Author: Old Dragoon
Original Thread: Glory, Honor, and Empire - An ERE AAR
Glory, Honor and Empire


Glory, Honor and Empire



Part I: Fight or Die!
My dream for Rome was to restore her to her greatness like the days of Megas Alexandros, the glory days of Rome, or do at least what Justinian tried to do, to give the people back her Glory, Honor, and Empire....Empire...huh...what a joke that had become. You cannot name names or lay the blame on one particular person. Some say Manzikert and the treachery of Doukas against the Emperor Romanos. I say it started before that. What led up to that was like a wine goblet full, and as it takes one drop to spill over was likened to what Manzikert did to Rome. We had lost our glory and honor by selling ourselves to outsiders losing since of what it was like to be Roman. We had becomed diseased and corrupt like the Greeks and Romans before us. You see, history is not linear. It is a cycle with only new players at each season.

That season came to myself Vasilikos and my beloved Emperor Alexius vowed to restore the Empire or die trying. Our oath was fight or die. We didn't think much of dying till the day came when the arch angel of death came for Alexius on the battlefield of the Plains of Konya. It was a slaughter almost to the man with his Varangians winning the day. Only eight survived the battle of more than 3,0000 combined armies.


Only eight! Now it was my turn as the 'pendulum of destiny' swung my way to look death in the eyes and smile right at it. This emperor would do better... I chose to Fight!

***cue up dramatic music***

I stared out of my villa in to streets thinking of the battle of Amasia, where we had stood firm and destoryed the Turkish army under General Soylu. We had fought like lions of old, and won a heroic victory, and the locals living under the treachery of the Turks put up a memorial in honor of the great victory.


Gen. Andreas Komnenus sent me a message on his taking of Konya in honor of Emp. Alexius. It was titled "The Gates of Konya are in Rubble"

Gen. Andreas was my most capable general at the time. We poured tremendous efforts into training the "New Army" as we called it. Actually we borrowed from Macedonians and Spartans of old. We took the pike, flankers (swords, spears, and axes) and cavalry training to new heights. We taught that each has role and must feed off each other, and not one was superior.

No one was superior...Unless you talk to the Pelekyphorai Axemen, our Varangian brothers mainly from Rus. We had them hand picked from mere adolecents. If they shunned discipline or showed weakness we turned them into to slaves. Weakness of any sort would not be tolerated in this Emperor's army especially in my elite units, not to mention the Varangians. They were trained much like the ancient Spartans. '

Once their training started usually 11 or 12 no mercy would be shown. Their handlers were Varangian warriors themselves. Only when they became true Pelekyphorai could they wield the mighty Tzikourian in battle. There was no room for the weak, only the brave and the bold were allowed to be Varangoi. They too must show no mercy as mercy was spared from them. We would have the most ferocious warriors in our army, because I vowed to fight and not to die. I wanted in my army only the brave and only the bold. This army would bring back the Empire from years of rot and decay.

Before Andreas' and I had our first major victories we had allied ourselves with the treachorous Kypchaks who soon after backstabbed us because being to close to their rightful lands according to them after we took Varna. We will deal with them soon. We were also allied with Armenia and Kingdom of Jerusalem. After Alexius had formed these alliances we were invaded by the Kypchaks, the Georgians, the Turks, and the Abbasids. Now the real threat at first were the Turks and the Georgians.

Their next strike came against our forces besieging the large Turkish town of Karaman. Gen. Gunduz of the Turks reinforced the city and sent his horse archers to harrass our troops. Capt. Efthymios led our forces.
Efthymios ordered his heavy cavalry forward meeting the Turkish horse archers outside the walls and before they can harrass the infantry the Roman heavies make quick work though suffering considerable losses***I did not takes screenies of that, so sorry***. The Turks retreat behind the city walls while Efthymios orders a barrage of Trebuchets to bring down the gates.



March on to victory you glorious B***ards!






Our forces took the gates without resistance from the Turks. They like to try to spring surprises, but that day would prove to be their undoing.




