Legends Never Die: University of Constantinople (ch. 55) (Patreon)

The halls of the university were impressive, yet not overwhelming like the palace had been. The floor and walls were made out of marble, there was the occasional piece of finery on display, but it was less blatant. Each one was marked with Greek lettering, which I couldn't read. Michalis had only taught me the spoken language of the Greeks, not their letters. As my gaze lingered on a statue that stood in the center of a hallway, Alexios seemed to understand my curiosity. "Artwork donated from students," he informed, his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the statue.

A man riding a horse with a plumed helmet and a shortsword pointed at whatever the horse was in a full gallop towards. It was an impressive statue, especially considering that it was the size of a real horse and man.

"A statue of Emperor Aurelian, perhaps one of our greatest Emperors. During barbarian invasions during the third century. A brilliant tactician and politician -- Emperors are rarely both, as it were," Alexios said, and he seemed to shine as he spoke, smiling lightly at the statue. "It was his firm hand that forestalled the collapse of the western half of the empire for two centuries! Such a pity that he was assassinated." He sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed.

I felt like I was missing context, but I understood one thing -- this Aurelian was worthy of respect. It sounded like he was the leader that his people needed when they faced a time of crisis, or at the very least, he rose to the task. Assassination… that was a poor end for such a leader.

"The statue itself, if you forgive my opinion, is middling at best. I knew the student that made it -- talented, but unmotivated. Then again, I suppose my standards might be too high as the university boasts one of the greatest collections of art in all of the empire!" He let out a small laugh, and I was starting to understand that Alexios enjoyed talking. And he was quite good at it too. "There used to be a tapestry here some twenty years ago made by Lady Maria, a true work of art depicting Jesus carrying the cross…"

He trailed off, perhaps realizing that he was being a bit too free with his tongue and glanced at me for a reaction. If Alexios considered this a poor statue, then I could only imagine what a great one would look like. The longer that I looked at the statue, the more I expected it to suddenly look at me as the thin layer of rock shattered to reveal that a man and his steed laid beneath. It was a little unnerving, in complete honesty. I distracted myself by focusing on something that he said, "The collapse of the western half of the empire?"

No one had mentioned such a thing to me. Alexios seemed a bit surprised by my question, but he was all too happy to explain as he gestured for me to follow him. "Alas, it happened four centuries ago. Nearly three. Barbaric hordes swept in from the east, and the western half of the empire had long since struggled. It is a controversial opinion of mine, but the great Julias Caesar was too ambitious in claiming all of Gaul in one fell swoop! As a result, a large swath of the western empire never truly settled and they welcomed their barbaric brothers with open arms!"

Alexios huffed, "He was our first Emperor nearly a thousand years ago, and yet people act like he is immune to criticism! Foolish! A foolish notion, I say!" I nearly tripped over my own two feet.

"A thousand years old?" I blurted, making Alexios look back at me with the naked disbelief in my voice. "The Roman Empire is a thousand years old?"

"Hm? Ah, the empire has existed for approximately… eight hundred and seven years. Before that, however, it was the Roman Republic -- its founding is a subject of fierce debates, but my studies show that it was founded around the year five hundred BC, which puts Rome's collective existence at around a thousand and two hundred and eighty seven years." Alexios explained, sounding like he enjoyed my reaction. I sucked in a sharp breath, struggling to understand it and make it fit with what I knew.

Such a long time… the Romans must have existed around the same time as Odin did. Back when he walked the earth as a mortal man, ignorant of his divine nature. It was utterly astounding. Before… well… I figured the world had been empty then, more or less. I was sure that there had been people, otherwise Odin wouldn't have existed, but to think that there had been nations that existed during his life… to think that there was one that still existed after all this time…

"Now, as to answer your previous inquiry," Alexios continued, "The western half of the empire collapsed as it was not properly settled and cultivated. Now, it is broken into petty kingdoms, the largest of them being Francia, while the Muslims now possess Hispania."

I swallowed thickly -- meaning that all my time as I raided and fought throughout Francia, that had all once belonged to the Roman Empire a few centuries ago? That seemed absolutely mad. I would have accused the man of lying to me, trying to trick me into thinking the Roman Empire was greater than it was, but I simply didn't see what he would have to gain from such a trick. The information was… it was frightening, I realized.

Those old buildings and ruins that I had stumbled across during the war -- those had been Roman buildings, hadn't they?

