The Hagia Sophia that we know today was completed in 537 under the reign of Justinian I, the last Latin-speaking Roman Emperor, and the one who extended the Eastern half of the Roman Empire to its greatest territorial extent. At the time, Mistra, a fortified town also called Sparta or Lacedaemon due to its proximity to the ancient city,was a center of arts and culture rivalling Constantinople. Constantine XI’s reign was brief, and his dominion, even before the fall of Constantinople, was small. For three days the city was abandoned to pillage and massacre, after which order was restored by … See our About page to learn more. Constantine XI's last moments in life, as he stood before the walls of Constantinople in 1453, have bestowed a heroic status on him. Launched on April 27, 2020, The New Leaf Journal is a growing online magazine. This book was published in 1900. Mijatovic then offered a detailed account of Constantine XI’s prayers: “Constantine prayed with great fervour. N.A. Mijatovic, relying on the same sources as Hutton, had the same account of the events leading up to Constantine’s last visit to the Hagia Sophia. Constantine became the Despotes of the Morea (the medieval name for the Peloponnesus) in October 1443, ruling from the fortress and palace in Mistra. The capture of Constantinople by Ottoman Turks is a pivotal historical moment. Constantine XI, born in either 1404 or 1405, assumed the throne on January 6, 1449. Constantinople had neither the finances nor the manpower to adequately prepare for a Turkish invasion, and help from the West came in insufficient numbers. On May 28, 1453, Greco-Christian Constantinople, the last bastion of the once vast Byzantine and Roman Empires, faced the prospect of the imminent fall of the city to the Ottoman Empire. After addressing his Court for a final time, Constantine made his last inspection of the walls of Constantinople. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. So far the good news. Alternatively, the Sultan would offer the Emperor the suzerainty of the Peloponnesus under his jurisdiction. The next morning, the Ottomans launched the final assault. He declined the Sultan’s terms with full knowledge that doing so would mean giving his life, for by this point all hope for a miracle had expired, but Constantine was resolved to see his destined path through. We are told by a chronicler that the Emperor listened carefully and patiently, pausing to think about what he had heard before responding (146): “I thank you all for the advice which you have given me. Constantine’s death, however, would spark many legends – likely owing to his courage, the inability to find his body, and the sense of loss of the Greek people. Ferrell enjoys coffee, tea, reading, history, philosophy, politics, video games, anime, and long walks. Constantine XI was the last Byzantine emperor, the last Christian ruler of what had been the Eastern Roman Empire, killed trying to defend his city against the final, successful Ottoman attack in May 1453. Then he received his last communion. The Ottomans sent an envoy with a final offer for the Emperor. Christian Rome and Greece revered history’s martyrs. Many reckon the end of the medieval world by the fall of this last vestige of the Roman Empire. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. Our second account comes from a book with two names:  “Constantine, The Last Emperor of the Greeks; or, The Conquest of Constantinople by the Turks.”  Written by Cedomilj Mijatovic, this story upon which I relied heavily for my earlier article on Constantine XI, was published in 1892. The Sultan also pledged to allow the people of Constantinople who wanted to depart to do so, and he would guarantee the safety and possessions of those who stayed. After speaking to his men, he visited the Hagia Sophia. If God gives us grace and valour, and the Holy Trinity help us, in Whom alone we trust, we will do such deeds that the foe shall fall back with shame before our arms.”. We are all prepared to die, and shall do so without regret.”. We are told by another chronicler than his personal intervention along with additional troops repaired a breach in Constantinople’s defenses on May 13. The alternative, of course, would be the sack of Constantinople. Mijatovic placed Constantine XI’s actions in the context of his station: “As a Christian emperor, and as a Christian soldier, he was solemnly, and in the sight of his people, preparing to appear before his God.”. Articles about the life and times of the last Roman/Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI. As the sun set on the Roman Empire for what would be its final night, anxious citizens of the city gathered in the magnificent cathedral, the Hagia Sophia, for what would be its final night to date as a functioning Christian church. As we know, the Christian emperor would, within the day, cast aside his regalia and make his final stand as a Christian soldier, falling with his men. And he went out in a way that none of his predecessors had ever come close to matching. If He should inspire thee with a wish for peace, I shall indeed be happy. For all we can know, in the din, dust and fury of his battle Custer may have thought he was winning until the moment he was killed. The Hagia Sophia was built nearly 1,500 years ago as a Christian cathedral during the reign of Greece’s last Latin-speaking Emperor. The once capital of the greatest Christian empire had now become the capital of the most successful Islamic empire in history. Constantine