and December, 1203, and January, 1204, the confusion within the city and the anxiety without were of a kind which we, who have seen Paris besieged, may fairly realize. The rule of the city was rapidly slipping out of the feeble hands of Isaac and those of his son. The imperial orders were disobeyed. The demoralization of the populace, caused by taxation, by the interruption of commerce, though the city was not yet besieged, and by the fires, had ruined half the traders, and increased daily. The foreign residents had left. The ordinary business of life was at a standstill. The troops were divided in their allegiance; the Warings remaining faithful to the enjperors, the Greek troops being some on the side of those who were clamoring for the deposition of Isaac and Alexis, some probably willing to recall Alexis the Third, and some few willing to remain faithful to the reigning sovereigns.
Across the Golden Horn the condition of the invaders was one of extreme anxiety. The opposition wanted to Dissension and anxiety in the army. be gone about their lawful business. Their provisions were running short, and had to be replenished by raids upon the surrounding country. Dissension and dissatisfaction were increasing daily. Alexis had declared that it was impossible for him to execute his promises, and the Crusaders knew that what he said was true. The citizens dared,
Robert de Clari states that 100,000 marks were paid, of which half went to the Venetians, together Avith 34,000, balance of unpaid freight, while the rest — i.e., 16,000 marks — repaid the Crusaders who had advanced money to the Venetians for their poorer brethren's passage.
Gunther declares that half of the promised sum was ordered to be paid: "Dimidiam promisscc pecuniae partem principibus nostris benevole ac liberaliter numerari jussit " (xiii).
Nicetas says that, in conference between Dandolo and !Mourtzouphlos in St. Cosma, the doge demanded immediate payment of fifty ccntenaria of gold, or about 120,000 marks (p. 751).
One fourth, therefore, of the promised sum of 400,000 marks agreed to at Zara appears to have been paid almost immediately after the coronation (1st August). Then came in the "pauvre petits paycments" during September, October, and December. Probably in all there was little, if anything, short of 200,000 paid by the end of the year.
