Constantinople - Crete: “Nicephorus Phocas” Exploration of the Byzantine world could not but include the broad and culturally rich area of the Aegean archipelago. Although the islands did not play a leading role in the political, religious and artistic developments of the Byzantine Empire, they did follow contemporary trends and serve as the theatre for many important events. Byzantine monuments preserved on the islands plainly and eloquently depict all those elements which changed, influenced and defined history and culture down the centuries; attacks, invasions and violent physical phenomena can be traced through the ruined villages and crumbling monuments. To this day, by examining the large monastery complexes, the extensive and prosperous settlements and the many churches we can determine the periods of boom and prosperity experienced by the islands and the entire empire at particular times. The Constantinople - Crete route was named after the Byzantine emperor Nicephorus II Phocas, for he was the one who first traced it in history, in 960. It was then that he set out from the capital of the Byzantine Empire for Crete, which he retook from the Arabs in 961, following several months of operations. Using the imaginary line that links Constantinople to Crete as our guide, the Nicephorus Phocas route presents selected sites and monuments of the Aegean. The concept behind this choice lay in a desire to throw light on the Byzantine and post-Byzantine chapters of history at particular places in the Aegean region, guiding the reader to places and monuments of great import, as well as to those usually confined to the margins of interest. Readers choosing the Nicephorus Phocas route will visit castles, monasteries, churches and present-day museums. The virtual castle trail starts at the fortress of Mytilene, heading via the castles of Chios, Leros, Kos, Rhodes and Naxos to end at that of Chania. Nea Moni on Chios and the Monastery of St. John the Theologian on Patmos, together with the early Christian basilicas of Kos and the Episkopi at Kissamos, mark out the trail of religious monuments. The interactive tour is complemented by a modern-day glance back into the past via museums on Chios, at the Nicolaides Mansion on Patmos and on Leros. The unique, interesting knowledge acquired by visitors choosing to travel the Nicephorus Phocas route lies in discovering the patchwork of cultures and hues in the Aegean of Byzantine times. As a living space laid claim to by many different peoples, the Byzantine Aegean boasts the brilliant Εξερευνώντας τον κόσμο του Βυζαντίου 1 από 11 colors of the mosaics at Nea Moni, the complex design of the castle at Naxos, the robustness of the Knights’ Castle, and the energy of all the people (Greeks, Venetians, Ottomans) that navigated and inhabited it down the centuries, with all their various languages, religions, experiences, backgrounds and purposes. Glossary (1) mosaic: patterns or images composed of small, colored tesserae. Mosaic decoration can be applied to all the surfaces of a building: floor, walls or ceiling. Information Texts (14) The city: Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, was built on the site of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium, on the triangular peninsula formed by the Golden Horn, the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara. This was an excellent location that controlled trade routes linking the Aegean to the Black Sea. Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople in 330 AD as a city to rival Rome in splendour, wealth and power. The city grew fast, leading to problems of space and facilities, so Theodosius I extended it to the west by building new strong walls that protected Constantinople until the end of the Byzantine Empire. The city was laid out after Rome. A main road, the Mese Odos, linked the palace to the Golden Gate. On this road was the Forum, a circular plaza with a statue of Constantine mounted on a column, surrounded by public buildings. Theodosius I and Arcadius later built more forums decorated with their own statues. Following the Nika riots in the 6th century, Justinian adorned Constantinople with magnificent edifices, palaces, baths and public buildings. This time also saw the construction of Agia Sophia (the Holy Wisdom), the church which served as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate throughout the Byzantine period. During the 7th and 8th centuries Constantinople faced major problems that threw it into disarray: attacks by the Avars (a siege in 674) and Arabs (attacks in 674 and 717-718); natural disasters (a powerful, destructive earthquake in 740); and epidemics (plague in 747). Limited building activity resumed in the 8th and 9th century, mainly concentrated on strengthening the city's fortifications. With the recovery of the Byzantine Empire from the 9th to the 11th century, Constantinople became the most populated city in Christendom; the majority of inhabitants were Greek-speaking, but many other ethnic groups lived alongside them, such as