Our forces rushed in with bloodlust in their eyes. The veteran Italians rushed in first with their warhammers swinging wildly and with much ferocity.


Not disciplined like our elites, but their ferocity would do. Making quick work of some scattered Turk infantry; Efthymios, who always like to fight on foot, led the regiment of Kontaratoi Pikeman following behind the heavy infantry to mop up the scattered remains of Turkish 'pride.' We would give the a new smile from the edges of our 'kontarion makions.' No mercy would be shown, not one bit


Horses, men, women and children who got in the way of our charge would not be spared. The god's of old said, "Fortune favors the bold..." well we didn't care who said it we were acting on it. Our weapons tore the Turks apart, one Italian used only the spiked end of his hammer, because the Turks had captured his family and had them crucified with nails. Another took to smashing the skulls in of the Turks that fell. The Italians spared no one who fell into their path.

Even the feared Tirpan Azaps fell to the ferocity of the Italians. They suffered the worst. All the Tirpans were torn apart and smashed into unrecognizable goo after they fell before the 'hammers' of the Italians. After the last lifeless Tirpan was smashed like a dung beetle under a hoof, Efthymios cooly and calculating slowly marched his Kontaratois up the main street to the square to seal the Turks fate.


The rest of our forces were sent to mop up any stragglers and slaughter them. Next Eftymios recieved a Turkish arrow through his arse and right testical. He fought on with even more ferocity until another arrow entered through his right knee. Still he fought on driving his men forward, pushing Gunduz's bodyguard back further and further.





Soon Gunduz himself was beggin for mercy from the ferocious 'kontarion makion.' However he found none.




With a simultaneous thrust from more than twenty Kontaratois, the Turkish general fell with no honor.

After the battle we made the city clean up the Turkish dead. We declared that the same fate would happen to them if they did not give up their treasures. They gave up their florins and we killed any suspected of holding out right on the spot.


Over 1,000 were slaughtered by the hand of Capt. Efthymios, who ended up losing his right leg from the battle. He had one of the 'kontarion makion's' made into an artificial leg so he could 'walk on Gunduz' wherever he went.

After the Battle of Karaman, we needed rest. We had fought like the Greeks of old, but we needed to regroup and consolidate. We did not want to push out too far, and have our heads chopped off. The Turks were given a serious wound at Karaman, but they would soon be back, and in greater numbers. Things started getting interesting in world affairs. The mighty Khwarezm Shah launched a sizeable invasion into Kypchak lands so I was told, and gave us time to build up Constaninople's defenses. They were still the only threat besides 'pirates.'


Economic battles errupted in the Georgian frontier, where one of our merchants responsible for obtaining gold for the beloved Empire had his assets seized, buy a shrewd Seljuk merchant known as Hakki Nasir. Seljuk, Ayubbid, and Khwarezm Shah merchants began fanning out trying to destroy our merchant holdings, so I had to hire assassins. It seemed that our merchants didn't have the stomach to provide for their own security.

Because, of the Khawarezm attack on the Kypchaks, they brought their second invasion of Roman lands to a halt, according to our spy ring.

History would deal me a cruel fate for protecing Roman assets, after launching my assassin attack on foreign merchants.

Hakki Nassir was cruelly killed off by my assassin Ignatios Kourkouas. While he was sleeping Ignatios had him bound then ran tube down his throat and dropped baby scorpions down his throat. Nassir reportedly died before the venom could take him. The villain who took out my gold cartel was now out of business permantly. I had his body put on display warning any foreign merchant who tried sieze our merchant's assets.

After Nassir's death, the Muslim world tried to blame Roman assassin's for the death of Ibn Rushd, which is interesting in itself since some Muslim factions wanted him dead for his secular thoughts. This is when I knew Rome's power was once again on the rise, because we were being blamed for other countries problems. Vasilikos the Malevolent was soon to be my name, because of protecting Roman interest. Before I died I vowed to have my way with history itself.

When you become dominant power you get blamed for everyone elses problems. That's just the way it works. With that you are also expected to solve everyone's problem as well. Your own people demand more handouts and this is when you leadership is tested to the max, because you cannot solve everything. Lines have to be drawn, and voices squashed or you can risk losing it all.

