As we get closer to this time period, you have the Seljuk Turks continuing to eat in to the Byzantine Empire and taking most of the Anatolian Peninsula. Also at this time, remember, we are in the High Middle Ages, which is a time when especially Western Europe is on the rise. There's increased agricultural productivity. The population is increasing. And it's in this context that the emperor of the Byzantines, the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, looks for help. Emperor Alexios I sends a delegation, sends an ambassador to Pope Urban II, and he essentially asks for some mercenaries to help him retake some of Anatolia from the Muslims. Well, Pope Urban II sees an opportunity here.