He was not riding into Asia thus romantically and at random; indeed he was not riding into Asia at all.
He was riding into Europa Irredenta.
But that is to anticipate what happened later and must be considered later.

I am primarily speaking of the Empire as a pagan and political matter; and it is easy to see what was the meaning of the Crusade on the merely pagan and political side.

In one sentence, it meant that Rome had to recover what Byzantium could not keep.
But something further had happened as affecting Rome than anything that could be understood by a man standing as I have imagined myself standing, in the official area of Byzantium.

When I have said that the Byzantian civilisation seemed still to be reigning, I meant a curious impression that, in these Eastern provinces, though the Empire had been more defeated it has been less disturbed.
There is a greater clarity in that ancient air; and fewer clouds of real revolution and novelty have come between them and their ancient sun.
This may seem an enigma and a paradox; seeing that here a foreign religion has successfully fought and ruled.

But indeed the enigma is also the explanation.