[fakedang]

Exactly. The Turks never destroyed Byzantium. The Byzantines destroyed themselves, and made life shitty for most of Europe in the process (a la the Crusades).

[ElfinTrousers]

Right--the Turks were just in a good position, literally, to pick up the pieces afterwards.

[fakedang]

I mean, it started with Manzikert, where the Turks just did their usual nomad stuff, which the Byzantines could have averted - if they weren't busy fighting amongst themselves and deserting the army.