Chapter 377 266: Cilicia
Alexios looked at Eric again. "I hope this will be a transaction, one from which I stand to gain something."
"Of course. I hope this transaction will be mutually beneficial," Eric said with a nod.
"Only Anatolia is of any benefit to me. I know the city of Jerusalem is important to Christ, to the Pope, to the Franks, and to the Teutons, but the memory of it has grown very faint for the Greeks. The last emperor to rule there was Emperor Heraclius.
If I provide you with supplies and help you conquer Jerusalem, will you recognize my right as the successor to Emperor Heraclius?" Alexios said with a smile.
"Your Majesty's predecessor, Emperor Constantine, once ruled Paris and all of Gaul, Spain, England, Wales, and Italy. I wonder, do the kings and princes who rule there now recognize your claim to those lands?" Eric responded with a smile.
Alexios smiled. "A wise answer. Once, old Rome or new Rome ruled every corner of the known world.
However, a claim that hasn't been enforced for several centuries is no longer a claim. We have prospered for over four hundred years without Jerusalem, and even without most of Syria. We can do without it in the future as well.
We cannot, however, fare so well without Anatolia. That land was lost only recently.
I am not yet an old man, but when I was born, our Emperor still ruled lands as far as Armenia.
Let us speak of a compromise, then. You Holy Warriors will recognize our claim to the Empire's borders as they stood seven years ago—the borders that existed before the Seljuk Turks defeated us at Manzikert.
In return, we will recognize your right to conquer any lands beyond that border. I will command the port cities along the southern coast, and the islands the Empire still controls, to provide you with supplies.
However, the Empire has precious few port cities left on the southern coast. And since we have lost our land territories in the south, those few surviving cities may have ideas of their own. They are more concerned with their own preservation than with my commands and may not be so obedient.
Therefore, do not expect me to provide you with perfectly convenient or ample assistance. Do not bring your troubles and complaints to my door. This is not a matter of ethnic conflict, not a sign of some innate wickedness in the Greeks, nor of any natural contempt or hatred for the Franks and Teutons. It is simply the crushing pressure of reality.
I ask for your understanding and your assistance in this. I know you have the ability, and I believe the Normans are more... flexible than the average Frank," Alexios stressed.
"I will do my best. In return, I hope that after the Holy War ends, the Empire will open its borders with the Norman territories in Syria, allowing for free movement of peoples."
"The Empire's southern territories in Anatolia are almost completely lost," Alexios said, shaking his head. "If Greeks wished to travel to Syria, they would have to go by sea. No Greek is willing to pay such a high price to settle in the lands of a foreign people, even if they are our kindred."
"But the Armenians of Cilicia might be interested," Eric said.
Roughly two centuries ago, seeking refuge from the raids of the Seljuk Turks and their encroachment on the Armenian Highlands, great numbers of Armenians, guided by the Byzantine Empire, migrated from their homeland to the region of Cilicia in Anatolia in search of peace and security.
But after Manzikert, the Byzantine Empire descended into civil war and lost its control over Anatolia. It could no longer fulfill its promise to provide the Armenians with powerful protection, forcing the settlers in Cilicia to fend for themselves.
A long history of harsh treatment by the Byzantine Empire had made the Armenians increasingly resentful. Now, the Empire's rule over Cilicia is in name only.
"The Armenians of Cilicia are outraged that the Empire abandoned them to face the Turkic people alone after Manzikert. My authority over them is extremely limited.
One might even say it is purely nominal." Alexios was reluctant to speak of the Armenians of Cilicia, as their plight was a source of shame for the Empire.
Seven years ago, who could have imagined that this powerful Empire would collapse so completely in such a short time.
"It is the name we require. We will act in your name, offering aid to the Armenians of Cilicia, driving the Turkic people out, and compensating for the long absence of the Empire's protection.
Our offensive against the Turkic people in Cilicia will complement the Empire's own offensive in the north. The Seljuk Sultan Malikshah is preoccupied with attacks from the East, and the fractured Turkic forces in Anatolia will be thrown into disarray by our assault.
Besides, has not Mansur Bey, the brother of Suleiman, the new ruler of the Anatolian Turks, already appealed to you for aid?
