CHAPTER XI.

The third Dynasty of the Seljukians, called that of

THIS

Roum.

HIS dynasty of the Seljukians derives its name of Roum, from their having reigned in Asia Minor, comprehending the kingdoms of Pontus, Bithynia, Media, Phrygia, Galatia, Armenia Minor, Cappadocia, and other states, forming a vast peninsula between the Euxine Sea, and the Propontis and Archipelago, the Mediterranean Sea and Syria, as far as the Euphrates; all which composed a part of the Greek empire, which the Asiatics knew under the name of the Roman empire, and they called those countries the territories of Roum. The Arabs had penetrated into them through Syria, and the Turks, in pursuit of them during their wars, advanced into the interior of the country, drove out the Greeks, and took possession of the territory of Roum, which they afterwards called Anatolia. The conquest was begun under Malec Shah, a Seljukian sultan of Persia. He made over the cities he had captured, with a sufficient number of troops to enable him to pursue his success, to one of his cousins, named Soliman, who was the founder of the dynasty of the Seljukian Turks.

A. D.

1074.

The Greek writers agree with the account of this conquest, and the commencement of the reign of Soliman, as delivered by the oriental authors, whom we follow; for they tell us, that

soon after the death of the emperor Romanus Diogenes, the Turks broke into the territories of the empire. Michael Ducas, his successor, being alarmed at this irruption, sent against them Isaac Comnenus, who, after having gained a few advantages, was defeated and taken prisoner near Cesarea. His brother Alexis, on his return, was attacked by a party of Turks, who had already made incursions in Bithynia, as far as Nice; Alexis in this, and other instances, defending himself with extraordinary courage and address. About the same time, Isaac Comnenus, newly made governor of Antioch, was slain in an engagement with a party of Turks, who had made an irruption into Syria.

After this event, several persons aspired to the empire, but Botaniates, being assisted by Soliman, took possession of it. He raised forces to oppose Nicephorus Bryennius, who aspired to the throne. This lord, during two former rebellions in Europe, declaring himself emperor, had assembled some Turkish troops in Asia Minor, with which he overran that country, putting all the towns he took into the hands of the Turks. By these means, in a little time, they became masters of all Phrygia and Galatia; in short, he reduced Nice in Bithynia, and struck terror through the whole empire and thus, probably, that famous city came to be possessed by Soliman, who afterwards made it the seat of his new empire.

Botaniates, greatly alarmed at these successes, sent an army against the enemy, under the command of John, an eunuch, who encamped a little way from Nice, which he determined to invest; but, hearing of the sultan's approach to VOL. X. D d

relieve the place, the eunuch retired, and the Turks pursued, and harassed him extremely.

As Botaniates had gained the empire by the help of the Turks, so he employed their power to overcome Nicephorus; but those adventurers, who were ready to join with any party to serve their own purpose, afterwards assisted his competitors to dethrone him. At length he resigned the crown to Alexis, in the year 1081.

At the time when Alexis ascended the throne, Soliman, who commanded in Anatolia, had fixed his seat at Nice, in Bithynia, and daily made inroads with his Turks as far as the Bosphorus; but Amalis, by ordering armed barks to scour the coast, obliged them soon to abandon it. Pursuing his advantage by land, he retook Bosphorus, Thynia, and Bithynia; whereupon the sultan sued for peace, which was granted the Turks, on condition that they kept on the banks of the river Draco, without ever passing. the border of Bithynia.

The dissensions which agitated Constantinople were very favourable to the enterprises of Soliman, whose alliance was courted by all the competitors in turns. Into whatever treaties the contending parties entered, he was considered as an auxiliary, and, in consequence, constantly acquired some small portion from the wreck, which served to extend his domains. This sultan fortified himself in several provinces, where he took possession of some very advantageous posts. In this manner he became master of Antioch, and made Nice, in Bithynia, the royal residence. Soliman either fell in battle, or slew himself, after a defeat. He governed all the country lying between the Agean, the Syrian,.

and the Euxine Seas, the Archipelago, and the coasts of Pamphilia and Cilicia. After his death, they were claimed by the governors of Asia Minor. The emperor of Constantinople also re gained some places by stratagem; but though Nice, the capital, was vigorously attacked, the Greeks could not wrest it from the hands of Pucasa, the governor, who restored it to Kilij Arslan, the eldest son of Soliman.

When the news of Soliman's death reached the ears of the governors of Asia Minor, they divided his territories among themselves. Apelkassem became lord of Nice, famous for the palace of the sultans. He had before given Cappadocia to his brother Pulkas, but, being naturally active, he thought it did not become the dignity of a sultan to sit idle, and made incursions into Bithynia, as far as the Propontis. The emperor, finding he could not be brought to a treaty, sent a powerful army, under Taticius, to besiege Nice, which encamped at twelve miles distance from that city.

The night following, a peasant brought the news that Prosuk was approaching, at the head of fifty thousand men; Taticius retired, and Apelkassem pursued, and attacked him at Preneste; but the French, who were in the army, headed by Taticius, couching their lances with their usual alertness, fell on them like lightning, defeated them, and gave Taticius leisure to retreat.

Apelkassem, with a desire to conquer the islands, built ships, with an intention of taking the city of Scio; but the emperor sent and burnt them in the harbour. At the same time, Taticius attacked and totally defeated the Turks. The emperor, on this occasion, wrote an obliging

letter to Apelkassem, desiring him to desist from his fruitless attempts, and invited him to come to Constantinople. That prince, understanding that Prosuk had taken many lesser towns, accepted of the invitation, and was received with extraordinary honours.

Prosuk, soon after, laid siege to Nice, and, having attacked it vigorously for three months, Apelkassem solicited succour from the emperor, who sent him the flower of his troops, but with orders to act for his own interest, both parties being his enemies. The Roman troops, being admitted into Nice, displayed their standards; upon which Prosuk, believing the emperor had entered the city, raised the siege, and retired.

It will be proper to observe here, that as soon as Malec Shah, who reigned in Khorasan, was informed of the success obtained against Soliman, he was alarmed, and, fearing he might grow too powerful, sent to the emperor Alexis, to propose an alliance with him, by way of marriage offering, on that occasion, to withdraw the Turks settled near the sea-coast; to abandon a certain number of small towns; and furnish him with troops, in case of need.

The emperor, desirous to recover the places without the marriage, prevailed on the messenger to turn Christian; after which conversion, as he had a written order from the sultan, for the Turkish garrisons to quit all the maritime places as soon as the marriage was agreed on, he went to Sinope, and, shewing the order to Karatik, the governor, obliged him to depart without taking any thing away, and left it in the hands of Dalassenes for the emperor. Having,