All of this started between 1198-1199. Even the Imamate of Oman joined the anti-Roman campaign in 1199 declaring that our relations were 'very poor' because we had kicked the guts out of their friends the 'Turks.'

However, that year brought considerable amount of Joy when I proclaimed my son Stategios Chalintzis 'general' and would soon lead a Thematic army. First he would lead the 'heavy cavalry' under me. Strategios was as red blooded as he was red-headed. He was perfect to lead my 'heavies.' And he told me then that there was nowhere else he would rather be. Fiery Strategios his day would soon come.



After Strategios' appointment, uncertainty from the Abassids and Georgia followed.

We were still re-grouping and strengthening like an asp ready to strike. However, I knew in my heart that the Georgians and Abassids were doing the same. They were going to die and not us! I had the Assassins' Guild constructed. Many in my 'inner-circle' were not happy with this, but the fact remained. Who was going to protect our generals, merchants, and our Emperor?


I don't like idleness. I will not tolerate it. The devil plays there, and though some consider me 'malevolen' it's only because they are the idle ones. Further evidence of Georgian and Abassid movements were shown to me from my 'spy-network.'


Messages and pleas from Constantinople begging me to march to their aid.
I thought to myself, what would Alexandros do? He would assessed the situation found out how many soldiers were fortifying the city compared with the besieging army. I did this and sent a contigent from the neighboring cities of Constantinople to help protect the city. It could hold with a ten year old as general. My message was clear and percise. "You must hold the city, at all cost! I will continue my war with the Turks and whoever else gets in the way. May God protect you and the Empire." The world was about to find out the 'metal' of this Emperor.

The year of our Lord 1200 A.D. started off very troubling. Andronicus Kontostephanos, a general, who led the sea invasion against the Turkish 'belly' from Nicosia died from old age. The most troubling was Strategios' enfatuation for the astrologers. He kept wanting to know if somehow he would be a great general, and perhaps even Emperor. He wanted to know what fate had for him. I tried to tell him I made my fate happen, and by the blessing of God. I felt he should do the same. Hah, young fiery generals always puff themselves up too much.

Then the Turks recoiled on Amasia, but we could hold.



I knew we could hold Amasia, and I thought all was going well with the siege of Ankara. Andreas informed me that it was going to be a 'walk in the park' slaughtering the Crown Prince and his mere 150 men. He did say he wished that a relief force would come and challenge him to make the siege more honorable. Good ol' Andreas always the dramatic and romantic. Always looking for a 'heroic victory' and managing to find it. Well fate more than not favors the bold as well as Fortune.

The next message Andreas sent me was with most urgency, was that the Turks had sent a relief force heading for Ankara! Andreas told me not to worry and it would end up as another heroic victory for God and the Empire.

Along with the Crown Prince's 150 the turks sent three detachments consisting of Capt. Sundak with 156 men, Capt. Berke with 226 men, and Capt. Muhammad with 638 men respectively with a total force of 1,170 against 778 Imperial troops under Andreas. The Turks sent a mix of mostly light infantry and skirmishers along with horse archer and javelin cavalry. Our forces consisted of many hardcore veterans who were better equiped and armoured. If they came at Andreas they would slaughtered, so how would this battle develope? Word came from his scouts that they were nearing the plains of Ankara, so Andreas broke off the siege to meet his foe.

Andreas reasoned that their forces instead of attacking 'en masse' that they would seperate and hit the flanks. So, he sent his Kypchak mercenary cavalry (horse archers and javelines) out to track the movements, while he prepared his infantry lines on a strong defense along a ridge on the far side of the plains nearing the Ankara castle. He achieved a great strategic victory by securing the high ground and forcing the Turks to move against him, and on his terms.

A scout came rushing back screaming, "sire the treachorous Turks intend to hit us on all sides of our line in four points!" Andreas cooly thanked the rider and told him to rejoin his unit and tell his commander to attack the Turkish forces at the north. He told him to attack and withdrawal drawing them in so the heavy cavalry can stike a crippling blow and send them reeling!

