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Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, Episode 244.

Not completely unreasonable.

Last time we followed Manoel to the abandoned fortress of Mirio Caffalon

and then on into the pass of Zibritz. The emperor's attempt at a crusade was cut to pieces in the

defile and when the Sultan of Iconium offered to make peace, Comlinus eagerly agreed.

The terms of the ceasefire included the demand that the Romans pull down the two fortresses they

had recently erected at Souvléon and Dorélaum, each sat at an entry point to the plateau.

Manoel made his way home via Souvléon and duly destroyed the fortress,

but he left Dorélaum where it was and offered no explanation when the Sultan complained.

He was a provocative gesture. Dorélaum guarded the traditional crusader route onto the plateau.

In response, Kilijasland sent a large army down the Meander Valley to cause havoc.

This they duly did, sacking half a dozen settlements and only turning back when they reached the Aegean.

The Romans, freed from the constraints of crusading warfare, were able to use their traditional methods

to counter attack.

In Manoel put John Vatatsis in charge of the army, the brother of the man whose head had been

displayed on a spear to intimidate the Byzantines during the Battle of Mirio Caffalon.

John quickly marched his troops up the Meander Valley to get ahead of the slow-moving Turks.

The nomads were returning from their raid at a leisurely pace because they now dragged cart loads

...