Great Chain: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:33, 20 February 2012

"The Great Chain was an ingenious - if slightly mad - defensive measure."

The Great Chain was a giant chain suspended between two large towers, which guarded the mouth of the Golden Horn harbor in Constantinople.

When raised across the entryway, it prevented ships from entering or leaving the inlet, serving as a simple but efficient form of defense.

History

After its construction in around 1000 CE, the chain was mainly used to keep enemy ships from entering the waterway, and attacking any of the undefended ports within Constantinople. It did so successfully for more than 400 years, with only rare cases of men circumventing it.

In 1453, Sultan Mehmet II managed to bypass the Byzantine defenses by sliding his warships over the hills of Galata on greased tracks, and into the Golden Horn far upriver from the chain.

In 1511, the chain was raised by the Janissaries, in order to investigate the death of their Captain, Tarik Barleti, and prevent the one responsible from escaping by ship. However, the Assassin responsible, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, gained help from Yusuf Tazim and the other Ottoman Assassins to break through the defenses.

That day, Ezio destroyed the chain by bringing down one tower supporting it with a powerful explosive. He then proceeded to burn through the Ottoman fleet with Greek Fire, before escaping on a ship bound for Cappadocia.

Gallery

A small part of the chain.
Ezio Auditore standing beside the chain mechanism.
Ezio aiming at the bomb placed near the chain.

Source

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Era|ACR}}
 {{WPlocations}}
+{{quote|The Great Chain was an ingenious - if slightly mad - defensive measure.|[[Clay Kaczmarek]].|Assassin's Creed: Revelations}}
 {{Landmarks Infobox
 |name        = The Great Chain
 |image       = The Great Chain Database image.png
-|description = A chain running between two towers in the [[Golden Horn]]
+|description = A chain running between two towers in the [[Golden Horn]].
 |location    = [[Constantinople]]
-|dateconstructed= Approx 1000CE
+|dateconstructed= c. 1000 CE
-|functions= Prevented war ships from passing through by raising it.
+|functions= Prevented warships from passing into the harbor.
-|appearance  = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''}}'''The Great Chain''' was a giant chain at the entrance of the [[Golden Horn]] in [[Constantinople]], which was pulled from the [[Galata Tower]], preventing ships from entering or leaving the inlet.
+|appearance  = ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''}}
+The '''Great Chain''' was a giant chain suspended between two large towers, which guarded the mouth of the [[Golden Horn]] harbor in [[Constantinople]].
+When raised across the entryway, it prevented ships from entering or leaving the inlet, serving as a simple but efficient form of defense.
 ==History==
-There were three notable times when the chain across the Horn was either broken or circumvented.
+After its construction in around 1000 CE, the chain was mainly used to keep enemy ships from entering the waterway, and attacking any of the undefended ports within Constantinople. It did so successfully for more than 400 years, with only rare cases of men circumventing it.
-*In the 10th century, the Kievan Rus' dragged their longships out of the Bosphorus, around [[Galata]], and relaunched them in the Horn. However, the [[Byzantines]] defeated them with [[Greek Fire]].
-*In 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, [[Venice|Venetian]] ships were able to break the chain with a ram.
-*In 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, having failed in his attempt to break the chain with brute force, instead used the same tactic as the Rus', towing his ships across Galata into the estuary over greased logs.
-==Database entry==
+In 1453, Sultan [[wikipedia:Mehmet II|Mehmet II]] managed to bypass the [[Byzantines|Byzantine]] defenses by sliding his warships over the hills of [[Galata]] on greased tracks, and into the Golden Horn far upriver from the chain.
-''Built some time around 1000CE, the Great Chain was an ingenious - if slightly mad - defensive measure. Anchored to two large towers and strung across the mouth of the [[Golden Horn]], the chain's primary purpose was to prevent enemy ships from sailing up the waterway and attacking the sensitive and poorly defended ports of [[Constantinople]]'s interior.''
-''As low tech as this sounds, the chain performed admirably on more than a few occasions for more than 400 years, and in 1453, it so vexed the Sultan Mehmet II that he was forced to improvise an ever stranger plan to circumvent the [[Byzantines]] defenses: he pulled his warships over the hills of [[Galata]] and slid them on greased tracks into the Golden Horn, far upriver from the chain. It just goes to show that crazy is often the only way to beat crazy.''
+In 1511, the chain was raised by the [[Janissaries]], in order to investigate the death of their Captain, [[Tarik Barleti]], and prevent the one responsible from escaping by ship. However, the [[Assassins|Assassin]] responsible, [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], gained help from [[Yusuf Tazim]] and the other [[Turkish Assassins|Ottoman Assassins]] to break through the defenses.
+That day, Ezio [[Destruction of the Great Chain|destroyed the chain]] by bringing down one tower supporting it with a powerful [[Bombs|explosive]]. He then proceeded to burn through the Ottoman fleet with [[Greek Fire]], before escaping on a ship bound for [[Cappadocia]].
 ==Gallery==
 <gallery>
-Setting sail 4.png|[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]] standing beside the chain mechanism.
-Setting sail 5.png|Ezio aiming at the [[Bombs|bomb]] placed near the chain.
-ACR Zipline2.jpg|Ezio escaping the blast.
 ACR_chain01.jpg|A small part of the chain.
+Setting sail 4.png|Ezio Auditore standing beside the chain mechanism.
+Setting sail 5.png|Ezio aiming at the bomb placed near the chain.
 </gallery>
 ==Source==
 *''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''
-*''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]] Database''
 [[Category:Constantinople]]
 [[Category:Article stubs]]
 [[Category:Landmarks]]

Great Chain: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:33, 20 February 2012

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