On the morning of April 13, 1204, Constantinople was under Frankish rule. By April 15, the City was completely destroyed. Nothing was left of its former beauty and glory. Three days later, however, these scoundrels celebrated Palm Sunday, thanking God for the great victory he had given them!
On the other hand, the Byzantines, army and people had completely lost their morale. After all, there was no strong personality that would bring them out of their lethargy and compel them to fight. In the meantime, the nobles were also taking care to leave the City.
Among them was Theodoros Laskaris, who left for Asia Minor. There, Theodore would establish the Empire of Nicaea, the state-continuator of the Byzantine tradition, whose soldiers would liberate the city 57 years later.
Theodoros Laskaris had married Anna, the daughter of Alexios III Angelos. He was the only commander who had succeeded in preventing the crusaders from capturing the section of the wall he was protecting during the siege of Constantinople. He had remained in Constantinople until the last moment, when all organized resistance had collapsed. His brother, Constantine, had been proclaimed emperor when Constantinople fell to the crusaders.
Theodore fled to the Asia Minor coast of the Bosphorus with his wife. He then settled in Nicaea in Bithynia, where other Byzantines slowly began to arrive, and a nucleus of resistance began to form. Theodore himself, however, officially took the title of emperor a year later, in 1205.
Nicaea is quite close to Constantinople and its location was ideal as a base for the recapture of Constantinople. But Theodore's power was limited to the area around Nicaea and he could not hope for help from elsewhere.
Sandwiched between the Latins, the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, and the hostile Empire of Trebizond, the state of Nicaea was at first in a difficult position. The Latin Empire was founded in Constantinople with Baldwin of Flanders as its first emperor.
The Latins proceeded to an agreement to divide the territories of the Byzantine Empire. A division, led by Henry of Flanders, brother of the "emperor" Baldwin, landed in Asia Minor with the aim of occupying the lands there as well. Theodore tried to confront them, but was defeated in two battles, at Poimaninos and at Bursa in the autumn and winter of 1204-1205.
But he was saved thanks to his diplomatic acumen, causing the Bulgarians to invade Thrace. In the battle fought near Adrianople, in 1205 the Latins were defeated and Baldwin was captured. The Latins temporarily abandoned the advance into Asia Minor and their troops withdrew to defend Constantinople and Thrace from the Bulgarians.
Theodoros gained time and made the most of it. In 1207, he defeated David Komnenos of Trebizond, ending this danger once and for all. In the same year he signed a two-year truce with the new Latin emperor, Henry. At the same time, he decided to legitimize his imperial title. On Easter Sunday 1208, Patriarch Michael crowned Theodore emperor in Nicaea.
This fact was considered a provocation by the Latins, who, violating the agreement, invaded Asia Minor, led by Peter de Bruxelles. But Theodore rebuffed them. In 1210 Alexios III Angelos fled to the court of the Sultan of Rum, Caichosro I and asked him for his help against Theodore.
Together with Alexios, Caichosros moved with large forces and in 1210 invaded the territories of Nicaea. Turkish troops arrived outside the walls of Antioch of the Maeander and besieged the city. Theodore rushed to confront them, but he only had 2,000 men, including 800 Latin mercenary knights and 1,200 Byzantine soldiers.
The battle of Maiander
When the Turkish sultan learned that the Byzantine army was approaching, he prepared to face it, confident of victory, since he was outnumbered by at least 5 to 1. The Byzantines lined up with the 800 Latin mercenaries in the first line, in a wedge formation and the other horsemen in the second line. Theodore, seeing the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy, understood that only a sudden and impetuous attack gave him some chance of victory.
Thus, he ordered the Latin mercenaries to attack the Turkish center immediately. The knights galloped with speed and with their lances extended fell upon the Turks, dispersing the opposing yokes at the first contact. They almost broke the Turkish line. However, the Turks were numerous and soon surrounded the Latins. They, though surrounded, fought truly heroically and all fell. But each of them had previously killed four times as many Turks.
Then the sultan, believing that victory was certain, put himself in charge and rushed the remaining 1,200 Byzantines. They resisted bravely, but gradually the Turkish crowd seemed to prevail. At this critical moment, the sultan recognized Theodore in the midst of the slaughter and attacked him. The sultan had a large physique and was renowned for his strength. Steadily brandishing his heavy war club (headbreaker) he rushed at the encircled Greek emperor who was fighting like a lion.
At the same time the other Turkish soldiers stepped aside, leaving the Sultan to finish the battle. The engaged soldiers of both factions stopped the fight and everyone watched the two leaders engage. The sultan at the first rush managed a terrible blow on the emperor. Although he was wearing a heavy helmet, the small Theodore was shaken and fell from the horse.
A sky-long shout of triumph rang out from thousands of Turkish lips. As if by a miracle, however, Theodore fell and managed to stand up and pull his sword from the scabbard. The sultan, having the impression that he had won, ordered his men to bind the fallen Theodore. But he with all his strength managed a terrible blow on the sultan with his heavy sword, cutting down rider and horse together.
The Turks, who had been triumphant until that moment, saw with horror the head of their leader falling, bloodied, on the ground. The terrified Turks fled in disorder, pursued by the few Byzantines who were left alive.