We can easily tear Anatolia apart."
"I'm afraid there's more to it than that. Every Norman has a near-frenzied lust for land. I have one such Norman in my own court—an outstanding Norman Knight, an excellent Norman General—but he would do anything for land.
The moment I lower my guard, he will find a way to make himself a King."
Eric knew at once that the Norman Alexios was referring to was the Imperial general he had met earlier, the Norman named Russell.
"When the Empire is capable of assuming control and providing proper protection for the Armenians, we will hand over Cilicia," Eric stated.
"I hope that will be the case."
Alexios had no intention of rebutting Eric.
As for the matter of Cilicia's ownership, it was already in the Empire's hands, but since the Empire was indeed unable to provide proper protection for the Armenians there, it was self-governed by Armenian nobility, despite nominally belonging to the Empire.
'What's the difference, then, between handing it to the Normans and letting the Armenians rule it?'
For the Armenians, an empire that could not protect them was useless; their formal secession was only a matter of time.
And for the Empire, Cilicia was on the furthest fringe; even if they did control it, it had little value at the moment.
The Empire's top priority was to reconquer eastern Anatolia.
"Let our talk end here. Now, it is time to enjoy dinner." Alexios clapped his hands, and attendants, who had long been waiting behind a screen, immediately emerged, bringing forth the prepared meal.
From small, salt-cured olives to honey-roasted quail, lamb, mussels, and oysters, to a creamy porridge made with eggs, honey, and pine nuts, along with wine as fragrant as balsam.
An attendant approached Alexios and Eric, holding a tray. It held not food, but knives and forks.
Alexios handed a knife and fork to Eric. "The Greeks use these as eating utensils. We call this a fork. Even the Arabs and the Turkic people have adopted them, which speaks to what a fine and popular invention it is.
You will soon find you cannot dine without it."
As he spoke, Alexios used the knife to cut a piece of meat, then used the fork to spear a piece of lamb or a dried apricot, dipping it into a rich sauce or olive oil. The olive oil was a pale green, like liquid glass.
"Quite clever indeed."
Eric followed his host's example. The fork was exquisite, its ivory handle inlaid with tiny, colorful mosaic tiles.
(In eleventh-century Western Europe, people typically cut meat with a knife and then used the knife tip and their fingers to bring it to their mouths. The use of forks was more common in the Byzantine Empire and the Middle East, especially among the nobility and royalty, and would not become widespread in Western Europe until the fifteenth century.)
"The Empire's war with Giscard is over. The news is still fresh; I've been trying to keep it contained. I plan to announce it at the triumph next month. Though it was not a complete victory like the one over the Pechenegs, the news will serve as a much-needed morale boost for this somber Empire, offering a ray of hope.
A total military victory was not achievable, but political maneuvering can compensate for that. The methods were less than savory, perhaps, but the result is gratifying."
"He won't give up, not as long as he's alive."
"Yes, but not all the men of the Outville Family follow his lead unquestioningly. Giscard has taken far more than he was ever due, and because of him, other Outvilles have lost what should have been theirs.
Jealousy and hatred cling to them like embers. It would take but a gentle fanning to make those embers ignite all of Apulia. And even if the flames don't consume Giscard, they will be more than enough to scorch him.
Today, I received a letter from Bohemond. He will soon arrive in Constantinople to join the cause of the Holy War.
Perhaps this is but the prelude to turmoil. Even Giscard's most loyal son has lost faith in him. Bohemond is a worthy adversary, an outstanding general. He may be slightly inferior to Giscard, but Bohemond has the advantage of youth.
It is a pity Giscard annulled his marriage to Bohemond's mother. He is now a bastard, and the Norman lands are set to fall into the hands of a half-Lombard. The Normans of Apulia have long been displeased with this.
It's just that Giscard's Lombard wife holds great sway over him. What are your thoughts on the matter? I have heard you are on poor terms with your own father."
"I will not ignore what is rightfully mine. While I was on the damp borders of England, he was basking in the Apulian sun." Eric sliced a piece of meat from his quail.
"After you have concluded your affairs in the East and returned to Italy, should you take an interest in Apulia, I would be happy to offer my assistance," Alexios said with a smile, raising his goblet.