GURPS Hot Spots: Constantinople, 527-1204 A.D.

[Kromm]

Constantinople
Seat of mighty emperors
Light in a dark age

— Some hack

New from e23 is the second volume in the GURPS Hot Spots series: Constantinople, 527-1204 A.D. The latest from Matt Riggsby, this supplement brings you the heart and soul of the Byzantine Empire at the height of its power. It examines the geography, history, and politics of that great capital, providing city stats for three periods. It also looks at the city's culture, important people (starting with Justinian and Theodora), and locations (for instance, the Hagia Sophia). Constantinople would be an ideal home base for a campaign that makes extensive use of GURPS Social Engineering or GURPS Mass Combat, and provides notes pertinent to both. Indeed, among the Byzantines, you're going to need both silver and steel . . .

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Kromm

important people (starting with Justinian and Theodora),

When I first saw the book on e23, I read it as "from 572-1204" and I thought "Why in God's name would you start discussing Constantinople AFTER Justinian's reign?"

Then I double checked and saw that all was well with the world.

Have to pick this one up. This era has fascinated me ever since I started working on histories for some elder vampires and realized I knew nothing about history between the fall of Rome and medieval Europe (as in, what most of us think of Medieval Europe, what with the castles and the knights and all)

[Crakkerjakk]

Gonna pick this up as soon as I get home.

[Tzeentch]

-- Bought it sight unseen and gave it a quick read.

-- Very well organized, great cross-references to other books, very interesting use of Social Engineering (I will be stealing some ideas regarding indirect political influence), I loved how the City Stats actually supported the narrative (a quick glance can tell you the rise and fall of the city).

-- I was really puzzled that the agentes in rebus are not mentioned at all. They would be tailor made for a GURPS Patron or Enemy set in empire.

-- I wish that the character bios had quick NPC templates attached to them.

-- Great job, it's obvious that a LOT of work went into creating this book!!

-- I'll try and do a more detailed review once I digest it.

[Þorkell]

Was going to buy it. e23 didn't want my credit card...

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Gonna pick this up as soon as I get home.

Dito. :) I always enjoy Matt's work.

[sir_pudding]

What is the deal with the dates in the title, anyway? The description says it covers from the 7th century BCE to the 15th century CE.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

-- I was really puzzled that the agentes in rebus are not mentioned at all. They would be tailor made for a GURPS Patron or Enemy set in empire.

Too many strikes against them. They were abolished not too terribly long into the period the book emphasizes, the best documentation I could find for them leaned very much pre-Justinian, their scope of operation tended to be well beyond the city proper, and they weren't an unavoidable institution like the army or the church. Imperial field agents, postal officials, missionaries and merchants working as spies, and so on are amazing character types, but only tangentially connected to life in Constantinople. Might make a really good Pyramid article, though...

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What is the deal with the dates in the title, anyway? The description says it covers from the 7th century BCE to the 15th century CE.

The book concentrates on culture and institutions of the period from Justinian to the Fourth Crusade. However, it addresses history from the founding of the city up to the Ottoman conquest to provide context (much as, for example, a book about the Roman empire might start out with a chapter on the republic).

[Tzeentch]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

Might make a really good Pyramid article, though...

-- Hard information is pretty sparse, I agree. The frumentarii though ... :)
<shifty eyes>

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

-- Hard information is pretty sparse, I agree. The frumentarii though ... :)
<shifty eyes>

<eyes also shifty>