Chapter 364 The Renaissance of Roman Culture

Chapter 364 The Renaissance of Roman Culture

Mircea dismissed the levies who were going to the east because the local forces were sufficient. Peter also stabilized the situation in the Middle East, reached agreements with various local governments, and prepared to return home after exiling the Turks to the north.

Peter received more than two million lei from these Turks, which he divided among his brothers. As the dispatched officials arrived, Peter returned with his brothers.

Rome unified the Balkans and Anatolia and reached the pinnacle of its territory after the Macedonian dynasty. As wealth continued to flow into Constantinople, Mircea could spend more money to support the construction of the capital.

In order to show their sincerity, the Mamluks recognized Ashkelon as Roman territory. The two countries have resumed normal exchanges, and Mediterranean trade has begun to increase again.

The East India Company began to invest in the canal. They invested more than 600,000 lei and used more than 10,000 slaves and more than 8,000 free laborers to dig this more than 100 kilometers long canal. They estimate that the canal will generate at least ten times as much profit once it opens.

The pirates in the Eastern Mediterranean were collected and destroyed, the trading environment improved, and the emperor subsequently entered a state of inactivity. After all, it's not every day that he has something to deal with.

In Constantinople, some Germans who came here with the emperor began to accept some new ideas. Rector John of Bohemia came to the University of Constantinople, saw the indulgences framed on the wall, and asked the people around him what they were.

"This is said to be an indulgence issued by Rome. His Highness occasionally obtained one, and then placed it here to make everyone aware of Rome's greed."

John looked at the words below: This is worth 30 silver coins. Being proficient in theology, he immediately understood what it meant, which touched him deeply.

The West is still in the midst of a great schism in the Catholic Church, and the religious and secular chaos is causing great suffering to the people. John decided to study here for a while to explore the path to salvation.

Centered in Constantinople, a movement with the slogan of reviving ancient Greek and Roman culture began to spread throughout the country. Italian things like double-entry bookkeeping, joint-stock companies, and the international banking system spread to Rome, and banks began to appear in various cities. There are more than 20 banks in Thessaloniki alone. The leu became the common currency in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This created a new aristocratic class that obtained status through economic means. They invested more in industry, commerce and overseas than the old aristocracy. Their demand for luxury goods drove the growth of trade. The growth of trade made merchants become richer, and as the merchants became richer, their demand for luxury goods became stronger. This atmosphere creates the need for wealth symbols, which is an important way to show family wealth, strength and taste. The expansion of trade also created a group of extremely wealthy nobles who were able to vigorously sponsor art and literature.

After Rome conquered Venice, local painting styles were introduced to Rome, and the human body and natural landscape became the center of their paintings. The further plundering of Italy brought many literary works and books to Rome, and Peter's order to compile an encyclopedia also kept intellectuals busy.

The Academy of Athens became a cultural center second only to Constantinople, and they studied people more than any other institution. The works they create are all people-oriented, and they are also preparing to rebuild the Parthenon to create in a better state.

Almost all artists and architects in Italy went to Rome. The large demand for architecture and painting allowed them to realize their ambitions. There are churches, monasteries, palaces, palaces, theaters and other buildings in various places. The demand for churches in the new territory was even greater, and at least 120 were needed.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Ancyra is the third largest cathedral after Hagia Sophia and the Cathedral of San Canito. It was built by Brunelleschi from Florence. It is said that he was very familiar with Romanesque architecture, and the plan he submitted was favored by the emperor, so he won the project to build the Ancyra Church.

Even France can't keep up with such a large demand. According to Peter's words: Take what's mine and spit it out. These are the legacies of my Roman Empire. Don’t you feel ashamed to use them openly?

So Northern Italy paid a heavy price for Venice's whims. Not just in terms of money, but also in terms of population and religion. Peter plundered more than 100 churches and more than 70 monasteries in northern Italy. Local nuns, monks, priests, priests, and bishops were all arrested. Those who can afford it will pay to leave, and those who cannot afford it will become slaves. In the end, more than 10,000 people were plundered and sent to the East, where they worked hard to build Rome.

Mircea also carried out a demilitarization of the country, and those who had participated in the Crusades and were buried in Constantinople were removed. The cemeteries of Bohemond and his Hauteville family, the sworn enemies of Emperor Alexios, were all destroyed. Such a counterattack and liquidation also caused protests from many nobles. Even the Welf family, the most powerful in the HRE, secretly supported the anti-Roman faction. After all, they saw that they would die at the hands of Bartlan in the future.

John, Duke of Burgundy, became the leader of the faction, and he already believed that Rome supported the Orleans faction. In this case, then start looking for anti-Roman countries to form an alliance, and then find an excuse to go to the East to settle accounts.

Britain does not have much enmity with Rome. At present, the most important thing is to seize the French throne and recuperate. It can be said that the countries to the west of Burgundy have no interest in participating in Eastern affairs.

The discussion within the HRE was very intense, and five of the electors (excluding Brandenburg and Bohemia), Austria, Bavaria, Lower Luxembourg, and these slightly larger countries all joined in. But you must know that there are more than just these countries in the HRE. Milan, Savoy, and Genoa expressed neutrality. Jobst believed that this would return the HRE to the abyss of war and insisted on opposing it. Others have nothing to do with themselves and are still expanding their territory in the country.

While the entire European continent is bustling, Scandinavia seems deserted. Under the Kalmar Union, Northern Europe was united under one monarch. The King of Denmark also holds the title of Duke of Holstein. In addition, he controls the Oresund Strait, the only exit from the Baltic Sea. His wealth is also among the top in the HRE.

Poland and Lithuania are also staunch anti-Roman factions, but as mentioned before, they must solve Moscow and Teutonia. Vytautas and Wladyslaw decided that the coalition forces would break through to the north and try to capture Gdańsk and Samogitia. Then go east to break through Moscow, and finally south to break through Constantinople to realize the dream of the Kingdom of Greater Poland.