Book 3: 'Arrow Odd'

7.0 THE ATTACK ON CONSTANTINOPLE OF 860

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE ATTACK ON CONSTANTINOPLE OF 860

           

 "Like a thunderbolt from heaven."

Patriarch Photius of Constantinople

(859 AD)  In the spring of 859, the war arrow was passed around Norway for ships and warriors in support of King Frodi of Konogard with an attack upon Constantinople. Oddi was now the captain of a ship of young men and he talked it over with them and was the first to volunteer his services to King Roller. But the Norwegian fleet wasn't taking the usual Southern Way route to Constantinople like the Danish and Swedish fleets. They were sailing west around Frankia and south past Spain in order to enter the Mediterranean Sea through the Pillars of Hercules, following the path they had reconnoitered several years prior. King Roller's fleet was to be part of a two pronged naval attack upon the Eastern Roman Empire. The fleet paused in the Anglish Channel and met up with Ragnar's fleet off the coast of Frankia.

"The Romans are up to their old tricks," Roller explained to his father. "They're financing the rebuilding of the Fortress of Sarkel."

"Let's steal the gold again!" Ragnar exclaimed, laughing. "If only Jarl Brak was here to see it."

"They don't ship all the gold in one bireme anymore, Greek fire or not," Roller laughed. "I'm glad to see you're in good spirits, father."

"Why wouldn't I be? My sons are going to try to outdo me by sacking Constantinople while I only sacked Paris. I guess I'll have to sack Rome next," he laughed. "But I'm proud of you boys. Your fame will outshine mine."

"Nothing will ever best the fame of the Hraes' Gold!"

"The Franks and Germans are already stealing my story," Ragnar complained. "They're calling it the Rhine Gold Hoard now."

"Is that why you're stealing the Frank's gold? They're stealing your story?"

"I'm just maintaining our trading posts along the coasts."

"And halfway up the Seine," Roller laughed.

"Just as far as Rouen," the old man corrected, drinking half a goblet of wine. He was half cut and in a fine mood. "Someday son," he said, waving his free arm, "this will all be yours!"

Again, as the Norwegian fleet approached the Pillars of Hercules, Roller warned his captains that Arab and Roman fleets could be lying in wait for them. But their fleet this time was over two hundred ships, so they sailed boldly into the Mediterranean. They stayed just out of sight of the coast of Africa and soon had Sicily off their port side. A week of good sailing put Crete off the fleet's starboard and they headed north into the Aegean Sea, again, undetected. The fleet found the secluded bay of the island where they had set up their base camp years before and King Roller took his longship east into the Sea of Marmara and on to Constantinople to meet up with Hraes' traders there. He learned that a major Roman attack on Arabs in Anatolia had been delayed by a year and the main Roman army was still deployed around Constantinople, so the Varangian attack would also be delayed a year.

(860 AD)  King Roller returned to his base camp in the Aegean with the news of the delay, so the Norse fleet returned to Spain and began raiding there. They wintered in Southern Frankia, keeping a low profile there, and in spring set off down the coast of Italy, attacking settlements along the way, including cities as large as Luna and Pisa. Ragnar wanted to attack Rome, but Roller could not risk taking his fleet through the Strait of Messina as the Roman navy was known to set traps there. They were on a schedule to arrive in Constantinople for the attack on it and could not afford any delays. The fleet headed out to open sea sailing straight south from Pisa and skirting the eastern coasts of Corsica and Sardinia then sailing southeast between Sicily and Malta and then straight east between Greece and Crete. Roller kept feeling the need to get there sooner, even though they were ahead of schedule. They sailed north, winding through the Grecian Isles, then east into the Sea of Marmara.