Monday, September 2, 2024

The Umayyad Siege of Constantinople (1)

 I was not satisfied with the previous draft of this chapter, so I decided to conduct new research and found new features.

I started by creating a new database and I am currently in the process of gathering valuable information and developing content for a future narrative.

As I mentioned before, I will not reference "Greek Fire" in this chapter. However, I am considering the possibility that Byzantine sailors could have used less technological methods, such as fire arrows or grenades hurled or launched by catapults, to burn enemy ships. I will be examining Arabic sources for the negotiations between Leo III and the Arabic commanders, although it's worth noting that these late accounts may not be entirely reliable. The same refers to the Byzantine sources.

  Additionally, I have added a new book to my reading list: "A Sailor's Life for Me: the Middle Byzantine Sailor on Board and at Port" by Zeynep Olgun. This book, which is the author's thesis for the Central European University, explores various aspects of sailors' lives during the seventh and twelfth centuries. I may incorporate some of the collected material into the Prelude to my project, particularly the chapters about the sea, the sailor, and the port. You can find out more about this book

https://www.academia.edu/93477259/MA_Thesis_The_Middle_Byzantine_Sailor_on_Board_and_at_Port

I want to merge two chapters discussing early and later galleys. Both describe the technical aspects of oared ships, including dimensions, design, seaworthiness, functions, and other parameters. It would be beneficial to compare them in a single paper. However, I'm concerned that this combined account might be too long and more focused on a technology-oriented audience.


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