The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 06: (From Barbarossa to Dante)
Dante Alighieri · en
On Monday morning, the 12th, the assault was renewed. The tent of the
Emperor[43] had been pitched near the monastery of Pantepoptis,[44]
one of many which were in the district of the Petrion, extending along
the Golden Horn from the palace of Blachern, about one-fourth of its
length. From this position he could see all the movements of the
fleet. The walls were covered with men who were ready again to fight
under the eye of their Emperor. The assault commenced at dawn, and
continued with the utmost fierceness. Every available crusader and
Venetian took part in it. Each little group of ships had its own
special portion of the walls, with its towers, to attack. The
besiegers during the first portion of the day made little progress,
but a strong north wind sprang up, which enabled the vessels to get
nearer the land than they had previously been. Two of the transports,
the Pilgrim and the Parvis, lashed together, succeeded in throwing one
of their gangways across to a tower in the Petrion, and opposite the
position occupied by the Emperor.
A Venetian, and a French knight, André d'Urboise, immediately rushed
across and obtained a foothold. They were at once followed by others,
who fought so well that the defenders of the tower were either killed
or fled. The example gave new courage to the invaders. The knights who
were in the huissiers, as soon as they saw what had been done, leaped
on shore, placed their ladders against the wall, and shortly captured
four towers. Those on board the fleet concentrated their efforts on
the gates, broke in three of them, and entered the city, while others
landed their horses from the huissiers. As soon as a company of
knights was formed, they entered the city through one of these gates,
and charged for the Emperor's camp. Mourtzouphlos[45] had drawn up his
troops before his tents, but they were unused to contend with men in
heavy armor, and after a fairly obstinate resistance the imperial
troops fled. The Emperor, says Nicetas--who is certainly not inclined
to unduly praise the Emperor, who had deprived him of his post of
_grand logothete_--did his best to rally his troops, but all in vain,
and he had to retreat toward the palace of the Lion's Mouth. The
number of the wounded and dead was _sans fin et sans mesure_.