Crusader Knights’ Letters to Pope Urban II

report by the secret police passed through his hands first. He and Urban would decide together whether to forgive a sinner or punish him, and they would even discuss the severity of the punishment. No decisions were made without hearing Odo’s opinion first.

Everyone in the palace knew this, and they were all unanimous in their hatred of Odo. Of course, they never expressed their hatred in any way, but there was no lack of rumors about Odo throughout the corridors. The courtiers, hearing Odo’s name, would explicitly express their dissatisfaction with their facial expressions and would bow to Urban as if wanting to say, “The will is yours, high priest, but if we were you, we would not tolerate that cynical, arrogant Odo even for one minute.”

Unlike the courtiers, the higher aristocrats, namely kings and emperors, would simply pretend not to understand who was being discussed. They would snobbishly deny knowing Odo. This approach slightly amused Urban. The pope had known Odo for so long that he couldn’t even remember when they had met. He knew that Odo was stubborn and that he couldn’t see anything beyond himself. Odo was the only living being on earth who was free and unconstrained in contradicting Urban and could even argue better than him. Since the papal infallibility was the cornerstone of the Catholic Church and taking into account the infinite power Urban had in the secular life as well, Odo’s position required a lot of courage. To some extent, this infallibility could be viewed as a violation of one of the fundamental dogmas of the Catholic Church. Every moment, Odo was in danger of losing his own head. Of course, it was possible that one day Urban could finally become so angry that he could retaliate, but this didn’t affect Odo’s courage at all. He continued his assertions, which usually went beyond the general opinion. Some courtiers had tried to replicate Odo’s daring approaches to win Urban’s favor, but they were removed from the palace at the first sign of insubordinate behavior. Odo was brave but not reckless. He was an advisor able to give profound reasons for having formed this or that opinion. In this case, that’s what happened.

A few months before Urban’s sermon at the Notre Dame Mass, a letter of request had been received from Byzantine Emperor Alexius. In his letter, the emperor described the wonders of Constantinople. He explained that twenty new fountains had been installed, more than half of the city had been paved, three new cathedrals had been constructed, the renovation

of the Hagia Sophia had been completed, four new prefectures, two new hospitals, twelve new schools, and one new theater had been built and bathhouses had been completely repaired. The emperor then cordially invited the high priest to visit Constantinople to see the world’s most beautiful and comfortable city at any time and for any period convenient to him. Alexius spared no words in describing the remarkable city. Apparently, the letter had not been written by him, but by a poet specially employed for that purpose. At the end of the letter was a request. Alexius asked Urban to allocate one hundred – one hundred fifty soldiers from the papal army to the security patrol services in his beautiful Christian capital. Alexius explained that the newly built and reconstructed parts of the city could be destroyed unless they were properly protected, especially since expensive materials had been used for the renovations. The emperor wrote that, because of this, the city attracted thieves and looters, and living there had become dangerous. At the end of his letter, Alexius again expressed his gratitude to God, asking for many years of good health for the high priest and once again restating his open invitation.

“I wonder how much it will cost the papal treasury to maintain one hundred soldiers for a year in Constantinople?” Odo asked after reading the letter aloud to the pope.

“I do not think it will be very expensive,” Urban said. Urban liked the idea of visiting Constantinople. He even started to consider acquiring a summer residence there. Indeed, Constantinople was the most beautiful city in the modern world. One could not imagine a city that could compare to it, with its exquisiteness and allure. The pope particularly liked that the world’s most beautiful city belonged to Christians and not to Saracens.

“Compounded yearly, it would make up a rather large sum. According to rough estimates, about two thousand pieces of gold, not including the transportation and other expenses like medical, postage, uniforms, etc.,” Odo counted out.

Urban frowned. It was quite a large amount of money. The papal treasury was not at its best. The war against the antipope had used up their money, and the saddest part was that it wasn’t just the war, but the various attempts to attract noblemen to stick to the true pope’s side that had been putting a dent in the treasury. Urban also liked to demonstrate his papal extravagance

by holding lavish receptions. During those receptions, the whole strength of the papal power was displayed. World-renowned musicians were invited who would simultaneously play in different corners of the palace for days on end. Snacks were served from overseas, prepared by chefs whose language no one could understand. Theatrical groups performed plays depicting important historical events of the ancient world. A special Mass was served using utensils that had been handcrafted by the most famous goldsmiths and lapidaries. Urban tried in any way to show off the immensity of the papal power and wealth, but each luxurious event would seriously reduce the content of the treasury.