Suddenly Ghazi's with their blood curdling yelps came up a draw in view and Andreas ordered his trebuchet's to fire the 'fire pots' at the insane attackers. Andreas turned to his staff, and pointed look at those fools giving us victory. His staff gave him strange looks. He said they are creating the fissure we need to break the Turks wide open. By not attacking simultaneously this gave Andreas enough time to meet each attack the Turks launched at him. Andreas could hold!

The Ghazi attacked with 'blood lust' against the Kontaratoi pike wall only to suffer impalement instead of honor. One Ghazi ran so fast that he didn't realise he was impaled and ran right up to the hands of Kontaratoi gripping the kontarion makion. Before dying he lifted his axe and burried into the head of a Kontaratoi. No other Ghazi was so brave for as fast as they attacked they were sent reeling back by the furry of the Kontaratoi.



The trebuchet commander seeing an opportunity ordered the 'fire pots' to be launched again further sending the Ghazi's to reconsider. Several Ghazi's tasted the affects of the burning liquid against human flesh. Suddenly the air filled with blood curdling screams and stench of burning flesh, but the line held.

During the Ghazi onslaught the Kypchak cavalry engaged the Turkish skirmishing cavalry to the north, and the Horsarii engaged the Turks at the south pouncing on them with spear and sword.

Turkish levy spearmen wildly tried to break through, but the Skutatoi slammed in to them hard driving the spears through their unarmoured bodies mercilessly. They were doing what they were trained to do, some what they were born to do. The Kontaratoi line held, and many since the day the Turkish Gen. Gunduz fell, have called their kontarion makion's 'Gunduz's legs' in honor of Capt. Efthymios.

Turkish cavalry during the onslaught got seperated from their main body only to late realising that Andreas' bodyguard and the Royal Kataphractoi were upon them.

Easily ripping the lightly armoured Turks apart the heavies simply destroyed this Turkish unit nearly to the man.

One Royal rode on and attacked a unit of javelinemen by himself before the rest of of his Royal brothers caught up with him. They say every swat of his mace was sending Turks into a 'spiral death dance.' After the battle he would be admitted into my elite bodyguard.

Andreas vicious reacting to Turkish attacks ended in the Turks reeling and allowing Andreas to work his magic. Having caused a massive laceration in the Turks plans, he launced his counter attacks right at the flanks. The Kypchaks and heavies battered both ends of the Turks relentlessly.

Though suffering losses themselves Andreas' cavalry was still in command of the situation.

Seizing a moment of opportunity Andreas and his bodyguard wildy charged into one of the Captains units. He lunged forward with his broadsword running it clean through Captain Sundak knocking him off his horse. Before Sundak hit the ground he was dead.



Simultaneously as Sundak fell, the Skutatoi and Spathatoi charged home on the already shaken up Ghazi's who had witnessed the Roman fercoity.

The Ghazis fell like flies to Roman spear and sword. Turkish flanks crumbled and a mopping up action resulted. However, once again Andreas' sword struck down another Capt., this time Berke. Andreas cleaved his head from his shoulders in one blow sending the headless corpse toppling over his horse.



Turks desperately trying to escape the rout were struck down.



Even the Crown Prince met his fate on spear thrust by a Skutatoi. The spearmen shouted, "Now my spear has tasted Prince, anyone else want a taste!?" After that the Turks just melted and tried escape the Roman furry of death.

Celebration errupted and our tired and hungry victorious men cheered for their heroic victor, Andreas!

Such battles strengthened our cause for reconquering of Anatolia. Of the 1,170 Turks who fought at the Battle of the Plains of Ankara only 89 escaped death or capture. Our losses were only 214 men. It was a heroic victory and one that will be studied for years to come.

After capturing Ankara castle Andreas slaughtered those who deserved to be slaughtered totalling 1668. These were mainly Turkish resistance, and other treachorous scum. Again, most of the people were jubliant and saw us as liberators. They also errected a shrine for Andreas' victory hailing him as victor. I have to admit I was jealous of Andreas then, but hands down he was my best commander.


