Eagle Byzantium

The Pisa people's fleet in the harbor outside the city and on the north of the headland pulled anchor angrily amid the cheers and insults of the soldiers and people in the city. Amalfi was immersed in great joy, and many hungry citizens spontaneously They walked to the city hall and the church and thanked Christ, Pope St. Peter and the Greek Emperor for their protection. “We live in happiness and perseverance. In the city-state, with the help of saints from all sides, the ship will never be deflected and can always avoid the dangerous rocks. "The teams equipped with mule carts and the ships carrying grain have been arranged according to the instructions of Consul Pantaleoni. Instructions were given to gather in front of the city gate and dock and prepare to purchase and raise food from Pasaleno, Anzio and other places to spend the remaining long days of winter.

The members of the city council have begun to discuss erecting a bronze statue for the commander of the "Red Hand Company" sent by the Greek emperor on the Fishery Square: the commercial city-state not only has intrigues, but they also value favors and rewards. In this way, It reflects the credibility of the city-state, and this person is doing business on the sea. The most indispensable thing on the ocean and land - even if it is a business agreement signed with pagan enemies, it will not be destroyed unless absolutely necessary, let alone the benefactor - in addition to erecting statues, Pantaleoni also urged the committee members They passed the second resolution, which was to pay the Red Hand Dalian Team eight thousand silver coins as a reward.

While the city of Amalfi was still hot, Bohemond, whose face could almost squeeze out ice water, led hundreds of Norman knights, leaving the Calabrian infantry and engineers to remove the siege. Camps and equipment, they came to Aversa on their own. "The armistice and peace treaty were against Amalfi, fulfilling the Holy See of the Pope." But Gawain, the lackey of the Greek emperor, is different. He is from Constantinople and does not enjoy immunity at all. I will come here to defeat you and kill you this time, bastard! "In the violent wind, the anger of the Norman knight became more intense, and the horse neighed and rushed towards Aversa.

There were small groups of Cuman cavalry along the way, shooting harassing arrows at them, but they could not stop Bohemond's advance at all. On a hillside somewhere, Bohemond looked up and saw a flying eagle flag, below which stood a sniff-nosed general and several lightly-armed archers, "You are the slave of the Greek emperor, the noseless Tai." Theseus!" Bohemond knew this man. He was furious and led a team of knights to the top of the mountain, intending to cut him into pieces as an accomplice.

Titicius turned the horse's head and left, not wanting to fight at all. He turned around and shot an arrow, knocking off one of Bohemond's guards, and then rode the brisk horse. Disappeared in the valley over there.

When the furious Norman knights shouted and rushed into the pass of Aversa, they found that the entire settlement had been completely demolished and burned, and there were no survivors in the livestock pens. The wells were filled up and sealed, the fruit trees were cut down, and the smoke of embers was rolling everywhere. Many knights took off their chain turbans and knelt on the ground, lamenting God's anger against them and why he smashed the iron fist of punishment on the place they regarded as a holy place for generations.

Several Calabrian soldiers opened the door of the central hall - it was preserved by Gawain and seemed lonely in this land. Dozens of noble ladies, monks and nuns who had been captured in advance were all shackled here, and their cries were earth-shattering, but Gawain also kept his promise: as long as Bohemond withdraws the siege. He will not harm the prisoners.

Next, in the fortress on the top of the mountain. A dozen old knights who had stayed behind, turned into frightened birds, also came down and reported to Bohemond: After the enemy swept and looted yesterday, they withdrew one after another, and their whereabouts are unknown. Most of them are light cavalry and infantry. The speed was as fast as the wind and the remaining clouds. They were afraid that there would be an ambush by Turkic shooters at the foot of the mountain, so they did not dare to abandon the castle easily and pursue them until you, the Duke, arrived.

Bohemond shed tears, tore his red beard with his hands, comforted the old knights with a few words, and then walked towards the most seriously damaged monastery at the mountain pass, where the ground was full of rubble and debris. arrows, Renulf The statues of the twelve ancestral earls were all chopped off and buried shallowly in all directions on the road. Their heads were hung on bell towers and tree branches, just like decapitated prisoners for public display. The remaining fire had not yet been extinguished, and the panicked beasts Moving around. Bohemond burst into tears when he saw this miserable and horrific situation: In the hundreds of years since the Normans entered Italy, have they ever suffered such humiliation? But now when he was a prince, Gawain's hammer hit him hard in the face. The Varyag barbarian with the unsheathed sword, although his origin was unknown, his methods were better than those of the bandits in the land of ice and snow. And be ruthless and decisive.

On the base of the broken statue, there was a letter stuck with an arrow. Bohemond stepped forward, pulled out the arrow, and unfolded the letter:

"Your sister Emma's daughter Gusiyun is now married to my border guard Diognis Atrilas. I sincerely hope that you can marry your sister and the one who is in Cad Tancred, who was defeated by me, prays before Christ and bless them to enjoy the human love allowed by God - my dearest brother, Stephen Gawain Russell."

The letter was crumpled into a ball in Bohemond's hand, smashed to the ground, and trampled with his boots. Then the Duke of Apulia pulled out his sword and slashed the tree trunk next to him frantically, causing bark to fly everywhere. , "Where are you bastard Gawain? Come out and fight me to the death!"

In the narrow pass from Aversa to the Adriatic coast on the east side, the Red Hand Company sang a high-spirited war song. Soldiers from various units held flagpoles made of sacred trees cut down from the sacred forest of the Aversa Monastery, tied with the "Red Hand Cross Sword" flag, and other colorful flags, and marched towards the "Land of Saint Nicholas".

The Land of Saint Nicholas is the most important port of the Byzantine Empire in Italy in the past, the city of Bari.

In the ancient Roman era, Bari was an ordinary port town known for its fishing and trade, but after entering the Middle Ages, it rose rapidly because it was a key point connecting Venice, Sicily, Byzantine Greece and Italy. More importantly, it was also a transit point for Slavic slaves to the Apennines, Sicily and North Africa, and it prospered by this human trafficking business.

Later, during the Macedonian dynasty of Byzantium, it was the residence of the imperial governor. However, when the Byzantine forces were driven out of Italy by the Normans, the city became a diocese city directly under the Pope of Rome and governed by the autonomous church. Eight years ago, the sailors in the city transported the remains of St. Nicholas here by ship for burial, and built the beautiful white St. Nicholas Cathedral. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, and archers (but thieves also worship him. In modern times, St. Nicholas is the prototype of Santa Claus familiar to children). Since then, there has been an endless stream of pilgrims coming to make pilgrimages, bringing huge wealth.

Before Gawain set out on the expedition to Lepanto, he waved the phosphorescent sword and promised all the soldiers and sailors, "reaching the land of St. Nicholas", which refers to the capture of Bari. (To be continued ~^~)