Gather round friends and I'll tell you a tale of a magical show about to unveil at Edmmerer Castle,

a grand affair, returning to this August and beyond compare, where Sarger's myths and legends

are bold, come to life through stories all told, to mark your calendars and book your

seat and get said for a night of unforgettable feats.

Stories from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, tales to transport you, tickets available

at eddentatoo.co.uk.

Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, episode 194, Normandy in Anatolia.

Last time we followed the Emperor Romano's Theo Yanis as he raced back and forth trying

to stop the Turkic raids which had suddenly intensified into twice annual nightmares.

Romano's failed in his mission and was captured by the Seljuk Sultan on the fields outside

Manzacad.

What happened next broke something within the Byzantine political system.

The debate about who was to blame for this disaster and the civil war which followed opened

a damaging rift amongst the ruling elite. Theo Yanis was blinded and died, but the palace

didn't seem to have won the day.

The regime of Michael Dukas was damned by everyone, not only for its betrayal of Romano's,

but because there was no money left. Theo Yanis had debased the coinage and spent most

of a year's worth of tax receipts on his campaign.

The government of Constantinople had always been able to buy its way out of trouble like

this, but not anymore. The debased coinage had forced a pay cut onto all of its dependence

decreasing their willingness to cooperate.

Add to all this there was now a massive hole in the Empire's border defenses. Eastern

...