The Georgians who had been besieging Trebizond decided it was time for them to attempt at breaking through and sacking the city. Trebizond had held many times before. The Turks had tried countless times but always failing. Now it was time for a Georgian one to fail. The Georgians had good fighters, but like the Turks had bad commanders. Their tactics often did not make sense to us. Their army strength did not equal ours, but we were fighting too many enemies to use our advantages. So, we were on the defensive till the time was right to deal the Georgians a death blow for their betrayal against their Christian brothers.

Our guardian of Trebizond was under the governorship of Gen. Savvas Komnenus with a good solid 876 defenders who were eager to end the irritating siege of the Georgians who brought with them a mere 664 soldiers. Odds were not in their favor. They brought good troops but they needed about double what they brought to really have a chance. About half our troops were veterans and the other half were 'green,' but they were all eager for Georgian blood!

Savvas Komnenus, according to my spies, was not very loyal, but wants power beyond what power he has now. He was in no position for a military coup, becuase the Georgians were not the only threat. The Abassids were another threat as well. We were keeping a great watchful eye on Gen. Komnenus.
Gen. Komnenus, however, was great at rallying his men. On that day Komnenus would do something bold. After his battle speech the men could not wait for the Georgians, and some were cowering. No matter what kind of general you are there will always be heroes and cowards. The goal is to keep the cowards as few as possible, because like a plague they can zap the morale right from your army.

The Georgians approached Castle Trebizond in column and straight for the gate with a 'ram' and siege tower and unit with ladders came charging forward. Archers were ready fill the bellies of the attackers with arrows.

Flaming arrows were aimed at the siege tower and ram in order to burn them to the ground. With that possible accomplishment the siege would end for certain.



Komnenus decided to boldy sally out the rear gate of the castle with his bodyguard and the Horsarii and give the Georgians a nasty surprise. You see it's moments like this when you love Komnenus, and then he does something negative to discredit completely what good he's done.

Meanwhile the Georgian army unaware of the coming surprise sent a heavy spear unit up the ladders to try to frustrate the defenders and give relief to the siege tower and ram.

The battle for the walls was underway, and Komnenus' forces were holding.

Then with a thunderous woosh the siege tower went up! Screams of agony, splintering, cacking wood, and tremendous heat shot force. The Georgian unit pulling the tower could not flee fast enough, and most were killed under the weight of the Tower. It was as if the tower was constructed out of parchment it went up so fast.




"Knights of Rome...Ride, Ride!" cried Komnenus.

Seeing the tower down, Komnenus riding like Alexandros with his 'companions' by passed the tower heading straight for the levy spearmen trying to scurry up the ladder to join in melee on walls of Trebizond.



Fearing a breakthrough the gate the pikemen commander gave orders to assemble at the gate. Skutatois would fall in behind the Kontaratois, so if there was a breakthrough the Georgians would be greeted with a forest of 'cold steel.'

After a massive rout of the Georgian levies, Gen. Komnenus regrouped for another heroic charge.

"On to the gates men, show them no mercy!"

No mercy was given to them, many of the levies were trampled from their rout, but to counter the Georgians rushed in their heavy infantry to counter the perfectly timed charge of Komnenus.





The heavies under Komnenus had to pull back and regroup or risk being slaughtered.



Seeing their 'strategos' in trouble the regrouped Horsarii arrived in time to save their leader.



Covering for their commander the Horsarii performed brilliantly, but soon the weight of the Georgian onslaught began to startle the brave Horsarii.

The battle was still hovering in strange balance and the regrouped levies punched finally through the gates of Trebizond!

The rest of the Georgian army charged home through the main gate trying to put an end to the brave defenders.

The Kontaratoi commander skillfully marched his green pikemen to plug the gate entrance, and fight like lions. He told them whoever stood firm would divide his share of the spoils from the soon dead attackers.

The fight was fierce but the counterweight of the defense was holding, and Roman training was proving victorious again.

