The operation is presented as a successful coastal raid rather than a serious attempt to storm Constantinople. Forty ships could damage the suburbs without possessing the force required to attack the city's walls. On the return voyage George encountered and freed Louis VII of France, who had been captured after crusading. The episode converted a limited amphibious strike into a diplomatic gain by supplying Roger II with a potential counterweight to Conrad III.
Notable Point · 53:36-54:40
The Constantinople raid and the rescue of Louis VII
A forty-ship raid on Constantinople's suburbs ends with George rescuing Louis VII and gaining Sicily a valuable diplomatic counterweight.