New Updates: April 2024

Dear readers, 

I am deeply grateful for your unwavering interest in this blog, even during my occasional lapses in diligence. Your support has been instrumental in the blog's success, with over 20 K views. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Since our last interaction, I have been diligently active, contributing several insightful articles to my page on Academia. These pieces delve into various aspects of naval history, shedding new light on our understanding of the past. I am excited to share these notes with you. 

 https://www.academia.edu/111701661/Early_War_Galleys

The following article provides detailed information about a particular craft, covering its dimensions, design, and displacement. Additionally, it comments on the craft's functions during times of warfare, peacetime, and limitations during sailing seasons. The article also discusses the craft's ability to steer at night, its operational range, speed, and how the crew is provided with water. Lastly, the paper concludes by providing notes on coastal shipping, beaching, life expectancy, and visibility.

https://www.academia.edu/114642803/Byzantine_Contribution

The article delves into the development of East Roman warships, tracing the evolution of naval tactics and technological advancements that led to the construction of formidable fleets.

https://www.academia.edu/116455561/Latin_Galleys_Horse_Transports_and_Purpose_Built_Oared_Craft_Medieval_Advanced_Technology_in_the_Wine_Dark_Sea

The article examines the advancements that enabled Latin galleys to dominate medieval naval warfare between the 12th and 15th centuries.

https://www.academia.edu/117426402/Vettor_Fausto_s_Quinquereme

The article discusses a significant historical experiment from the sixteenth century, which involved building a super-large galley that was rowed using a unique technique called "alla sensile." This technique was based on five oars per bench. Vettor Fausto suggested building a colossal warship that would be equipped with a powerful cannon. This idea eventually became part of a successful strategy that led to the development of the galleasses of Lepanto.

 The first three articles are part of Chapter 1, which is about early medieval war galleys. These ships played a significant role in shaping naval warfare during that period. The last article is part of Chapter 2, which is dedicated to late medieval war galleys. The introduction of gunpowder artillery on warships was a watershed event that impacted naval strategies and tactics.  

Additionally, I'm working on the chapter that describes the Fourth Crusade. I've divided the narrative into three parts to report the events that took place in Venice, Zara, and Constantinople. As I'm working on part 3, I find myself constantly checking my sources and focusing the plot on maritime affairs. This process is challenging but rewarding, and I hope I will be through in a few weeks.

Fall of New Rome 3

Currently, I am meticulously filtering the data for a new chapter, where the insights of Geoffrey of Villehardouin and Robert of Clari play a pivotal role. 

Villehardouin, being intimately connected to the crusade leadership, provides us with invaluable insights into the treaties, secret meetings, war councils, and military tactics. On the other hand, Robert of Clari, an ordinary knight with a burning desire to liberate Jerusalem, serves as our window into the mood of the crusading host, military collisions, and the partition of the booty.

 I am still determining the plot, but it should include a description of the main events of the Fourth Crusade and its implications on the political climate in the Eastern Mediterranean and the emergence of the Venetian Empire. 

My latest scholarly endeavor involves translating my article, The Byzantine Contribution to Maritime Warfare, and preparing an engaging Zoom lecture on the same topic. This work is a testament to my commitment to sharing knowledge and fostering a deeper understanding of historical maritime warfare. See https://www.academia.edu/114642803/Byzantine_Contribution

I will add a few notes from my previous article, Early War Galleys, about their dimensions, design, and displacement. See https://www.academia.edu/111701661/Early_War_Galleys

Looking ahead, I am excited to delve into editing a new article exploring the evolution of Latin galleys from the 11th to 15th centuries. This upcoming project promises to shed new light on this fascinating topic.

Fall of New Rome 2

I continue assessing the data collected on the Fourth Crusade, especially its diversion to Constantinople and the sack of the Queen of Cities. I began writing notes, groping my way to understanding the events. 

