Speaking of the Cretans, are the Cretans of this time still as famed for their archery as their ancestors did in the antiquity?
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If a 16th century Englishman described the Cretans as good archers,that's a high praise indeed!Speaking of the Cretans, are the Cretans of this time still as famed for their archery as their ancestors did in the antiquity/
That englishman's last sentence is a pretty apt description of Cretans today as well.If a 16th century Englishman described the Cretans as good archers,that's a high praise indeed!
The cretan bow was a composite one, reinforced with horn from kri-kri ibexes. They had been tinkering with these bows since antiquity and continued to improve them. Even though they had access to crossbows they didn't replace their composite bows. That will be an interesting showdown: cretan vs turkish composite bows.
Besides, neither the Savoyards nor the Byzantines had a fleet that could sustainably interdict passage across the Straits, but the Lascarids do have one that do just that.Then it is the matter of naval power. It is true that the Byzantines holding Gallipoli after the Savoyard Crusade didn't accomplish anything. However, they held just the city itself, not the whole peninsula and they had no ability whatsoever to use Gallipoli as an offensive base. But if Alexandros Philanthropenos captures the whole peninsula, restores the 6km justinian wall at the neck and uses is as an offensive base? That's a whole different thing.
Who would that be? Neither Philip nor Louis have reason to follow Blanche here.Interesting development so far.
One thing I remembered, something @Laskaris hasn´t done here, the new queen coming to her new home with siblings and friends and these becoming influential in their new home, like Joscelin of Louvain founding the House of Percy in England. Could have been interesting, but didn´t happen.
Now that you mention it Louis was the one to bring the Navarrese company to the Balkans OTL...It had already happened. The Philanthropenos clan(family of Alexandros I’s wife)…..who is now arguably the most influential family after the Lascarids. Didn’t happen with the Palaiologos and Angevins for very good reasons while the House of Evreuse have plenty of land at least for this generation.
Valentina the queen of Cyprus was the sixth of the legitimate children of Bernabo. Valentina the daughter of Gian Galeazzo was the duchess of Orleans born in 1371.Slight correction here, Valentina was the daughter of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Bernabò's nephew who eventually overthrew him in 1485. Bernabò did have a daughter named Valentina but as she was illegitimate i don't think she would be considered an appropriate marriage partner for a king, even one on the verge of loosing his throne.
The first marriage already took place so cannot go up in smoke. The second... Theodore becomes 18 in 1382, his prospective wife will be just 10.Depending on the planned time scale for those weddings they could disappear in a puff of smoke if Gian Galeazzo Visconti overthrows his uncle and takes over Milan in 1485 as he did IOTL. At which point his daughter Valentina would become the prime candidate for Theodore's hand, and said match, with the same minor stipulation that her marriage contract received IOTL (that in absence of male heirs, Valentina would inherit the Visconti dominions) could pay off big time for the Laskarids a few generations down the line.
Michael Philanthropenos.The marriages of Theodore’s oldest sisters have been stabilisation focused, with an aim to bribe the ‘dynatoi’ of the realm. Perhaps the next marriages should be focused on security external allies like actual kings? Who got the second sister btw?
Likely less at the moment. The cost per lance at the moment is still at 18-20 florins per month. It goes down to 15 by 1404 and between 8-12 by 1424. Which implies a knight still costs twice as much at the moment as it will 50 years down the line.The conquest of Cyprus is a major event.
In terms of military power, as mentioned by the author, in 1426 Cyprus fielded 1,600 cavalry and 4,000 infantry.
For certain they can draw on quite a bit more naval manpower. And then there is the matter of geography. In a war with Venice Sicily has the choke points to the Adriatic. In a war with Genoa... Genoa has Galata and her Black sea colonies which can get completely isolated otherwise the fight is in the Western Mediterranean.With the addition of Cyprus and the venetian colonial empire, Syracuse is the dominant mediterranean power. They are now more powerful than Venice or Genoa. I would argue that even a venetian-genoese alliance would find it difficult to defeat the Sicilians, as long as they hold the Messina Straight, Apulia and Corfu.
