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The goat's skin that won two towns and cost him exile
A man in a goat's skin claims a dangerous name in the Byzantine Empire, and two cities open their gates. But the emperor's widow recognizes the costume.
The goat's skin that won two towns and cost him exile
This episode explores the peculiar story of a man who, wearing a goat's skin, claimed a powerful name in the Byzantine Empire. What allowed a stranger to rally support and challenge an emperor?
Person: Alexios I Komnenos
Date: 1095
Location: Constantinople
Primary Source: Anna Komnene's Alexiad
Topic: Byzantine history
- A man arrived in Constantinople from "the East" wearing a goat's skin…
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