The pile of mostly Georgian corpses began stacking up like a dung heap. Men on both sides were slugging it out on top of their comrades like some sadistic ritual.

It was not long before another dead enemey commander from the result of a Kontarion Makion. Greek phalanx tactics, along with superior horsemanship were once again proving the day.

The Georgians like a thunder cloud skurried away from the steel points that were skewering them like mice, and upon seeing the Roman heavy cavalry at their backsides. Only because of the chivalry of the Romans were these barbarians alowed to flee the battle. Many more Georgians would succomb to the Roman pikes before the end of their time.




After the Georgian defeat at Trebizond, it was as if all of Rome had finally woken up. Nationality and Roman pride were once again being displayed, and the people for the most part were no longer ashamed to be Roman. The believed in Constantinople that all hope was not lost, eventhough the horrible Kypchaks were besieging their city. They were no longer asking if the emperor was going to save us, but what can I do to help.

During the later part of the year 1200 A.D. it was reported to me that the Kypchaks and the Turkish Sultanate becam allies. I laughed out and said, "What joke is this!" Those at my headquarters looked at me in astonishment. I told them, "And how does this change the situation? The Turks are almost on their knees, and the Kypchaks will be destroyed at Constantinople." One advisor retorted, "Sire, how can you be for certain?" I said to hime with much sterness, "When was the last time the people asked how they could help and not what is the emperor going to do for us?" The advisor bowed and stepped back not having to reply, because he new he was bested. Those around my desk smiled and swelled with pride. We knew that we were achieving what we had set out to do, and to see it within our grasp was breathtaking. However, there was still a ways to go.



Suddenly a messenger burst in saying he needed to deliver a messag to me at once. I motioned him forward and took the message and read that Trebizond was besieged again by the Georgians. I threw it on the desk, and told the messenger he was dismissed, and sat there for a moment with all eyes on me. I stated we have a Turkish army besieging us, "What can we do!" I shouted. We must hold the line and send a message to them to do the same. "We will overcome these moments, so have faith!" I said.






I thought to myself. Can we win this? Can Gen. Apionas hold the city? Are the people ready for this? I believed with all my heart yes to all of these foreboding questions. We will triumph, and show the world what Rome is made of. If our walls fail, our men will plug it! We have never lost a siege against Constantinople, and we will not now! I looked at a map of the city and still pondered. How will Apionas handle this one?


I also thought about our walls, and how they have always held firm.



I turned to my prayers and giving the city to God. He will protect us as he always had. Later that month a messenger burst in again with news on Constantinople. I opened and began to read...

The Siege of Constantinople:

I carefully read the letter from Gen. Apionas. It was apparent immediately that he had an eye for detail. His grasp for the situation and execution was flawless. He understood the situation and fought with great honor. His report was many pages long and I will summarize his details and give you the "meat" of how it played out. The Kypchaks led by their commander Toqoqan were a ferocious people.

They enjoyed tossing babies of captured enemies into pits of wild hungry dogs for sport. They like the Mongols drink an alcoholic beverage derived from mare’s milk, kumis, assorted dried meats and sausages. They also lived off the land and in their saddles as much as they are able. They have horses with tremendous stamina and train their male children to be warriors from birth. They frequently employ Slavic warriors for infantry duties. They consider everyone around them as inferiors and hold to their pagan ways. They are not afraid to use human sacrifice to appease their evil gods. They also enjoy brutally raping captured women and girls in ways unfathomable.

Toqoqan's force amounted to just 902 warriors against our combined total of 1068. Apionas had 916 men and reinforcements under Capt. Amintas had 152 soldiers. Apionas stationed Capt. Amintas and his men behind the city just in case the Kypchaks decided to get creative.



However, that was not to be. The Kypchak main attack was going to be straight for the main gate on the western side of the walls. The Kypchaks, as ferocious as they can be, were not blessed with siege skills. They did not think things through. They just like to throw themselves at their enemy and let sword and bow decide the day.



