DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0274
248 VII. LOUNDA, PELTAI, ATTANASSOS.
Krassos then was a plain on a road leading from Constantinople to the
east, not very far from Dorylaion, situated in the country of Phrygia
and in the Roman province Bithynia ; now there are only three roads
which can be taken into consideration, (1) the pilgrims' road to Ancyra
{Hist. Geogr. pp. 197, 240), (2) the great military road to Dorylaion, (3) the
road to Kotiaion1, which was also of considerable importance in these
wars [Hist. Geogr. p. 199). The road to Ancyra does not suit the con-
ditions, for it does not pass through territory that was ordinarily recog-
nized as Bithynia. Krassos therefore was situated on one of the others.
But there is no plain between Inn-ofiu and Kotiaion on the one road, and
between Inn-onu and Dorylaion on the other. Further, we cannot
suppose that Constantine had advanced through Dorylaion before the
negotiations with Artavasdos began; for Dorylaion was the great aplekton
of the Opsikian Theme, where the army should concentrate to accom-
pany the Emperor in his onward march against the Arabs, and Arta-
vasdos was its commander. Constantine therefore halted on the road to
Dorylaion in a plain, either at Inn-onu or further north. Here Artavasdos
suddenly attacked him, and he escaped only by a hasty flight to Amorion.
This seems a difficulty ; for the direct road to Amorion (by Dorylaion) was
in the hands of his enemies. But there was a longer road by way of
Kotiaion, which we must suppose that Constantine took. In his position
he could not return to Constantinople; for he had no army, and the
Orthodox party (which favoured Artavasdos) was strong there. It was
necessary for him to collect an army; and Amorion, one of the greatest
military centres of the Oriental Theme (which was generally favourable
to Iconoclasts and other heretics), was the place that promised best. At
Inn-onu he was at a fork in the road, and he fled south along the road
to Kotiaion ; here therefore the facts of the case lead us to place Krassos.
There is at Inn-onu a high-lying valley, perfectly flat and almost a swamp,
perhaps the only valley on the road; this consideration alone would
determine the situation of Krassos. There can be no doubt that this
district was commonly reckoned to be Phrygian; and though we cannot
be sure that it was in the Roman province Bithynia, yet that is made
probable by the words of Galen just quoted2. This district seems to
1 This route coincided with one of the Constantine certainly could not take
two roads to Dorylaion as far as Inn-onu the other route by Suyut, as there is no
(whence one path went right to Kotia- side road to Kotiaion forking from it.
ion, and one left to Dorylaion). It is 2 In the map, Hist. Geogr. p. 178, the
uncertain which of the two routes to boundary of the provinces is made to
Dorylaion was taken by the military pass through Inn-oriu, which is there
road ; but probably it took the Inn-oiiu termed Basilika : I should now be in-
route (that of the modern railway), clined to place there Gordorinia.
Krassos then was a plain on a road leading from Constantinople to the
east, not very far from Dorylaion, situated in the country of Phrygia
and in the Roman province Bithynia ; now there are only three roads
which can be taken into consideration, (1) the pilgrims' road to Ancyra
{Hist. Geogr. pp. 197, 240), (2) the great military road to Dorylaion, (3) the
road to Kotiaion1, which was also of considerable importance in these
wars [Hist. Geogr. p. 199). The road to Ancyra does not suit the con-
ditions, for it does not pass through territory that was ordinarily recog-
nized as Bithynia. Krassos therefore was situated on one of the others.
But there is no plain between Inn-ofiu and Kotiaion on the one road, and
between Inn-onu and Dorylaion on the other. Further, we cannot
suppose that Constantine had advanced through Dorylaion before the
negotiations with Artavasdos began; for Dorylaion was the great aplekton
of the Opsikian Theme, where the army should concentrate to accom-
pany the Emperor in his onward march against the Arabs, and Arta-
vasdos was its commander. Constantine therefore halted on the road to
Dorylaion in a plain, either at Inn-onu or further north. Here Artavasdos
suddenly attacked him, and he escaped only by a hasty flight to Amorion.
This seems a difficulty ; for the direct road to Amorion (by Dorylaion) was
in the hands of his enemies. But there was a longer road by way of
Kotiaion, which we must suppose that Constantine took. In his position
he could not return to Constantinople; for he had no army, and the
Orthodox party (which favoured Artavasdos) was strong there. It was
necessary for him to collect an army; and Amorion, one of the greatest
military centres of the Oriental Theme (which was generally favourable
to Iconoclasts and other heretics), was the place that promised best. At
Inn-onu he was at a fork in the road, and he fled south along the road
to Kotiaion ; here therefore the facts of the case lead us to place Krassos.
There is at Inn-onu a high-lying valley, perfectly flat and almost a swamp,
perhaps the only valley on the road; this consideration alone would
determine the situation of Krassos. There can be no doubt that this
district was commonly reckoned to be Phrygian; and though we cannot
be sure that it was in the Roman province Bithynia, yet that is made
probable by the words of Galen just quoted2. This district seems to
1 This route coincided with one of the Constantine certainly could not take
two roads to Dorylaion as far as Inn-onu the other route by Suyut, as there is no
(whence one path went right to Kotia- side road to Kotiaion forking from it.
ion, and one left to Dorylaion). It is 2 In the map, Hist. Geogr. p. 178, the
uncertain which of the two routes to boundary of the provinces is made to
Dorylaion was taken by the military pass through Inn-oriu, which is there
road ; but probably it took the Inn-oiiu termed Basilika : I should now be in-
route (that of the modern railway), clined to place there Gordorinia.