"Now, Lord Siegfried," Alexios began as we approached a room and I saw that it was a large one. Large enough to fit an entire longhouse inside, with rows and rows of stone seats with those at the back nearly touching the ceiling they were so elevated. There was a long table before the seats that possessed a gentle curve to them so they were shaped like a horse shoe, letting them look upon the objects that rested on the table. I had no idea what they were. "I have been placed in charge of deciding your curriculum. Your Greek is impeccable, I must say -- if I didn't know you were a foreigner, I could be mistaken into thinking you were nobility. Do you have a talent for languages?"

I felt anxious. As anxious as I ever did before battle. Perhaps more so now -- I could at least handle myself in battle. "I speak Norse, Germanic, Frankish, and Dutch. I learned Greek on the journey here," I confessed, hiding the fact that I also spoke Latin. Keeping that to myself had already come in handy twice before. Especially considering that Latin was the perfected language of the nobility.

Alexios seemed impressed, "Fascinating! I would love to see some texts translated into these languages, but that is for another day. Can you read?"

My lips thinned, "Not in Greek. I can in Norse, Germanic, and Frankish, however." I felt compelled to volunteer, even if the information did little good.

"We can provide lessons. And even if you don't have a knack for it, no matter! Half the nobles here can't read." He tried to hide it, but Alexios couldn't keep out the disgust in his voice. "You seem to have an interest in history, and while your ambition to learn everything is worthy of praise, it is impractical. It would be best to focus on a few subjects at a time. I have a comprehensive list here -- ahem, poetry, philosophy, mathematics, geometry, artitecture, music, science, astronomy, history, tactics, theology, the natural arts, finances, etiquette, diplomacy-" the list kept going, but it was lost on me as I was overwhelmed with choices.

Alexios finished near a minute later, "I would recommend picking two to begin with."

I chewed on that. Two out of everything on that list? I didn't know what geometry even was. Or science. No… no, that wasn't enough. "I will only be here for a handful of years, and worse, I will spend a great deal of time in the field battling Constantinople's enemies. I intend to learn as much as I can during this time -- I will learn ten subjects." I decided, making Alexios's bushy gray eyebrows rise, but he didn't seem displeased by my decision.

He chuckled warmly, "Ah, it's quite rare to have a student that wishes to learn! Very well then. Tell me child, what do you seek to accomplish with this knowledge? I saw your expression go blank when I mentioned some of our classes." He noticed that, did he?

I looked around the room, as if searching it for the words to convey my intentions. When I first decided to come to the Romans, it was purely to increase my Learning and for wealth. But now that I was here, basking in the greatness of this city and its rich history…

I couldn't help but compare it to my home. To Denmark and Norway. Even Saxony.

"My people don't possess anything like this," I admitted, gesturing to the room itself. "Our floors are made of dirt, our buildings of mud and wood. There are no great statues of famous heroes. The closest thing that we possess are carved and painted runestones that don't compare. Life is short, bitter, and hard where the weak are culled because their existence threatens the whole. There are no places of learning, because my people prioritize survival above all else, and there is no time for it. There are no great cities. The greatest of them would barely deserve to be called a town."

I was jealous, I realized. I was intensely jealous of what the Romans possessed. Alexios spoke of the barbarians that conquered the west, and I imagined that they had been every bit as jealous as I was. It felt like I stepped into a different realm entirely the moment I entered Constantinople with how vastly different things were. It only made sense that the barbarians, possibly even my own people, sought to take what the Romans possessed. I intended to do the same, only I would bring it back to my homeland.

"Do not despair, child. Few places in this world can hope to hold a candle to Constantinople!" He chuckled before taking out a piece of parchment, "I understand your intentions well then. You seek to know what makes Rome great. In that case, I know a few subjects that will interest you -- Architecture, geometry, mathematics, philosophy, and my very own class, history." I didn't know what two of those subjects were, and I still didn't understand how you could study philosophy. Mathematics seemed a bit pointless considering that I knew my sums well enough, but history seemed quite enjoyable to learn about. Especially in an empire with such a long saga to tell.

I nodded, showing that I consented to learning these subjects. Five of the ten had been filled, and it seemed I already had a great deal to learn.

"You are nobility as well as a mercenary captain. As such, it seems prudent for you to learn of diplomacy and finance. I would recommend etiquette, but given your intentions of returning to your homeland, it seems unnecessary." He said, waiting for me to nod before marking down two more subjects. Which left three. "Your last choices, I believe, should be of personal interest to you. Things you wish to learn, rather than need to."

