DYNASTIC TKOUBLES. 97 rad, who was flighting without hehnet and with his body bound round with eighteen folds of linen instead of a buckler. Branas, as he came close to Conrad, threw a dart at him, which wounded liim slightly in the shoulder. At once Conrad charged him with his lance and sent its head into his cheek. The rebel fell from liis horse, received other wounds, and died on the field. The day was already won ; but, to the credit of the citizens, when once it was clear that the army had been dispersed, very little blood was shed. Isaac pardoned those who had taken part in the revolt and were willing to swear fidelity for the future. So far all was well. Then, however, there followed an incident which showed how completely de- moralized the capital had become in consequence of these various struggles for the throne, and of the disputes between the natives and foreigners. The citizens had been on the side of the emperor. The Italians and other foreigners in the city had helped him to defeat Branas. When the victory was gained, permission was given to, or taken by, the troops under Conrad to plunder the villas and the houses in the neighbor- hood of Constantinople belonging to those who had fought on the side of the rebel. As we have seen, the fishermen and others outside Constantinople had assisted Branas, and the sack also of their houses and churches was the result. But these people had many friends within the city, and, indeed, it is probable that many of the houses plundered belonged to the inhabitants of the capital. Moreover, as the plunderers had a large admixture of foreigners among them, the sack was resented by the population of the capital as due especially to foreign influence. The resentment of the mob naturally fell upon the foreiii^ners. The whole city was in Attack upon '^ . m, t t the Latin commotion. J he Italian quarter was attacked. colonists. ™, , - Til.-, liie nobles and the emperor did their best to pre- vent a fight, as, indeed, they had done to prevent the plunder of the houses and churches on the Marmora. But their influ- ence over the mob was for a time fruitless. The wine-shops had been visited, and a portion of the mob was half drunk. The Italians raised barricades in the streets leadino: to their quarter, fought bravely boliiiid them, and killed a considera- 7