Donald E. Queller & Thomas F. Madden's "The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople"  traces the whole enterprise from its proclamation by Pope Innocent to the inception of the Latin Empire on the ruins of Byzantium. I accept the author's conclusion that found no clues for the malicious plot on the part of Venetians or Philip of Swabia against the Eastern Roman Empire. I disagree with those who search the Roman emperors to blame for the destruction of their power. Though politicians tend to make erroneous decisions, the diversion of the Crusade was a gamechanger ushering in a vicious circle of crime. 

Now, I reread Geoffrey of Villehardoiun's chronicle about the conquest. He seems to be a knowledgeable source for the train of events. We can rely on him for figures,  dates, and motives as he seems to base his plot on previous notes. 

My guess is that when the barons' envoys arrived in Venice, they had a vague idea about the logistics of the future crusade. They could only present their chivalric enthusiasm and hope that the doge would help them fulfill their dream. Enrico Dandolo talked business. He figured out the size of the fleet required for this outstanding enterprise and picked up the target, Egypt. He also used crusading rhetoric but did not forget about the commercial boost of his hometown, which he hoped to raise to new heights. The inability of crusaders to pay their debts gave the doge enormous power to use the host of warriors as pawns in his geopolitical game. 

The Fall of the New Rome (1)

The Sack of  the New Rome on a Venetian mosaic

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frammenti_di_mosaico_pavimentale_del_1213,_09.JPG

 I have finished collecting data about the sack of Constantinople by a crusading army in 1204. The material is so extensive that it covers about one and a half "notebooks." By a "notebook," I mean up to 150 pages completed in Colibri 11. I have found several sources compiled by the witnesses, both Roman and Latin. 

On the Roman side, we have the superb "Annals of Niketas Choniates," the insider report of a Byzantine historian based in Constantinople who endured the siege and fall of the Queen of Cities. I reread this account and can't help admiring his style and vigor. I will adopt some of his descriptions in other narratives. 

 In the following extract, Niketas refers to the emperor Alexios III Angelos as an unscrupulous pilot plunged in adorable pastime and sensitive to courtly flattery:  

"Like a steersman compelled by the waves to let go of the rudder, he withdrew from the administration of public affairs and spent his time wearing golden ornaments and giving ear to, and granting, every petition of those who had helped raise him to power."

Next week, I will re-edit a new chapter of my project, consisting of the Byzantine contribution to maritime warfare and the technological breakthrough during the second half of the first millennia C.E.  The first part focuses on dromons and East Roman galleys. In contrast, the second half discusses a novel approach to shipbuilding and the lateen sail. When I am through, I will upload the article on my page on the Academia site

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

The Catalan Dominance in the Western Sea

Mariano Barbasán Laguerue 

King Pedro of Aragon at the Pass of Pass of Panissars

I have nearly completed the draft of a new chapter telling the story of the Crusade against Aragon undertaken by Philip, king of France, with the papal endorsement in 1285. As personal matters played a significant role in the train of events, I put the ousting of Charles of Anjou from the Sicilian throne as one of the main reasons for this enterprise. 

Admiral Roger of Lauria cast a long shadow on Catalan maritime activities, and my account devotes some time to his tactics, especially in the Battle of Las Formigues. The ill-fated Crusade ended with the French recognition (de facto) of the Catalan dominance in the Western Mediterranean Sea. I follow the plot issued by Ramon Muntaner's Chronicle. 

My next topic is the sack of Constantinople by the participants of the Fourth Crusade. I've just started collecting the data. I will speak briefly of the zigzags of the Crusade and focus on the amphibious activities of the Venetian fleet. 

I re-edited a piece titled "The Byzantine Contribution to Maritime Warfare." I will upload it on the Academia site. Still, I have to decide first what to do with another piece devoted to the technological transition in shipbuilding during the VI-XI centuries. 

I prepared a third and final Zoom lecture of the cycle, "A Tale of the Two Watercraft Brands." I will deliver it on January 15th under the auspices of the Institute of Integration.