This is CBS, I On the World. I'm John Batchel. With Professor Ed Watts, the book is the Romans,

a 2,000-year history. We're coming near the end of Roman Empire. What will happen in future

has other names. But Roman Empire, it is the time for the Crusades. The first crusade launched basically

to relieve some anxiety in the kingships in the West, reaches Constantinople, and is aided by

the Khamennaud, by the people of Constantinople, the cross of Bosphorus.

And there's no trouble.

And you don't expect trouble.

These are Christians, right?

Christians are marching from the West in response to stories they've heard about the Muslims

abusing Jerusalem, and they're going to liberate the Holy City.

And the first crusade crosses the Bosphus with the help of Constantinople.

The second crusade shows up, and there's trouble.

What kind of trouble, Professor?

So the big challenge that the crusaders have is this is another one of these ideas of Alexios Connenos,

where he needs Western support to try to retake Asia Minor.

And the first crusade is the group of Westerners who come to relieve Constantinople.

And they all pledge to return all of the territory they take to the Romans.

And so they do take a significant number of

cities along the coast of Asia Minor. But then at a certain point, their desire breaks off,

their desire to go to the Holy Land, breaks off from what the Romans want. And they start taking

territory for themselves. And so the First Crusade takes territory and gives it back to Rome

until a certain point at which it starts taking territory and keeping it.

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