I pondered that for a moment, and as I did, I caught a flash of movement at the door with my expanded vision. A woman with lightly bronzed skin, dark hair, and dark eyes wearing a colorful gown of red and gold. It must have cost a fortune. While I noticed her, Alexios didn't until I looked at her fully. "Ah, Artemisia. A teacher of natural philosophy. This is-"

"I know very well who he is. My class barely heard a word I said, they were so enraptured with tales of a pagan stalking the halls." She remarked, and while her tone was blunt, I did notice that she didn't say the word pagan with the same scorn as others did. It sounded like simply another descriptor coming from her, as if she had said that I had red hair. "I also heard you were the one saddled with the task of guiding him, and I thought it best to ensure you didn't put any foul ideas in his head."

Alexios smiled at me, "Artemisia was once a student of mine. One of my brightest."

"What ideas should I fear being put in my head?" I questioned, and she did seem faintly surprised to see that I spoke Greek.

"That all the doors of this university are open to you," Artemisia replied bluntly. I frowned in response, and she continued. "By the grace of the Emperor's mother, you were permitted entry into the university, but because of your beliefs, you will find few willing teachers. It is simply not in their best interest. You will be here for some time, but once you leave, they will remain and suffer a stain of association. Dear Alexios here was appointed your guide as an insult to him."

Alexios simply laughed in response, "It is up to me to decide if an insult is taken as one, my dear! I see it as an opportunity!" He made no secret of it and I clenched my jaw. It would be a lie to say that I was surprised, but I very much did find myself annoyed with the development. However, I knew that I did have options.

"How much would it take to convince these teachers to suffer the stain of my association?" I questioned, a sigh in my voice.

"Their weight in gold, I would imagine." Artemisia replied, cooking an eyebrow at me.

"Fine," I accepted the bribe easily enough and she couldn't keep the surprise off of her face. "On the condition that they travel with me when I must go to battle as a camp follower. I will not suffer an interruption to my education."

"Alas, if only I were fat! I suddenly find myself quite jealous of Linus. I never saw that happening," Alexios remarked, stroking his wispy white beard.

"Failing that, I will require copies of texts relevant to my studies," I continued, narrowing my eyes at Artemisia. "I don't care what you think of me, but I will learn what this place has to teach."

Artemisia seemed… impressed, for lack of a better word. "Quite an exorbitant sum. I'm surprised that you would value knowledge so highly. I know very little of your people, but I have been led to believe that pagans would sooner wipe their bottoms with knowledge than place any kind of value on it." The words were insulting, but they were delivered bluntly. I still felt insulted but I could see that it wasn't on purpose. She simply didn't care enough to mince her words.

I frowned at her, indignant at her ignorance. "My people worship the Aesir, who are led by Odin the Allfather. He who gave his left eye in exchange for the secrets of women and he who sent his ravens to all the realms of Yggdrasil to learn everything there was to learn. Odin values knowledge and wisdom above all else. Even more than his realm at times." There were many tales of the troubles Odin found himself in because his curiosity got the better of him. I would not argue that my people did not possess the sheer breadth of knowledge that the Romans had, but to say we did not place value on knowledge itself was an insult.

She seemed to mull that over. "I see. Very well -- I propose an exchange of knowledge then. I will not accept you in my class, and I'm quite wealthy so I do not need your bribes. However, if you can broaden my horizons, I shall broaden yours to the wonders of the natural world." I tilted my head at the offer, not entirely sure what to make of it. Alexios, however, chuckled.

"I would take her up on it, Lord Siegfried. Few are those that receive an invitation from Lady Artemisia. Her class is always in the highest of demands." To that, Artemisia sneered with such intensity that I thought she might pull something.

"Yet none of them wish to learn," she remarked, and the little that I gathered was that Artemisia was from a family of importance. Those that took her class were seeking influence or to make some kind of connection.

"I will accept this offer," I decided. Artemisia nodded, as if she expected nothing less.

"Then follow me. I shall repay you for what you told me of your god," she instructed with the air of someone used to being obeyed and didn't waste a moment in leaving the room. I glanced at Alexios, who simply seemed amused.

"I would pick out another two classes. It does not need to be now, of course. Sample what you can to find what appeals to you. I suspect that you will have a great deal to show Lady Artemisia," he offered and I offered a small nod. I didn't know him well yet, but I found myself liking Alexios.

Artemisia hadn't waited for me, leaving me to take long strides to catch up with her. And, now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure what Natural Philosophy meant. "What exactly is it that you teach?"

