One of the great cities of the ancient world, Antioch ranked as the third city of the Roman Empire and seat of one of the five major Christian patriarchates, situated at a strategic crossroads between the Mediterranean world and the East. Its history was repeatedly marked by conquest and catastrophe: the Persian king Khosrow sacked and destroyed it in the sixth century, it fell to Muslim forces during the reign of Heraclius, was recovered by Nikephoros Phokas, relieved from Fatimid siege by Basil II, and finally lost to the Turks before becoming, after the First Crusade, the heart of a crusader principality under Bohemond. Throughout the Byzantine period it served as a recurring military objective, diplomatic flashpoint, and ecclesiastical reference point, its fate closely tied to the empire's broader fortunes in the East.
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What each episode says
Episode 5 (2 mentions)
Where Julian went to prepare his Persian invasion. Relations with the largely Christian population were hostile from the start; Julian antagonized them with increasingly harsh anti-Christian measures, and was probably mutually relieved to leave in March 363 for the Persian campaign.
“After a few months spent at Constantinople to enact more reforms, he went to Antioch”
“Most of the citizens of Antioch were Christians who were used to Constantius's splendid court”
Episode 6 (1 mention)
Described as the third largest city in the Roman world, from which Theodoric ejected the rebel general Illus before pursuing him into the mountainous Isaurian heartland.
“He ejected Ailas from Antioch, the third largest city in the Roman world, and soon pursued”
Episode 8 (2 mentions)
Antioch was sacked by the Persian king Khosrow, who demolished its buildings and killed or enslaved its entire population after the citizens failed to pay his demanded gold. This catastrophe was the news that greeted Belisarius upon his triumphant return from Italy.
“capturing Antioch, demolishing its buildings, and killing or enslaving its entire population.”
“violation of his own treaty. When the citizens of Antioch failed to come up with his requested gold,”
Episode 12 (1 mention)
One of the three supposedly neutral eastern bishoprics Basil referred the Bulgarian ecclesiastical question to; as an eastern see, it predictably ruled in favor of Constantinople.
“Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.”
Episode 13 (4 mentions)
Described as the third city of the Roman Empire and site of one of the five major patriarchates, Antioch had fallen to the Muslims 332 years before during the reign of Heraclius. Nikephoros Phokas' recovery of it should have been his crowning achievement, but his unpopularity at home negated the triumph. Later, Basil II raced 600 miles in 16 days to relieve Antioch from a Fatimid siege, cutting the attackers to pieces and installing a new governor.
“The Fadamid Caliphate had invaded Syria and attacked Antioch.”
“Riding at breakneck speed, not waiting for stragglers, he reached the walls of Antioch”
“Basil paused long enough to replace the governor of Antioch, telling him to keep the Arabs”
Episode 14 (8 mentions)
Described as once the third city of the Roman Empire, lost to the Turks only twenty years before the crusade. The crusaders took it despite parched exhaustion, then were besieged inside it by a much larger Turkish force; Alexios turned back when three deserting knights told him all was lost — but the crusaders triumphed and Antioch became the heart of a crusader state under Bohemond, a most bitter blow to Alexios. Brownworth calls it the most important city in Asia Minor and a persistent thorn in Alexios' side.
“As the crusaders moved off in the direction of Antioch, his army marched along the coast,”
“reached Antioch and managed to take it, but were now themselves besieged by a much larger”
“But the crusaders had not surrendered, and against all odds had triumphed at Antioch.”
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