Yet at least. Could Hesychasm lead to an actual schism? Maybe to the extend its supporters are closer to the Western Church even by implication. So far there was a clear political split between Hesychast controlled Serbia/Byzantium and anti-hesychast Sicily.I think we are very very far from preferring a Muslim Turk over an emperor that is almost exactly the same ethnically and with a very slight religious difference, to the point that no excommunication has even happened...
The Ottomans did not become the Ottomans for being idiots during their growth...I do love the fact that we're going to see Cyprus being downed rn. When the Lascarids roll up with the best army in their area, the Cypriots that thought they could get away with fighting the Lascarids are basically going to be part of the Empire for their troubles. The alliance between the Serbs and Ottomans would be very interesting, and the war that this would result in would be something that would be remembered in history and legend. The fact that the Ottoman Sultan thinks of the Sicilians as 'much harder than everyone else in Europe for now' is a nice touch too.
Where I heard "the monks can't be difficult to deal with?" Ah yes iconoclasm. The monks won. As they did post Ferrara. In practical terms the Athonite monks are majority Hesychast and worse yet these evil evil Sicilians are turning their church lands to pronoias in anticipation of fighting the Turks. Intolerable! The monasteries need the gold more than the army.Also I think the Hesychasts would be seen as the losers of the Orthodoxy as this point. With mount Althos in the hands of the Third Empire it will be easy for Agnes to call anti-hesychast forces and reaffirm the empire's dedication to anti-hesychasm. I do hope Hesychast doctrine survives in some form though, maybe we get Hesychast monks escaping to Ukraine and Russia?
One must note Macedonia is huge. The Lascarids will need time to fully integrate and re-centralize it and not everyone will be happy with this. The average free peasant or petty merchant? Sure. Local landed aristocracy and the Athos monks who had no problem with the Serb rule and now have to deal with a centralized thus by default more heavy handed state? Less clear.The other great development is the incorporation of Macedonia. In OTL, Manuel Palaiologos briefly recovered east Macedonia but within a decade it was lost to the Ottomans. While we all expect the two rising powers to clash, I doubt Lascarid Macedonia will simply collapse as a house of cards as in OTL. The eastern half of the Lascarid Empire can field armies as big as the christian armies of Kosovo and Nicopolis but under a single command and not composed by heterogeneous forces.
Murad can also see the writing on the wall. Both need absorbing their gains. So for the immediate future likely peace. Post that a case can be made the Ottοmas shoud need to start investing on a fleet earlier TTL.Murad's calculations will change as well. If he focuses his efforts against Lascarid Greece, then the Bulgarians and Serbians can assert their independence. Ivan Shishman might get the opportunity to try to recover Sofia or another stronghold south of the Balkan Mountains. If he focuses on the Bulgarians and Serbians, Philanthropenos can see the writing on the wall and would go on the offensive, chipping away strongholds in Thrace. Or he can even establish bases on the asiatic shore - e.g. Cyzicus or Pegae. The political fragmentation of the Christians is much less pronounced. The next two decades will be interesting to say the least.
The army begun that way and has a heavy input of Balkan mercenaries, sorry regulars, but has also been evolving to kill knight heavy armies for the past several generations. It is likely better at dealing with Turkish armies that say French crusaders, but it's not wildly superior.Very much so! Especially since the Sicilians field pike-heavy armies, in contrast to knight-heavy armies of the Crusaders. Then it is how the sicilian army was evolved: Alexios Philanthropenos built that army, with the expertise he had from Asia Minor and from fighting turkish cavalry there. Emphasis was given on feigned retreat and ambush and then he developed pike blocks to stop heavy cavalry. This unique combined arms approach is very suitable to defeat early ottoman armies.
It is not a pike and shot army, that is a late 16th century beast. It is the evolution of a late Comnenian Byzantine army with a large contingent of pikemen. As such in a late 14th century battlefield it is a very nasty customer. But someone should not read into this things it is not.Yeah I think the pike and shot + cavalry army
Does it need to be much superior?It is likely better at dealing with Turkish armies that say French crusaders, but it's not wildly superior.
I do hope that the schism still holds true in places like Russia and Serbia, while the Greek people with the Sicilians become anti-hesychast due to official church policy. While I can see Hesychasts practicing Hesychasm privately I don't see it not being something the Sicilian government will allow to continue.Yet at least. Could Hesychasm lead to an actual schism? Maybe to the extend its supporters are closer to the Western Church even by implication. So far there was a clear political split between Hesychast controlled Serbia/Byzantium and anti-hesychast Sicily.
