Episode 262 – Questions IX
I answer listener questions about the Fourth Crusade. This episode focuses on the big picture. Who is to blame? Was it inevitable?

Pic: The Venetians climb the sea walls from thecollector.com
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Antakya Appeal with Andrea de Giorgi and Katherine Pangonis

Antakya after the earthquake (ABCNews.go.com)
This is a special episode to urge listeners to donate to the ongoing relief effort in Turkey and Syria. I interview two expert guests about the situation with a particular focus on the city of Antakya (Byzantine Antioch).
Andrea De Giorgi is a Professor of Classical Studies at Florida State University. He specializes in Roman urbanism and visual culture and has written many books and articles on the subject. He co-authored the fantastic book Antioch. A History which I thoroughly recommend. Dr. De Giorgi has also directed excavations and surveys in Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Jordan, and the UAE. Since 2013, he has codirected the Cosa Excavations in Italy and, since 2021, the Coastal Caesarea Archeological Project in Israel; currently, he is studying the 1930s Antioch and Daphne collections at the Princeton University Art Museum.
Katherine Pangonis is a historian and author of the book ‘Queens of Jerusalem’ who I interviewed back in episode 238 of the podcast. Her second book – to be published this summer – is called ‘Twilight Cities: Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean.’ In it she explores famous cities from antiquity like Tyre, Carthage and Ravenna. Cities who once ruled whole Empires and were littered with magnificent buildings but have been somewhat forgotten. One of the cities she covers is Antioch. She also hosts the podcast – Women Who Dared to Write.
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This is an appeal for you to donate to one of the various charities who are rushing to the scene at this moment to help the survivors. You have a number of options. You may have campaigns being run in your country by reputable organisations. So here in the UK the Disaster Emergency Committee have launched an appeal that has raised millions. This is an organisation which brings a group of charities together. In this case Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and Islamic Relief amongst many others.
To help specific groups directly:
The White Helmets are volunteers who have been operating in Syria for many years. They help evacuate people from dangerous areas and offer medical help.
https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/
AKUT Search and Rescue Association. They are a non-governmental organisation offering emergency and disaster relief to people caught up in natural disasters in Turkey.
https://www.akut.org.tr/en/donation
AHBAP an independent civilian organisation who offer disaster relief to communities in need across Turkey. This is the organisation that the kind listener who prompted me to make this appeal recommends.
https://ahbap.org/disasters-turkey
International Red Cross
An appeal for help for Turkey and Syria
I’m sure you’ve heard about the horrific earthquake which struck Turkey on the 6th February. As I’m recording this over 25,000 people have been confirmed dead. Many, many more will be reported so in the coming weeks. Tens of thousands have been injured. And the UN is now saying that at least 870,000 people need food urgently. While millions of people across Turkey and Syria have been made homeless.
This is an appeal for you to donate to one of the various charities who are rushing to the scene at this moment to help the survivors. You have a number of options. You may have campaigns being run in your country by reputable organisations. So here in the UK the Disaster Emergency Committee have launched an appeal that has raised millions. This is an organisation which brings a group of charities together. In this case Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and Islamic Relief amongst many others.
To help specific groups directly:
The White Helmets are volunteers who have been operating in Syria for many years. They help evacuate people from dangerous areas and offer medical help.
https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/
AKUT Search and Rescue Association. They are a non-governmental organisation offering emergency and disaster relief to people caught up in natural disasters in Turkey.
https://www.akut.org.tr/en/donation
AHBAP an independent civilian organisation who offer disaster relief to communities in need across Turkey. This is the organisation that the kind listener who prompted me to make this appeal recommends.
https://ahbap.org/disasters-turkey
International Red Cross
https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/syria-emergency
Turkish Red Crescent
https://www.kizilay.org.tr/Bagis/BagisYap/404/pazarcik-depremi-bagisi
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Episode 261 – The Sack

St Mark’s Square – an imitation of a Byzantine forum. St Mark’s Basilica is prominent with the bronze horses taken from the Hippodrome.

The ‘Pillars of Acre’ (from the Church of St Polyeuktos) and the Porphyry statue of the Tetrachs. Both sit outside St Mark’s Basilica in Venice and both were taken from Constantinople.

We discuss what happened once the Latins started looting. How were the Byzantines treated? What was taken and what has survived?
Period: 1204
Pic: The Colossus of Barletta. Most likely this is the Emperor Leo I (457-74 AD)
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Episode 260 – The Fourth Crusade (Part 2)

‘The Taking of Constantinople’ by Palma Le Jeune (1544–1620)

‘Conquest of Constantinople’ by David Aubert (1449-79)

Fire Damage at Constantinople 1203-4 from Michael Angold’s book ‘The Fourth Crusade Event and Context’

The Latins assault the city and Alexios Angelos Komnenos flees. Alexios Angelos becomes Emperor and empties the treasury into the Crusaders’ hands. But when he runs out of money the two sides face an inevitable confrontation.
Period: 1203-4
Pic: Alexios V Doukas – “Mourtzouphlos.” (Miniature portrait from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of the History by Joannes Zonaras))
Stream: The Fourth Crusade (Part 2)
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Episode 259 – The Fourth Crusade (Part 1)

The Crusaders camped opposite the Blachernae Palace (above)

Pope Innocent calls for a new Crusade to retake Jerusalem. A group of French Knights decide to form an expedition to Egypt and make a deal with Venice to transport them. But when they can’t pay the bill the mission goes awry and ends up at Constantinople.
Period: 1198-1203
Pic: Dandolo brings the plan for the Fourth Crusade to the people of Venice (by Gustave Dore)
Stream: The Fourth Crusade (Part 1)
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Episode 258 – Almost Ungovernable

Alexios Angelos faces down one internal rebellion after another as the Roman Empire continues to contract. The biggest threat to his throne comes from disgruntled aristocrats and the people of Constantinople.
Period: 1195-1202
Pic: Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who demanded money from the Romans to fund his Crusade (from the Codex Manesse, c. 1304)
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Episode 257 – What Could Be More Trustworthy than a Brother?

Isaac Angelos does his best to secure his position and confront the Bulgarians. But he is overthrown by his brother at the head of a coalition of aristocratic families.
Period: 1189-95
Pic: Alexios III Angelos (Miniature portrait from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of the History by Joannes Zonaras)
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Episode 256 – The Third Crusade (part 2)

Frederick Barbarossa leads his contingent across Anatolia. He must confront the Turks along the way and capture Iconium. Meanwhile the Kings of England and France land in the Holy Land and take on Saladin.
Period: 1188-89
Pic: The death of Frederick Barbarossa by H.Vogel (19th century)
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Episode 255 – The Third Crusade (part 1)

The routes of the German, French and English Kings during the Third Crusade (from erenow.net)
As soon as news reached the West that Jerusalem had fallen a new Crusade was called. The German, French and English Kings all led armies East but only Frederick Barbarossa went by land. He led a large army across the Balkans towards Constantinople and Isaac Angelos had to decided whether to treat him as friend or foe.
Period: 1188-89
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