It was 951 Years Ago Today

That the Battle of Manzikert was fought. One of the true decisive battle in western history that few have heard of. The Byzantine (silly name) army, under Romanus IV, was routed by the Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan. The Eastern Roman Empire kept the armies of Islam out of Europe for centuries (and the would stay our for centuries more). The Empire survived many periods of anarchy, catastrophic military defeats like Adrianople, Yarmuk, Pliska and thrived. The Macedonian Dynasty restored the Empire to greatness and had the armies of Islam of the run. And destroyed its European rival, the Bulgars. By 1071, the great days were over. The dynasty hadn't produced a capable Emperor since Basil II's death in 1025. But on August 26th, 1071, the Empire had another disaster that it never really recovered from. Romanus army was routed and the Emperor capture. Arslan released Romanus and sent him back to Constantinople. The good citizens deposed Romanus, put out his eyes and replaced him with a boob, Michael VI. Alp Arslan replied by invading and taking central Anatolia, which had been the Byzantine heartland since the days on the Roman Republic. The Empire did revive again under Alexis Comnenus, who took over in 1081. Had he had the Anatolian interior, he and the Comneni Dynasty might have taken the Empire to another level again. It was the Crusades that dealt the Empire a fatal blow (the Palalogean Restoration was really just the rule over Constantinople) but Alexis never calls for help from Europe if Manzikert is a victory. Downfall of any nation in history is inevitable but maybe the Empire survives for another 500 years and dealt the Ottoman Turks a fatal blow. Maybe the Empire is replaced by a Serb or Bulgar state that weds the Roman traditions with Slav nationalism (both were Orthodox Christian) and lasts another 500 to 700 years. Manzikert is as decisive as Hastings or Waterloo but an unknown to most.

Sorry, I ramble at times. The Eastern Roman Empire fascinates me.