She didn't so much as look over her shoulder as we approached a room. "You shall see soon enough," she replied blandly, leading me into the room to see that it was of a similar shape to the one that we left. Only this one was filled with people. Their ages were mostly in the late teens to mid twenties, with a handful of those older. All well groomed and wearing fine clothing, rings of gold on their fingers. A handful of women were in the class as well, which surprised me, but I suppose it shouldn't have as there was a woman teacher.

I felt all their eyes on me. They knew exactly who I was. However, I was quite used to being the center of attention so I gave it no mind and took a seat in the front row, making a bronzed skin man a few years older than me scoot away. More room for me. Artemisia didn't seem to notice, or she didn't care.

"Since some of you have mistaken this room to be for gossip, allow me to remind you why you are here -- you are here to learn about the natural processes of the world, of which God created. You are here to banish ignorance, willful or otherwise, and learn why it is that the world functions as it does." I recognized that the words were for my sake, but there was a general muttering in the room that sounded vaguely apologetic. "We shall resume where we left off -- the nature of shapes. A circle."

I narrowed my eyes, puzzled as she picked up a wagon wheel, continuing to speak. "There are few true circles in the natural world, as the great philosopher Aristotle observed. Ovals are far more common, yet demonstrably less useful for practical use. Yet, it is the circle that has changed our way of life. Why?" I wasn't sure I understood the question being asked, but somewhere behind me, someone answered.

"It's round." I felt like that was quite obvious, but Artemisia smiled, pleased with the answer.

"Exactly. It is round. A single narrow point is made with the ground, and with momentum that single point is changed until a complete rotation is made. For a wagon, it ensures smooth travel on an even surface allowing transportation of goods on its back. The limitation being the quality of the materials the wagon is made of and the road. Not the shape. With strong enough materials, the circle can carry a mountain on its back." Artemisia began to explain and I leaned forward --  I thought of all the times I used or rode on a wagon, and I couldn't find an argument to what she said.

"It goes beyond wagons. Take this -- a humble pulley," Artemisia held up an object I had seen on the docks, but never in use. "It is a lever that distributes the weight across the circle's edge, allowing a man to lift a heavy barrel that he otherwise couldn't. This is a practical use of a shape in everyday life. Now, give me an example of another shape that is used in everyday life."

"A plow," I blurted, finding myself swept up in the conversation. The thinking was… abstract, if I had to call it something. It was a different kind of thinking than I was used to. Artemisia looked at me, waiting for an elaboration while the rest of the class seemed genuinely shocked that I could speak Greek. "A triangle that pushes dirt to the side."

"An axe!" The one next to me swiftly added, not so subtly looking at me and the axe at my belt. "To chop trees with."

Artemisia smiled ever so slightly. I knew that kind of smile. That was a smile that told me that a plan had come together beautifully. And I had an idea of what that plan might be given her previous remarks about those that participated in her class. She was using my presence to spurn on the others to show me up. I had to admit, it worked like a charm because following my answer came a slew of others.

And so began my very first lesson as a student.

…

The lesson ended within an hour and I found myself glad for my decision to attend this university. I was more so when the lesson ended and Alexios proved that he had more to show me. "There once was a great wonder of the world -- the Library of Alexandria. The greatest in the world. I harbor no ill towards the Muslim people, but I will always resent them for the destruction of the library. Hundreds of years of records -- from the wisdoms of the greatest philosophers ever known, to texts and letters written by Alexander the Great himself, and even mundane shipping manifests. All recorded for the sake of sharing that wealth of knowledge for any that might step through the doors."

As Alexios spoke, he pushed open a large set of double doors, revealing a large room that smelled like ink. The walls were covered in shelving, scrolls piled up or books lining the shelves. It was a great room filled with nothing but books and texts. There were thousands of them. So many that I was shocked that the shelves didn't collapse under the weight of the parchment and ink.

I did not have to ask for the meaning of the word library.

"However, not all of the texts were destroyed. Some were rescued, the most important of them sent here long before the Muslims could destroy the great library. Others were salvaged. More were donated to the university. While it does not rival the great Library of Alexandria, it is a great place of learning. Where those of the past might teach the present to not to repeat their mistakes." Alexios continued while I ran my hand over a row of parchment, finding some dust on my fingertips.

It was beginning to dawn on me what this place was.

However, I found myself asking something else. "Alexander the Great? Who was he?" I asked, curious to know who would have a city named for him.

To that, Alexios simply smiled. "I think you'll enjoy that story a great deal."