Instead, he selected a battlefield an elevated hill overlooking a marsh where he would make his stand. The hill hosted a rest house for Norman pilgrims called Montgisard. It is from this battle, witnessed by Norman Pilgrims, that would start the flames of zeal in Europe. 

As the two armies met, Basil had shrugged off his usual caution, and ordered the True Cross brought forth. Dismounting from his horse, he kissed the cross in front of his troops, igniting a wave of religious fervor among his soldiers. The army, already gripped by zeal, was stirred into a fever pitch as the Basileus mounted his horse once more and gave the order to charge. The Fatimids, caught off guard by the unusually aggressive tactics of the famously cautious Basil, scrambled into battle formation. The battle began as the Roman cavalry descended the hill, archers supporting their advance. The Fatimids dug in, their own archers loosing volley upon volley on the Romans. However, the elevation of the Roman position and the marshy terrain below hindered the effectiveness of the Fatimid archers.

The charge was devastating, the Fatimids ranks buckling underneath Cataphract lances. But ibn Ammar's troops were veterans, fellow Berbers that he had fought on campaigns with. They dug in, and a melee followed. Thus, the Emperor directed the infantry forward to support the cavalry. Headed by the axe-wielding Varangian guard, they cut a path through the Fatimid lines. ibn Ammar then summoned for his Turkish and Daylamite allies to support him, having been standing in reserve. 

However, instead of supporting him, the foreign mercenaries left. 

The morale of the Fatimids broke, and ibn Ammar was killed at field. The mercenaries instead returned to Egypt, and forced the Caliph to cement their power over him. The battle was won. 

The Battle of Montgisard, as it would come to be known, was a resounding victory for the Romans. The Fatimid threat to Jerusalem was decisively repelled, and the city remained firmly in Roman hands. The Norman pilgrims who had witnessed the battle carried tales of Roman valor back to Europe, which as mentioned, helped in fanning the Reconquista, but also cautioned their fellows from openly fighting the Romans. The day after, the Emperor retook Gaza from the Fatimids, and ordered for consolidation of the conquered territories. 

With no army left to challenge them, and without loyalists to help him, Al-Hakim sent a ceasefire offer to the Emperor. Wishing to fortify his gains, and not possessing any real means to launch an offensive into Egypt, the Emperor accepted. As the conflict died down, a new one threatened to flare up. 

We must now look back to 996 where the Kaiser of Germans, Otto 3, engineered for his cousin Bruno of Carinthia to become Pope. The German was an offensive sight for the Romans who then rebelled under the leadership of Crescentius the Younger, member of the prominent Crecentii clan. Crescentius drove Bruno out, and a new pope was installed with the support of the Emperor, John XVI. There is a sense of comedy here for John, previously, Ioannis Philagathos, was the former tutor of Otto and had been sent by the Kaiser to negotiate for an Imperial marriage between himself and Zoe Makedon. The marriage had fallen apart however as Zoe famously fled Constantinople rather than accept the marriage. Disappointed, Ioannis hoped that the Purpleborn would change her mind in a few years, and sailed back to Italy. But upon setting foot in Rome, he was proclaimed Pope. 

Otto had been unable to respond to this blatant usurpation, having been preoccupied by rebellions inside his German territories, particularly from Slavic tribes in the east. But as the years went on, Otto was able to bring them to heel. With his army available and path clear, Otto sought to restore his cousin to the Papacy and thus marched south. 

Knowing full well that the Kaiser was coming, Crescentius sent desperate letters to the Emperor asking for aid. Crescentius had rebelled against Otto before, and had failed. Otto had granted him mercy then. In this one, there would be no mercy now. With a stronger Empire to call upon, Crescentius swore loyalty to Basil, among other things. The letter would arrive at Basil's desk late in the year. Convening with his generals, the Emperor agreed to intervene on the matter. However, the situation in the Levant was still delicate and challenges was starting to crop up in the consolidation as most of the territories hadn't been Roman since the days of Heraclius. Basil, a micromanager, instead sent a letter west. 

In it, he authorized his nephew to act on his behalf. And thus, the Domestikos ordered his troops to break camp and prepare to head west. At the same time, the Kaiser had long since arrived at Rome, and had besieged it. 

The confrontation will be discussed in our next video: The Battle of Rome.

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A/N: This and the last chapter was meant to be a filler one. Next one, we return to Constantine's POV