While his armies were fighting in the Balkans Manuel’s diplomats and fleets were busy elsewhere. Komnenos poured money into Italy to try and gain influence there. He considered alliances with the Germans, the Pope and the Normans but ultimately lost them all. He made war on Venice and tried to capture an Egyptian port.
| Pic: A golden bust of Frederick I, given to his godfather Count Otto of Cappenberg in 1171. It was used as a reliquary in Cappenberg Abbey and is said in the deed of the gift to have been made “in the likeness of the emperor”. |
Period: 1161-73
Stream: Manuel’s Follies
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The History of Byzantium 
On what conditions did the war with Venice end? Did Venetians get back their possessions and privilidges? In Wikipedia, it is written that between riots and arrest of Venetians they got assurance Romans “would not seek to exact revenge upon Venice”. Surprise.
Thanks for this great podcast.
We will touch on this in the show I’m sure. It took several years to release all the Venetians and give them back their property.
Hypothetically, if someone were to pay using a coin with Heraculis on it during this time period? Would it be accepted or rejected? Did the age of the coins not matter? Were coins from older times ever extremely valuable, I guess another way of phrasing it is was there any Byzantine coin collectors?
I meant Heraclius, I apologize for my error. may Justinian I have mercy on my soul.
🙂 great question. Old coins were definitely acceptable. The government collected these up when a new Emperor had come to power so that they could melt them and recast them with the new mans face on. I don’t know about coin collectors. That has never come up. I imagine it didn’t exist as a hobby because old Emperors coins were hard to find. And gold was so rare and valuable that it would be too hazardous to display the way we do today.
Thank you for your answer!
There’s a deep hum while the narrator speaks (which disappears in pauses). Maybe dial back the bass a bit?