Alexius Comnenus

Alexius I Comnenus 1048-1118 CE
Alexius acceded to the Byzantine throne in 1081. He had jet black hair and beard. On of his first acts on becoming emperor was to repulse the attacks of Norman adventurers who crossed over from souther Italy. These adventurers were under the command of Robert Guiscard and his son, Bohemond, whom he was to meet later during the crusade.
Although not a great warrior - he suffered several several heavy defeats but few real victories - he was a consummate politician. In 1093, he sent a letter to Rober of Flanders, appealing for help against the encroaching Turks. In his letter, he accused the Turks of a long list of attrocities, including the circumsion boys above the baptismal font, the abduction of girls, and the sodomising of bishops. He told of how the Sultanate of Roum (whose name derives from 'Rome') had taken almost all of Asia Minor and now threatened Byzantium itself.	Excerpt from the letter from Alexius to Robert of Flanders O illustrious count and great consoler of the faith, I am writing to inform Your Prudence that the very saintly empire of the Greek Christians is daily being persecuted by the Pechenegs and the Turks ... The blood of christians flows in unheard-of scenes of carnage ... Therefore in the name of God and because of the true piety of the generality of Greek Christians, we implore you to bring to this city all the faithful soldiers of Christ ... Bring me aid and bring aid to the Greek Christians. By coming, you will find your reward in heaven and, if you do not come, God will condemn you.
Then he told of the fantastic wealth of Byzantium , both in terms of treasure - 'no words can describe this wealth of treasure' - but also spiritual wealth. This spiritual wealth, part of Byzantium's legacy as one of the centres of Christianity, included a fantastic number of holy relics. All this would fall into the hands of the Turks if they were no stopped.
It was this letter which inspired Pope Urban II to call for an army to travel to the East.	Remember that you will find all those treasures and also the most beautiful women of the Orient. The incomparable beauty of the Greek women would seem to be a sufficient reason to attract the armies of the Franks to the Plains of Thrace.