How man times was Venice conquered between 1071 and 1453? 3 Byzantine Reconquest, and 1453; I may be missing others in internal civil wars)
Esto Perpetua!
How many times did Venice resist a serious siege?
Constantinople was sieged over 7 times before 1200 and resisted all of them. Further, it resisted both sieges by the Umayyads and pushed back Abbasid invasions simply by existing. Venice could not fight a war and lose tactically at every field battle and have their forces pushed out of all forward positions and still win a war. Byzantium by owning Constantinople defeated the Umayyads, the largest empire in history at that point despite losing every land battle and being crushed in their positions and surrounded; they won only because of Constantinople set a tone of unconquerability and one that imposed upon the Muslim a defiance which pushed back even the most zealous muhjahid.
Not to mention the Byzantine defense against the Avars and Sassanids, simply unprecedented.