Yeah. They will be the primary rival for the Sicilians from now on, as the other states can't project that far or are too weak.The Ottomans did not become the Ottomans for being idiots during their growth...
While they can pull on the Greeks to build their navy, I think it'll be a while before the Ottomans can match the Sicilians in terms of the calibre of the sailers and the people who lead the navy would especially be something that the Ottomans don't have and would need to build up.Murad can also see the writing on the wall. Both need absorbing their gains. So for the immediate future likely peace. Post that a case can be made the Ottοmas shoud need to start investing on a fleet earlier TTL.
So its more cavalry focused then?It is not a pike and shot army, that is a late 16th century beast. It is the evolution of a late Comnenian Byzantine army with a large contingent of pikemen. As such in a late 14th century battlefield it is a very nasty customer. But someone should not read into this things it is not.
The issue with the pike and shot as it stands currently is that there is no shot just yet. Crossbows are very useful but they aren't enough for this.I do hope that the schism still holds true in places like Russia and Serbia, while the Greek people with the Sicilians become anti-hesychast due to official church policy. While I can see Hesychasts practicing Hesychasm privately I don't see it not being something the Sicilian government will allow to continue.
Yeah. They will be the primary rival for the Sicilians from now on, as the other states can't project that far or are too weak.
While they can pull on the Greeks to build their navy, I think it'll be a while before the Ottomans can match the Sicilians in terms of the calibre of the sailers and the people who lead the navy would especially be something that the Ottomans don't have and would need to build up.
So its more cavalry focused then?
Frankly the development of pike and shot is really more about doctrine and how the men are trained. If we get a few revolutionary thinkers along the development of the terico or something akin to it could be developed much earlier.
Yeah ig... I do think they're really close though.The issue with the pike and shot as it stands currently is that there is no shot just yet. Crossbows are very useful but they aren't enough for this.
I think the Ottomans would be their first set back. With the fact that the Sicilians have to keep Turkish nomads away at the same time as fight the main Ottoman army their job would be significantly harder. The two states being rivals for a bit would be cool at least.The Sicilians were indeed rising in the Mediterranean, Cyprus is theirs as well, they are a force to be reckowned, still, I wonder if they would manage to hold the Ottomans or would finally receive a setback...
Fair enough, I'll be the first to admit I'm no expert on the period.Valentina the queen of Cyprus was the sixth of the legitimate children of Bernabo. Valentina the daughter of Gian Galeazzo was the duchess of Orleans born in 1371.
Great update, and man another palace coup, the Palaiologoi really are fighting over scraps at this point.
The Lascarids reclaiming their rightful throne and putting the Palaiologoi out of their misery cannot come soon enough.Great update, and man another palace coup, the Palaiologoi really are fighting over scraps at this point.
The Lascarids reclaiming their rightful throne and putting the Palaiologoi out of their misery cannot come soon enough.
Murad is a very capable ruler. However, at this point in history I doubt the sultan can completely control his gazis. Therefore, I expect raids and counter-raids to take place even without the Sultan leading his army west.Murad can also see the writing on the wall. Both need absorbing their gains. So for the immediate future likely peace. Post that a case can be made the Ottοmas shoud need to start investing on a fleet earlier TTL.
Which will be... problematic. Or at least more challenging now than it was in the OTL mid 15th century.Murad can also see the writing on the wall. Both need absorbing their gains. So for the immediate future likely peace. Post that a case can be made the Ottοmas shoud need to start investing on a fleet earlier TTL.
He had no doubt that he would overcome his difficulties, after all he had money, troops and as seen since the time of his grandfather and the elder Alexander the lower classes would return protecting them with loyalty and they matter more. But what was been achieved was slowing down reform and reorganization of the new Macedonian lands
At least they have some institutional knowledge of using horse archers. Limited perhaps but still valuable. More importantly, they have used the feigned retreat way too many times to fall blindly at such traps themselves.The army begun that way and has a heavy input of Balkan mercenaries, sorry regulars, but has also been evolving to kill knight heavy armies for the past several generations. It is likely better at dealing with Turkish armies that say French crusaders, but it's not wildly superior.