It was reported that Apionas delivered an arousing speech to the glorious defenders of Christendom's finest city if not the worlds. The last line of the speech reads...'Be of good cheer men, for our emperor is with us in spirit. He may not be here physically, but do not lose heart because the enemy sends a mere scouting force to try to take God's city! We can hold and destroy the devils army here and now! Our pikes, swords, axes and our ingenuity will show these barbarians who is destined to rule the world!' The 1068 does not tell the whole tale, for the city boasted that many more were ready to pounce on the Kypchaks if they routed the defenders. Would this word come to pass?





Apionas kept his word about our ingenuity and sent one of his trebuchet units out to toss a few stones at the enemy towers approaching. They were merely for terrorizing the enemy and striking fear then for actual strategic purpose. Apionas' plan of battle was simple, but brilliant. He had arranged his men on the walls in hoping of luring the ladder and tower attacks against the lightly armed archers. Once these units were engaged by the enemy then Apionas could send his heavy infantry of Slavs and Spathatois to counterattack, with the Pelekyphoroi axe men and lone surviving Varangian warrior who was one of the eight that survived the battle where Alexius was slain. The gate was guarded by the Kontaratoi pike men at the front and Slavic mercenary warriors and Sapthatoi swordsmen ready to pounce on the flanks of the Kypchaks if they breeched the gates. The trap was set and ready to be sprung. Daylight of the early morning hours cut through the sky and the flickering of arms in the sunlight showed that the battle had begun.



The towers lumbered forward as well as the ladders. All of Apionas’ archers ignited their arrows and fired at the ram and towers coming toward the forward walls. The archer auxillia (famed archers from Trebizond) and the Toxotoi showered them flaming arrows. Many of the troops pushing the ram or towers were ignited as if they were covered in pitch. One soldier at the walls laughed, “I guess they are full of the rotten kumis (fermented mares milk) look how easily they ignite!” The Trebuchet’s then responded with a thunderous whoosh and launched the solid shot and scored a direct hit on one of the towers approx 250 (meters) away. The concussion was great on the tower, and the Kypchaks pushing it actually paused for a brief moment to get their bearing. Resounding cheer rose up from the walls. It seemed to be fate showing us how the day would go wrote Apionas. How true it is when God speaks in your favor. However, death would have its greedy way first.





As the siege towers slowly crept to the walls the enemy Slavic swordsmen raised their ladders up to the walls. Even though our archers were finding their marks they still were making their way up only to find death waiting for them. They took the brunt of what we dish out for them. Suddenly, the tower that was struck by a Trebuchet shot burst into flames from all the fiery arrows, and men were trying to scatter away before they were crushed by the massive burning structure. The ones pushing the tower could not get free in time and were burnt alive. There screams of their burning comrades lowered their morale greatly. They were greeted by Roman jeering. Men were shouting, “Could you come a little closer, I’m not warm yet!” as they took target practice on the fleeing Slavs. One Slav looked like a porcupine he had at least fifteen arrows sticking out of his backside alone. He was still going till one last arrow found its mark through the back of his head. The Kypchaks were still determined to fight on the walls and break Roman spirit.



Apionas sent his cavalry two units of Kypchak mercenary horse archers and Latin mercenary knights to station themselves outside the walls to launch their counterattack on Apionas’ signal. The horse archers lined up within range of the attacking Kypchaks to bolster our archer volleys. It seemed to work. According to Apionas they brought terrible death to the Kypchak attackers. Kypchak reinforcements (mostly cavalry units) could only sit idly by watching in horror as their comrades were having a rough go with their attack.



Suddenly, the tower that caught on fire broke apart and, with a loud crashing sound, came tumbling down crushing a few of the unlucky foes.



The remaining tower made it to the walls, and the trebuchet commander decided to throw some Greek fire at the unfortunate attackers. Again, by sheer luck or God’s hand one of the ‘pots’ struck a unit of Kypchak cavalry from about 450 (meters). Their cries could be heard at the walls.





