DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0044
8. THE TURKISH CONQUEST, 1071-1118. 19
the helpless ignorance of the middle and lower classes, is the more
painful feature of the later Byzantine empire.
The accession of Manuel Conmenus in 1143 seems to have caused
much greater relaxation in the administration of the Lycos valley.
In 1144 the Turks invaded the Cayster valley, and they must pro-
bably have marched on this raid by way of Laodiceia. In revenge
the'emperor penetrated nearly to Iconium (advancing from Lopadion
by the Ehyndacos valley and Kotiaion), and retired by way of lake
Pasgousa (Bey-Sheher lake) and the sources of the Maeander: this
implies probably that he passed through the Lycos valley on his home-
ward march.
The disorganized and feeble state of the valley is apparent in the
events of 1148, when a crusading array marched through the Laodicean
territory. There is some error in the Byzantine accounts, arising
from confusion between the armies of Conrad, who advanced by
Philadelphia (Cinn. p. 85), and Louis of France, who marched by
Ephesos and Antioch (below, Ch. V); but Louis certainly traversed the
Lycos valley, and passed through Laodiceia. He had to cross the
Maeander near Antiocheia, p. 162, in the face of a Turkish army drawn
up on its left bank; and this implies that the valley in general was
left to the Turks. But the Seljuk hold on it was still as uncertain as
the Byzantine ; the Turks held it only so long as their army was in it;
but they had not as yet established their footing permanently in it.
When their army retired, the valley remained in Christian hands.
In it58 Manuel invaded the Turkish territory by way of Phila-
delpheia, and probably passed through the Lycos valley1. He did
not gain any real advantage, but merely irritated the Turks, who in
revenge, besides other harassing attacks2, overran the Lycos valley,
and captured Laodiceia, unfortified and defenceless as it was 3. They
slew a vast number of the population, including the archbishop
Solomon, and carried away immense booty. In order to revenge this
1 He invaded the Pentapolis, Nicet. tier, noXiv iaav Cinn. p. 19S. This seems
p. 162 ; no place on the march is men- to be a name for Phaselis, see the table
tioned either in the brief reference of facing p. 424 in my Hist. Geogr.
Nicetas or the vague diffuse account 3 'KKiropdel Aao8ii<eiai>, ovkcti ovcrav crvvoi-
given by Cinnamus p. 196, except Sara- Kovfievrjv cos vw icoparai oifi' cvepiceai (ppay-
pata Mylonis. In Sarapata we may vvpivrjv reix^a-i, Kara fie Kcop-as eKKtxvpevqv
probably see the Turkish Abad (perhaps nep\ to? vrraptias t£>v eVeetcre finvvioi' Nicet.
Hissar-Abad, 'town of the castle,' i.e. p. 163. Here it seems plain that the
Sanduklu). See Addenda. name Laodiceia means the territory as
2 In these they captured Phileta, a whole, for Laodiceia was not inhabited
a city on the eastern Byzantine fron- as a city.
the helpless ignorance of the middle and lower classes, is the more
painful feature of the later Byzantine empire.
The accession of Manuel Conmenus in 1143 seems to have caused
much greater relaxation in the administration of the Lycos valley.
In 1144 the Turks invaded the Cayster valley, and they must pro-
bably have marched on this raid by way of Laodiceia. In revenge
the'emperor penetrated nearly to Iconium (advancing from Lopadion
by the Ehyndacos valley and Kotiaion), and retired by way of lake
Pasgousa (Bey-Sheher lake) and the sources of the Maeander: this
implies probably that he passed through the Lycos valley on his home-
ward march.
The disorganized and feeble state of the valley is apparent in the
events of 1148, when a crusading array marched through the Laodicean
territory. There is some error in the Byzantine accounts, arising
from confusion between the armies of Conrad, who advanced by
Philadelphia (Cinn. p. 85), and Louis of France, who marched by
Ephesos and Antioch (below, Ch. V); but Louis certainly traversed the
Lycos valley, and passed through Laodiceia. He had to cross the
Maeander near Antiocheia, p. 162, in the face of a Turkish army drawn
up on its left bank; and this implies that the valley in general was
left to the Turks. But the Seljuk hold on it was still as uncertain as
the Byzantine ; the Turks held it only so long as their army was in it;
but they had not as yet established their footing permanently in it.
When their army retired, the valley remained in Christian hands.
In it58 Manuel invaded the Turkish territory by way of Phila-
delpheia, and probably passed through the Lycos valley1. He did
not gain any real advantage, but merely irritated the Turks, who in
revenge, besides other harassing attacks2, overran the Lycos valley,
and captured Laodiceia, unfortified and defenceless as it was 3. They
slew a vast number of the population, including the archbishop
Solomon, and carried away immense booty. In order to revenge this
1 He invaded the Pentapolis, Nicet. tier, noXiv iaav Cinn. p. 19S. This seems
p. 162 ; no place on the march is men- to be a name for Phaselis, see the table
tioned either in the brief reference of facing p. 424 in my Hist. Geogr.
Nicetas or the vague diffuse account 3 'KKiropdel Aao8ii<eiai>, ovkcti ovcrav crvvoi-
given by Cinnamus p. 196, except Sara- Kovfievrjv cos vw icoparai oifi' cvepiceai (ppay-
pata Mylonis. In Sarapata we may vvpivrjv reix^a-i, Kara fie Kcop-as eKKtxvpevqv
probably see the Turkish Abad (perhaps nep\ to? vrraptias t£>v eVeetcre finvvioi' Nicet.
Hissar-Abad, 'town of the castle,' i.e. p. 163. Here it seems plain that the
Sanduklu). See Addenda. name Laodiceia means the territory as
2 In these they captured Phileta, a whole, for Laodiceia was not inhabited
a city on the eastern Byzantine fron- as a city.