The composition of the army in percentage terms was as follows: Kapıkulu units—including the palace guards—a bit more than 5 percent, Azabs and Yayas around 30 percent and cavalry troops more than 50 percent, which consisted of Akıncıs and Timarlı Sipahis evenly. The soldiers of the vassal emirates—cavalry and infantry— comprised around 10 percent, and Christian vassals probably less than 5 percent.
We know about the presence of a small light artillery unit, which played a minor role in the battle. Interestingly, the cavalry-infantry balance changed drastically from
the 90 percent cavalry domination of the emirate period to a smaller 60 percent majority, which was one outcome of the reorganization. At the same time, other problems may be identified. For example, the numerical equality of Timarlı Sipahis and Akıncıs shows clearly that the Timarlı Sipahi system was not fully established and that the march lords were still very powerful. The heavy presence of the problematic Yayas was also an important weakness because they had been reduced to a secondary position and they were very unhappy about this lost status.
It is really helpful that the Catepan has a large realm south of Olympus that is already centralized and tightly integrated. He has a huge base of support there that allows him to act a bit more freely with the macedonian aristocracy. Another good thing is that most of their retainers were slaughtered at Maritsa. At this point, the macedonian castles and towns will be garrisoned by regulars and not by local lords and their retainers. There is always the choice of gaining the support of a part of the local elite, by providing opportunities and lands to their second sons in Italy and Sicily. Basilicata is still recovering after all. Lastly, the House of Philanthropenos has dealt with more powerful and proud lords: the option of "heads, spikes, walls" is always available.As for the aristocracy? Living in Serb stateless was apparently preferable to living in a proper country. Some of them would like have no compunctions about selling out to the Turks if it would secure their precious estates.
Speaking of serbian statelets, the Ottomans were playing a game of divide and conquer with the serbian and bulgarian principalities. I don't see why the Catepan won't do the same and try to increase his influence north. His major drawback is that he is anti-hesychast. On the other hand, he doesn't have hereditary semi-indipendent uc-beys who will pillage even allies and vassals. In OTL when a serbian lord got cosy with the Sultan, his rivals couldn't do much. Now, they can get under the protection of the Catepan.Living in Serb stateless was apparently preferable to living in a proper country.
genoa kinda made it clear:Also the Anjou of Naples at this point as well - the issue being when the the tipping point of a Lascaris conquest of Naples and unification of South Italy would be reached, how would react the most interested countries (Papacy, France, Aragon, Genoa). Speaking of Genoa, for sure the Superba wouldn't waste time to fill the vacuum left by Venice, but that was expected - Sicily made the work for it...
no hate to Costantinople, but even if they take it, they can keep is a second rate city for the moment since Sicilian cities are more populous right now. i don't think it would be that huge drain ( just repair the walls and then if someone attacks you have the means to bring troops in to defend).Point being, would be worthy saving Constantinople or wouldn't be better first forging a new Empire on the ashes of the Eastern Roman Empire?
Constantinople at this stage would only drag resources for Sicily-Greece, when South Italy is far from being unified and Greece proper (Macedonia at least) would be likely restless for some decades...
For much I enjoy Eastern Roman resurgence TLs, my feel is Sicily-Greece should expand and consolidate in other more congenial directions for the Lascaris. Besides, the Despotate is essentially de jure and de facto indipendent, could concede would regard itself as separatist just to not break the lingering bonds with Constantinople, but more by convenience because surely the Sicilians want the Turks out of Europe at least and not only them.
i mean, with a strong fleet there is no naval blockade which means that even if you start a siege with cannons you'll not be able to take the city if there is a constant supply of food, soldier and stuff to repair.Constantinople is one of the best fortified places on the planet, easily supplied and reinforced by sea, sits astride one of the most lucrative trade routes in the world and holds huge symbolic significance.
Even in its reduced state, it earned the title of the City of the World's Desire.
Even without being the capital as for a few generations Syracuse will remain more important, the Lascarids could not ask for a better anchor on their eastern frontier.
And with firm control of the sea, it really is not a stretch for Lascarids power projection. Don't underestimate how much easier a dominant fleet makes these things.
Edit: accidentally posted before finishing my thought. 😆