Byzantine Empire

The Byzantines were the predominantly Greek-speaking citizens and supporters of the Byzantine Empire.

History

Templar infiltration

During the early 16th century, after the Templars were driven from Italy by the Assassins, the members of the Templar Order were able to seize control of the remnants of the Byzantine Empire. Now in command, the Templars set up their primary headquarters at Cappadocia. The Byzantines' ultimate aim was to uproot the Ottoman Empire and restore control of Constantinople. For a time, however, they remained relatively quiet.

Masyaf

By 1509, the Templars became aware of the five seals of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad. In 1509, after an earthquake shook Constantinople, the Templars discovered one of the seals under Topkapı Palace, as the entrance to the seal's chamber had been opened by the seismic activity. Following this discovery, the Byzantine Templars became more active and militant in their desire to retake Constantinople and find the remaining four seals. Shortly afterwards, this seal passed into the possession of the de facto Byzantine Emperor – the Templar in charge of the hunt for the seals – Manuel Palaiologos.

By the beginning of 1511, a Byzantine Templar captain named Leandros had occupied the region surrounding Masyaf, where the library which the seals opened was located, though by May 1511, the region had been cleansed of Templars by the Mentor of the Italian Assassins, Ezio Auditore, who was visiting Masyaf to learn more of the Assassin Order.

By this time, the Templars were searching the Forum of the Ox and the Yerebatan Cistern in Constantinople for seals, though they were beaten to both of these seals by Ezio, who had also begun hunting them.

Constantinople

As the Templars plotted to overthrow the Ottomans, many Byzantine soldiers were present in Constantinople by mid-1511. These soldiers rivaled the Constantinople Assassins Guild, and by the month of May, they had seized all of the Assassin Dens for themselves aside from two, with them being one in Galata, and one in the Imperial District, near the Grand Bazaar.

Shortly after Ezio's arrival in the city, the Templars launched an attack on both of the remaining dens, and though they were routed at Galata, they managed to take the den at the Grand Bazaar. However, this would prove to be a temporary victory, as the Assassins retook the den not much later.

Over the 11 months that Ezio spent in the city, he managed to retake the dens one by one and severely weaken the Templars, until March 1512. Following this, Ezio left for Cappadocia in search of Palaiologos, who possessed the last seal. Ultimately, Ezio killed Manuel and claimed the seal for himself, though as he was about to leave, he noticed the Ottoman prince Ahmet on a ship with Byzantines, who revealed that he was the true mastermind behind the Masyaf expedition.

Cappadocia

During the early 16th century, the Templars set up their headquarters in Cappadocia, after being driven from their previous base in Rome by the Assassins. There, the Templars set up prisons and instated themselves as the rulers of the city, filling the streets with Byzantine Templars.

Palaiologos resided in Cappadocia for some time after his family lost their hold on the Byzantine throne. He, along with his bodyguard and fellow Templar, Shahkulu, governed much of the city and held power within its walls until Ezio's arrival.

Trivia

• The frequently spoken name 'Byzantine' is an anachronism, as this name was given to the Eastern Roman Empire by later historians, in order to distinguish between it and ancient Rome. As such, the Byzantines would have been known as Romans (or Romaioi in Greek) or Greeks, since they were the continuation of the Roman Empire in the east until 391 and become the second largest Greek empire until 1453.
• On the Animus interface radar, Byzantine soldiers appear as red dots.
• Once Ezio had finished his journey, Byzantines were hardly found in Constantinople, and were only largely found in Cappadocia. However, those who remained in the city were usually trying to demolish ziplines, often in four-men cells within the Constantine district.

Gallery

• 
  Manuel Palaiologos, heir to the Byzantine throne.
• Leandros.
  Leandros.
• 
  Byzantine Militia.
• 
  Byzantine Varangian.
• 
  Byzantine Almogavar.
• 
  Concept art.
• 
  Byzantine Gunman.
• 
  Byzantine Leader.