May 29, 1453 Η Πόλις Εάλω!

[voulgaroktonou]

On Tuesday 29 May 1453 an Ottoman army of ca. 80,000 men, led by Sultan Mehmet II, captured the city of Constantinople after a 53 day siege, ending the Christian Eastern Roman empire. Rather than submit to the Sultan's demand to surrender Constantinople, the emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos chose to die fighting in defense of the city and his faith. Although the 7,000 defenders fought bravely, the city's massive 5th c. AD walls, which had for a millennium proved impregnable to successive sieges, were no match for the Turkish cannon, and the Ottoman army overwhelmed the small defending force of Byzantines and their Italian allies. Once Constantine realized the city was lost, he plunged into the midst of the fighting and he perished along with his City.

 

There have been numerous studies of the fall of Constantinople, but one of the most convenient for English readers is Sir Steven Runciman's The Fall of Constantinople 1453. The quoted sections that follow are from his wonderful book. On Monday the 28th, realizing the end was near, the emperor encouraged his small force by reminding them what they were fighting for. “To his Greek subjects he said that a man should always be ready to die either for his faith or his country or for his family or for his sovereign. Now his people must be prepared to die for all four causes. He spoke of the glories and high traditions of the great Imperial city. He spoke of the perfidy of the infidel Sultan who had provoked the war in order to destroy the True Faith and to put his false prophet into the seat of Christ. He urged them to remember that they were the descendants of the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome and to be worthy of their ancestors. For his part, he said, he was ready to die for his faith, his city, and his people.”

 

That evening the last Christian service was held in the great church of Holy Wisdom, the Hagia Sophia, that for a thousand years had been the heart of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox put aside their bitter doctrinal differences. “Priests who held union with Rome to be a mortal sin now came to the altar to serve their Unionist brothers. The Cardinal was there, and beside him bishops who would never acknowledge his authority; and all the people came to make confession and take communion, not caring whether Orthodox or Catholic administered it. There were Italians and Catalans along with the Greeks. The golden mosaics, studded with the images of Christ and his saints and the emperors and empresses of Byzantium, glimmered in the light of a thousand lamps and candles; and beneath them for the last time the priests in their splendid vestments moved in the solemn rhythm of the Liturgy. At this moment there was union in the Church of Constantinople.”

 

Although 15th Italian sources indicate that coins of this last Roman emperor were issued to pay the defenders of the city, only in the last 50 years have specimens been identified, and a small hoard of them surfaced in the early 1990s. Attached is a photo of two of them. The obverse depicts the image of Christ, while the emperor's portrait appears on the reverse. They are diminutive, modest silver coins, but their history speaks volumes. The signature of Constantine XI Palaiologos, 1448-1453, the last emperor of the Romans is from a contemporary chrysobull, or imperial decree. The wording follows very closely the inscriptions found on his stavrata and that of his immediate predecessors: + Κωνσταντίνος εν Χριστώ τω Θεώ πιστός βασιλεύς και αυτοκράτωρ των Ρωμαίων ο Παλαιολόγος :+

Constantine, in Christ, God, faithful emperor and autocrat of the Romans, the Palaiologos.

 

My dear friend Fred and I used to imagine that we would one day travel to the City (Constantinople, not Istanbul), mount the surviving walls, replant a cross on Hagia Sophia, and afterward drink the emperor’s health. My friend has now entered the heavenly City, and is, I have no doubt, currently sharing a drink and kebab with Constantine himself.

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

Its also a fun fact that Constantine XI died as a Catholic and in communion with Rome. For this reason, many orthodox nations (in particular, Russia) see him and the Byzantine state as actually betraying their identity and an example of a failed “orthodox” state

[ominus1]

...a most important date in history...for the west and the Ottomans....one just has to wait and the Christians will  destroy their own..^^....(O that damned Hungarian cannon maker, Urban helped a bunch...and was killed by his own making  not to mention the 4th crusade   😄

Edited May 29 by ominus1

[seth77]

1 hour ago, TheTrachyEnjoyer said:

Its also a fun fact that Constantine XI died as a Catholic and in communion with Rome. For this reason, many orthodox nations (in particular, Russia) see him and the Byzantine state as actually betraying their identity and an example of a failed “orthodox” state

This is rather characteristic of orc mentality.

[sand]

@voulgaroktonou It's nice to see your extremely rare Constantine XI eighth stavratons. I enjoyed reading your historical information. It's interesting, how the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox people, worked together and worshiped together, as Constantinople was under siege.

Here's my latest date example, of a Byzantine coin. It's a stavraton of John VIII, the 2nd to the last Byzantine Emperor, and the older brother of Constantine XI.

John VIII. AR Stavraton. Minted 1425 AD To 1448 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2563. LPC Page 172 Type 1. Maximum Diameter 23.0 mm. Weight 6.76 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front, With Halo. Reverse : John VIII Bust Facing Front, Wearing Crown With Pendilia, With Halo, "IWAN" Greek For "John" In Outer Legend Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock.

[voulgaroktonou]

2 hours ago, sand said:

@voulgaroktonou It's nice to see your extremely rare Constantine XI eighth stavratons. I enjoyed reading your historical information. It's interesting, how the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox people, worked together and worshiped together, as Constantinople was under siege.

Here's my latest date example, of a Byzantine coin. It's a stavraton of John VIII, the 2nd to the last Byzantine Emperor, and the older brother of Constantine XI.

John VIII. AR Stavraton. Minted 1425 AD To 1448 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2563. LPC Page 172 Type 1. Maximum Diameter 23.0 mm. Weight 6.76 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front, With Halo. Reverse : John VIII Bust Facing Front, Wearing Crown With Pendilia, With Halo, "IWAN" Greek For "John" In Outer Legend Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock.

Dear @sand, Your observation is a good one: "how the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox people, worked together and worshiped together, as Constantinople was under siege". This thought was expressed in the 1979 movie version of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, which has the character Ben Mears mutter: "no atheists in foxholes", as he's waiting for a vampire to rise! Your John VIII has a very good inscription, as these things go! The name is quite clear!