Jews, Armenians, Russians, Italians merchants, Arabs and mercenaries from Western Europe and Scandinavia. Many public, private and church-owned buildings were erected at the time, with an emphasis on establishing charitable institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, orphanages and schools. Higher education flourished, thanks to the care of the state and the emergence of important scholars. This renaissance lasted until the mid-11th century, when economic problems due to poor management set in, compounded by the adverse outcome of imperial operations beyond the borders. The Crusaders left Constantinople entirely unscathed when first passing through, but in Εξερευνώντας τον κόσμο του Βυζαντίου 2 από 11 the Fourth Crusade of 1204 the Franks conquered and ransacked the city, slaughtering those inhabitants they did not take prisoner or drive out. In 1261 the city was retaken by Michael VIII Palaeologus, who rebuilt most of the monuments and the walls but proved unable to restore the city to its former splendour and glory. Enfeebled as it was, the empire was incapable of checking the advance of the Ottomans, and in 1453 Constantinople finally fell into their hands. The fall signalled the end of the empire. Nevertheless, the Byzantine intellectual tradition remained significant, as many scholars settled in the Venetian dominions of Crete and the Peloponnese, as well as in European countries, conveying Greek learning to the West. The island: As the largest island in the Greek archipelago, with a culture all of its own, Crete has made its mark on Greek history and often determined its course. Having developed a fully fledged culture from as early as Neolithic times, Crete heralded the dawn of civilization in the wider European area. The lasting period of prosperity from 2800 to 1100 BC is associated with Minoan civilization. Irrefutable evidence of its range and splendour lies in the old and new palaces erected at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros; in the development of important sites such as Agia Triada, Gortyn, Zominthos, Myrtos, Fournou Koryfi, etc.; in the evolution of a sophisticated, rich and vibrant art; in the commercial supremacy of the Minoans on the seas; and in the spread of their products, pottery, artefacts and artistic trends throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The collapse of the palatial system and the decline of Minoan civilization were followed by Mycenaean infiltration and the transition to the Iron Age, which in no way recalled the glories of the past. In historic times Crete may not have lost its status as trading centre, but it was relegated to the margins of the Greek world, which was thenceforth associated with the major centres of Athens, Sparta and later Macedonia. The island’s principal urban centres at that time were at Knossos, Lato, Praisos, Cydonia and Gortyn. In 69 BC the Romans took the island by force. They designated Gortys as their administrative seat, which emerged as a major centre of the time. In the 1st century Crete received Christianity as preached by the Apostle Paul; the island’s churches were organized by Paul’s disciple Titus in 63 AD. The spread of Christianity between the 4th and 8th century led to the construction of a considerable number of basilicas, all typical of the Early Christian period, such as those at Sougia, Chersonisos, Panormo, Eleutherna, Sybritos, Frangokastelo and Gortys. Sources reveal that Crete then formed part of the Diocese of Moesia (Dioecesis Moesiarum or Illyricum Orientale), which was directly dependent on the Church of Rome; the Episcopal Province of Crete had about twenty bishoprics, with Gortys as its metropolitan see. During the iconoclast controversy under Constantine V, in around 754, the Church of Crete broke away from Rome and was annexed to the throne of Constantinople. In 823 civil war broke out on Crete between Thomas the Slav and Emperor Michael II. Meanwhile, a series of uprisings by Andalusian Arabs against the Caliph of Cordoba in the West Mediterranean led to their being banished from the Iberian Peninsula, thus rendering the island vulnerable to attack. Denied access to the north coast of Africa, they set their sights on Crete. Α series of assaults in 826 resulted in forty Arab battle ships entering Souda Bay. The island was pillaged for several days and then taken over; Gortys was razed to the ground, and the Arabs established a new capital on the site of ancient Heraclea, erecting a substantial fortress with deep ditches, which they named al-Chandak (later known as Chandax). From there they organised an extensive series of attacks against the Aegean islands, plunging them into destruction and desolation. Emperor Michael II’s efforts to recover Crete by 829 failed to rid the island of the Arab presence, as did an initially successful attempt by Michael III in 843. The baton then passed to Emperor Constantine Εξερευνώντας τον κόσμο του Βυζαντίου 3 από 11 VII Porphyrogenitus, in whose reign Nicephorus Phocas became known as a man of military prowess.