[Achilleus66]

That is true, but what happened just over a generation before the 4th Crusade was what really did the Empire in. In 1176AD, Emperor Manuel agreed to let one of his generals campaign against the Sultanate of Roum. What followed was the Battle of Myriokephallon, which was a disastrous defeat for the Eastern Empire, much worse than Manzikert in 1071AD. Before Myriokephallon, Manuel, and his predecessor, Michael, were launching campaigns into Syria and making the Muslims pay the butcher's bill against the Crusaders. Afterwards, the Empire could barely defend itself. It was the weakness caused by Myriokephallon that turned the avaricious eyes of Venice towards Constantinople. It was the Venetians who bribed the 4th Crusaders to go east instead of south. And yes, the Empire never fully recovered from this. There was a brief time under the Paleologi after 1261AD in which the Empire was respectable again, but that was short lived, as it was devoured by the Ottoman's.

[dfwgator]

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've got a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York
Was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks'