Vasilief, A History of the Byzantine Empire

Byzantium and the Crusades

External relations under John II 

Page 6

John's panegyrist said: (Antioch) receives thee as lover of Christ, as athlete of the Lord, as zealous fighter against the barbarians, as carrying the sword of Elijah; it wipes off thy sweat and softly embraces thee. The whole numerous population of the city poured out; every age and both sexes formed brilliant procession and accorded a great triumph Shout was mixed and many-tongued, here Italian, there Assyrian Here commanders, there officers, and amidst them thou shonest as a brightest star!

The Emperors plans went farther. According to the sources, he dreamt of re-establishing the Byzantine power in the Euphrates valley and seems to have intended to interfere in the affairs of the kingdom of Jerusalem; it may be that, in John's mind, the project of such an interference was based upon the possibility that the king of Jerusalem might recognize the imperial suzerainty as the Prince of Antioch had done. Of those projects, the panegyrist said: Be of good cheer, o men who love Christ and those who are pilgrims and strangers (on the earth) because of Christ (cf. Hebr. 11:13); do not fear any more murderous hands; the Emperor who loves Christ has put them in chains and broken to pieces the unjust sword. Thou hast cleared for them the way to the earthly and visible Jerusalem and hast opened to thyself another more divine and broad way, that to the heavenly and holy Jerusalem.

Nevertheless, those plans failed. In 1143, on a march against the Turks, during a hunting party in the mountains of Cilicia, John accidentally wounded his arm with a poisoned arrow and died, far from the capital. On his deathbed, he named his younger son Manuel as his successor. The whole time of his reign John devoted to the wars against the Empire's enemies. He handed over to his heir a state even stronger and more vast than that which he had received from his energetic and talented father. John's panegyrist, considering him superior to Alexander of Macedon and Hannibal, exclaimed, Strong was the Celtic oak, and thou hast pulled out its roots; high was the Cilician cedar, and thou, before us, hast lifted it and dashed it down!

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Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/vasilief/john-ii.asp?pg=6