The first of the Kypchak swordsmen, mainly Slavs, clambered up the ladders and were beaten off. Sheer determination of the attacker kept them coming up the ladders only to be hacked with axes and swords. It was almost like a hellish cycle. Ten warriors would go up and they would be hacked down to their deaths, and ten more would arrive soon after. Again, their determination managed to have few swords actually make it over the walls, but with so few they did not stand a chance. However, the remaining tower’s gate flung open and Kypchak warriors with blood lust in their eyes raged forward over the walls and engaged a small unit of archer auxillia. They were fighting bravely but needed some help from the Spathatoi. The Toxotoi were giving a good account against the Slavs as well. They being lightly clad could swing their axes unencumbered, and with much efficiency. One Slav was struck so many times that he looked like a fountain in some hellish garden spewing out bile and gore along with streams of blood streaming out of his dozen or so wounds.





Another Slav who managed to somehow stay alive and fight for sometime before succumbing had an axe buried in his skull. He killed many of our soldiers before someone buried another axe in his skull.

The fight raged with sword and axe painting the walls blood red. The sound of battle took its toll on the would be defenders who boasted, “I’ll help kill those Kypchaks!” Only the ones committed would fight today, and really we did not need the people getting in the way of our butchers work.



The one remaining Varangian who was called the last Spartan, because he survived the battle where Alexius was killed, got his blood lust raised in the barbaric tradition. He charged the Slavs with such ferocity that the Slavs left who saw this wild ‘death dealer’ tried to escape, and using his war axe like a sickle he was brutally hacking the attackers to pieces. It was hard to tell who was winning at times, because of the gore covering friend a foe alike.



When all hope had reached its apex it seemed that God was putting our men through another test, when the barbarians breeched our gates. Preparing for this Apionas had had the Kontaratoi pike men to guard the gate in case of a breech.



Apionas and his guard rode up to the gates. He bellowed for his Slavic mercenaries and Spathatoi who were not engaged to the gates. The responded as if rehearsed numerous times, and with precision executed their commander’s orders. They are to be commended for their valor under engagement. Apionas then bellowed, “Men prepare to defend your selves! The barbarians are about to breech our gates. Send these devils back to hell!” The Kypchaks became frustrated and sent in their elite heavy archers who released a devastating volley before attacking the walls, caused Roman morale to sink a little bit.



The breech occurred just before noon. Like the sound of a violent thunderstorm the gates were smashed in. Would the pikes hold? Would our beloved city be spared the brutal rape and pillage that befall on us like a plague?

The deafening roar of the attackers blared through the gates only to be met by the kontarion makions. The Kypchaks thought they could break through with their horsemen only realize that impalement awaited them.



Some Kypchaks made it through, and it seemed as is if the pikes were not going to hold. At that moment the Slavic mercenaries and the Spathatoi hit the cavalry flanks as well enemy infantry flanks, and Apionas and his bodyguard joined in the melee hoping to beat back the barbaric surge. At one point the gates were lost and like a relentless wrestling match they grappled back and forth.





At last the Kypchaks grew weary and their morale wavered after being hacked and skewered. The pikes were devastating to not only to the horse but to the enemy infantry. Finally, they were succumbing.





With a great cry the Kypchak commander was brought down. Either by the guard or pike it was not for certain. Toqoqan was almost unrecognizable after he fell. His corpse was crushed under the weight of the route that began after he fell. In fact it is not known how many, but there were many killed from the chaos that ensued. Many were trampled to death because of the panic.





The panic stricken Kypchaks were running for their lives only to be hacked down by the Roman blood lust that ensued. No one was spared but only if they got away.










The remaining Kypchak cavalry was brutally hit on its flank by Apionas’ cavalry. They managed to route the Kypchak cavalry only with heavy losses themselves. The slaughter finally stopped by three in the afternoon. The men were exhausted and had killed enough for the day, but what a day it was. The enemy only managed to only salvage 170 men out of their original 902. A great victory had been achieved. Apionas informed me that he had tried to ransom the prisoners, but the Kypchaks refused and had no choice but to execute them.







I was not bothered by this since they are such a brutal people. Since Apionas’ saved our beloved capital from brutal rape and pillage I ordered that a victory parade be given in honor of Apionas’ the savior of Constantinople. Long live Apionas! I decreed.