Deleted member 67076
I'm not sure it's much better to say that the Byzantines were so quarrelsome and divided that they let it happen.
People keep posting about the Byzantines around here as if it was this unstoppable leviathan, instead of a moderately prosperous state that ruled the Aegean.
Maybe it can hold Bulgaria?
It would be more accurate in my opinion. On paper the state has quite the number of advantages against its neighbors and the rest of Christendom in terms of organization, manpower, military training and economics (the latter of course is null when talking about Egypt and Iraq- same with manpower with regards to the Steppe Nomads) but its been repeatedly fucked over due to rash decisions, bad leadership and excessive infighting.
I do agree people take it way, way too far.
Yes it can hold Bulgaria; the Comneni were good at co-opting the Bulgarian elite to my knowledge and the region prospered until the Angeloi came to power.