Frustrated by the theological stalemate in the discussions with the Greeks and by their repudiation of his inflexible demands for submission to the Latin Church, Humbert, in a formal convocation in the cathedral of Hagia Sophia on July 16 , 1054 excommunicated Patriarch Michael as a heretic; a general condemnation of the entire Greek Orthodox Church followed.
Early Mongol diplomacy had been not a simple offer of cooperation, but straightforward demands for submission.
Communications tended to follow a recurring pattern: the Europeans asked the Mongols to convert to Western Christianity, while the Mongols responded with demands for submission and tribute.
The communications initiated what was to become a regular pattern in European Mongol communications: the Europeans would ask the Mongols to convert to Christianity, and the Mongols would respond with demands for submission.
The letter communicated a more conciliatory tone than previous Mongol demands for submission, and Eljigidei's envoys suggested that King Louis should land in Egypt while Eljigidei attacked Baghdad, as a way of preventing the Muslims of Egypt and those of Syria from joining forces.
However, the new Mongol Great Khan Güyük, installed at Karakorum in 1246, replied only with a demand for the submission of the pope, and a visit from the rulers of the West in homage to Mongol power: A second mission sent in 1245 by Pope Innocent was led by the Dominican Ascelin of Lombardia, who met with the Mongol commander Baiju near the Caspian Sea in 1247.
All this, recounted in a tone of epic grandeur that self-consciously recalls Homer, suggests why most Greek cities, confronted with the approaching hordes, readily acceded to Darius' demand for symbolic tokens of submission — "earth and water".
In summary, the degree to which running a task on Condor will speed up execution compared to running the same task on a single local machine depends on the type of task being performed, and the degree to which it can be parallelized, and will also depend on a number of other factors, such as submission overheads and demand for the available resources.
For there is a shadowy force lurking behind the scenes, determined to demand the submission of all who refuse to acquiesce and conform.
