AH discussion: Greatest city of the Middle Age.

Constantinople was purportedly awesomely defensible, but recall it was taken by a blind octogenarian as soon as he had naval superiority.

Well that is quite an oversimplification and a person's physical maladies do not nullify their ruling capabilities and or intellect.

Further, it was not purportedly, it was.
 
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 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.
 
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