But there was another danger. Noblemen who appeared to be of the same mind with the pontiff missed no opportunity to enter into secret negotiations with the antipope, wishing to serve two masters at the same time. To ascertain such conspiracies, Urban used the secret police to keep surveillance on all suspicious persons around him. It didn’t even occur to the majority of noblemen that their every move was being studied in detail, whether it was a love affair, friendly meeting, political conspiracy, or secret trade deal. Urban was kept thoroughly informed about everything, and these services continued to exhaust the treasury’s funds. In certain cases, the secret police cost more than the extravagant events. Good information is a precious commodity. Sometimes more than a dozen people had to be bribed in order to extract valuable information – information that helped prevent numerous unfavorable events. Almost everything had been prevented by the efforts of the secret police, from assassination attempts to secret political agreements. The basis of the papal infallibility was that he was well aware of the real life he wasn’t witnessing. The courtiers spoke in the corridors about how the pope was not infallible, but rather well informed. Important state decisions were impossible to make without reliable, well-grounded information that Urban was abundantly given.

“And which expenses are you going to cut?” Odo asked, seeing Urban’s hesitations over Alexius’ letter. “You aren’t going to raise taxes or increase the amount of non-existing tax, are you?”

“It’s not possible to impose new taxes. The people’s condition is quite hopeless and will remain so until the day of resurrection. The same applies to raising existing taxes, but we need to help Alexius.”

“Really?” Odo gave a smile. “And how do you suggest doing that?”

“I don’t know. We should think it over. Alexius emphasized in his letter that he recognizes and accepts my spiritual authority, which means he will defect to the antipope unless we lend him a helping hand.”

The papal treasury had already been squeezed dry by the long-lasting and complicated geopolitical situation. Besides, the controversy over the right to consecrate bishops and noblemen was being fought against Henry IV. It had always been the right of the pope, but Henry was trying to usurp it. Having that right was also quite profitable, and since there was a need for money, ending the meaningless fight in Urban’s favor would be beneficial. Most of the military operations were regulated by Odo. Urban would intervene only when it was absolutely necessary, when decision-making demanded personal responsibility. He would regulate the movement of both active and reserve forces, the directions of attack and defense on grounds of expediency, as well as the amount of the soldiers’ remuneration.

This certainly did not imply that Urban had no interest or role in political or military affairs. Quite the contrary, everything was kept under Urban’s direct control. Each day began and ended with Urban’s reports, and there were also interim reports, such as information brought by messengers, which were read upon arrival. All correspondence was handled by Odo, but only under Urban’s immediate awareness. Odo was too secular for ecclesiastical affairs, while Urban was too spiritual to assess the military and political actions. This union was ideal for both of them, since one made up for the other’s weaknesses and leaned on the other’s strengths. After all, it was Pope Urban to whom all the numerous military successes achieved during his papacy were attributed to. In the modern world, he had a reputation of being a good strategist and commander. Very little time had passed since his anointment, but all the European potentates were already sure that the papal ferula was in good hands. Not only did Urban II not concede his predecessor’s positions, but he strengthened his powers, and now, just a few years after his anointment, not a single nobleman in the whole of Europe would question his authority. Against this background, the existence of the antipope became a sort of fictional tale. The antipope had surrendered almost all his estates and withdrawn to his residence in Rome, where he tried not to make many appearances.

As for Henry, the military operations initiated by Odo had put him in a tough spot. It seemed like now he was just following policy to not give up

the influence of his words in order to preserve his current position. Urban’s envoys were already working on the negotiation process to bring down Henry’s boyish ambitions and to reach a mutually beneficial declaration of peace.

“I don’t think Alexius will be that stupid that he would defect to the an tipope, especially now that we have already been so successful in the fight against the antipope. A few more military operations and his power will remain a memory,” Odo said proudly.

“The antipope still exists, and it means that we must be more sympathetic to our friends. Nothing makes a man more compassionate toward his friends than the enemy,” Urban said. “Odo, how can we fulfill Emperor Alexius’ request?”

“Well, we could save a lot of money if we abstain from celebrating As sumption Day.”

“And how much could we save?” Urban asked. “I can’t say right now. I need to count, but I think it will be enough to cover the annual cost of paying for one hundred fifty soldiers. Or maybe we could abstain from holding Mass that day.”

“Have you gone mad?” Urban shouted. “What do you mean? How could we abstain from the Mass? We can abstain from everything, but never a religious ritual. You have become so obsessed with political intrigues that you probably forgot my authority is spiritual. Spiritual! Please always remember this when giving me advice.”

Odo smiled. “Wonderful!” he said quietly. “What’s wonderful?” “With your permission, I will think it over and tell you how to solve this seemingly unsolvable problem.”

“Have you thought of anything already?” Urban asked hopefully. “Maybe,” Odo smiled. “Well then tell me.” “Maybe the solution is much more obvious than we thought. But I need to make sure before reporting to you. Give me some time.” “Okay. You can go,” Urban said. This was the kind of man Odo was; he could always find a way out of any situation. Emerging from the pope’s room, he instructed a courier to invite the head of heralds to the pope’s residence. He warned the courier

beforehand that the invitation was secret. The courier bowed to signal he understood the importance of confidentiality. Odo then sent another courier to Italy to invite one of the local philosophers to the pope’s residence. He was determined to thoroughly research his plan before carrying it out, and he intended to consult with leading specialists who had great influence on people’s consciences. He wanted to consider the whole depth of the pope’s mind.