So much gold!!

If these documents had anything in common, it would be the mention of gold, and a lot of it at that. Documents one, two and three all talk of the magnificence of Constantinople and how it was such a wealthy city. Document two, written by Robert of Clari, states that it had two thirds of the wealth of the world. I doubt that Constantinople was that rich, but I do believe it was wealthy. It had to have enough to make a huge impact on all these people. The first three documents also talk of the games of Constantinople. Document one, written by Benjamin of Tudela, goes into detail. He talks of the different animals how they go into combat with one another. Again, I agree that the games were probably very lage, but I do not think that the animals were as grand as they say they were or fought in the manner that was stated. I do not thi that document four was very credible. It was a map of Constantinople. It showed water flowing in between the cities, and in vast amounts. It also showed buildings going straight up. It was very unrealistic and was probably drawn to catch the eyes of outsiders. On the other hand, I believe document five was very credible. It was a picture of the interior of Saint Sophia. I was sort of confused, because it showed pillars, and had a very Arabic style to it. There were also signs that said Muhammad and Allah in Arabic hanging on the walls. I thought it was a mosque. Document six is written by George Acropolites. He narrates the arrival of the emperor and talsk of how grand and magnificent it was. He tells of golden gates. He recalls how people shouted out prayers. I think this is pretty reliable, because people would make a huge deal if an emperor came home. They would give him a very warm welcome and give him the best. The last document was about the extraordinary privileges of the venetian. It describes their wealth and power. I would think that this would be accurate, because the venetians probably were very wealthy.