Palaologus XI speaks before his officers and allies before the final siege of Constantinople by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed Bey Most noble leader, illustrious tribunes, generals, most courageous fellow soldiers and all loyal honest citizens! the last stand of the last emperor of constantinople..constantine xi. You will find many articles about society and culture, music, arts and literature, history, and current affairs. When the Emperor came to, he was again faced with pleas for him to flee. Rumours of Constantine XI's survival and subsequent rescue by an angel led many to hope that the city would one day return to Christian hands. Before continuing, it is worth noting that we will be relying on ancient sources, mostly as condensed by the writers of two nineteenth century history books. And amidst such displays of sympathy from deeply moved human hearts, Constantine, himself, greatly and visibly affected, walked slowly out of the church which his predecessors had raised as a grand monument of their glory and of their piety.”. As the sun set on the Roman Empire for what would be its final night, anxious citizens of the city gathered in the magnificent cathedral, the Hagia Sophia, for what would be its final night to date as a functioning Christian church. Constantine, we are told, commanded the defense and encouraged his men to hold the city walls with all they had left. If it be His will that the city should become thine, where is he who can oppose His will? The Emperor addressed his troops for the last time before the final Turkish assault during the day on the 28th. They were joined in the Hagia Sophia by their Emperor, Constantine XI, who went to church for the final time to pray and ask his subjects for their pardon. It remained a functioning church until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 – a period that makes up well more than half of its existence. While the Sultan could not settle on terms that did not included   his taking Constantinople, Constantine could not make peace on terms that would involve his abandoning it. but even then, he put up a heroic last stand and almost won. After concluding his prayers, Constantine XI then proceeded in a manner suggesting that he did not expect to return to the cathedral again: “Having passed some time in prayer, he approached every prelate present in the church, asked them to pardon him if he had ever offended any of them, embraced each of them, and then went to the altar and received the Holy Communion.”. This content may not be used or published elsewhere without the express permission of the owner(s). In an earlier post that you may read here, I discussed the events of May 28 and related several other anecdotes about Constantine XI’s actions during the Siege of Constantinople and his last stand with his men once the Ottomans breached the city’s defenses. I pray you, my friends, in the future do not say to me anything else but, ‘Nay, sire, do not leave us.’ Never, never, will I leave you. He left his imperial chair, and approaching the screen separating the altar from the nave, he prostrated himself before the great eikons of Christ and the Madonna, which were on the left and on the right side of the central entrance to the altar.”. Constantinople’s defenders held out bravely, hoping in vain that reinforcements from Hungary or western Europe might relieve the pressure of the Turkish siege. I turn now and look above to God. Similarly to the Greeks, who made the final Byzantine Emperor a symbol of national resilience during their ultimately successful push for independence in the early nineteenth century, I find the story of Constantine XI’s last stand quite moving. By May 23, any hope of the Greeks holding on had all but been extinguished. Constantine and the Last Vespers at Hagia Sophia. As my city falls, I will fall with it!”. Shall I be the one to flee from it? But it is impossible for me to go away: how could I leave the churches of our Lord, and His servants the clergy, and the throne, and my people in such a plight? According to the chroniclers, he urged them to fight with no regrets, for their cause was worthy. Mr. Mijatovic wrote: “The struggle continued some time around the stop, until heaps of slain covered the ground sanctified for ever by the heroic death of the last Greek Emperor.”. This, we are told, elicited tears from both the Emperor and his council. Renamed by historians as the Byzantine Empire, it would survive for a thousand years longer than its Western counterpart. On May 28, 1453, Greco-Christian Constantinople, the last bastion of the once vast Byzantine and Roman Empires, faced the prospect of the imminent fall of the city to the Ottoman Empire. Benjamin Harrison’s Memorable July 4, 1888, Irene Triplett, last Civil War Pensioner, Dies. For the last time the Holy Sacrifice was offered in S. Sophia, and then the last of the Cæsars and his nobles went forth to die.”, Although the account is fleshed out in more detail in our next selection, there are two striking notes from Hutton’s telling of the Emperor’s last visit to the cathedral. At a council including the Emperor on May 3, his military commanders, and other dignitaries of state and church, several senators, prelates, and the Patriarch of the church pled with Emperor Constantine to flee – hoping that by surviving he would attract volunteers to force the Sultan to withdraw. Remember that grasping the possessions of others, thou mayest thyself become the prey of others!”. He is not only remembered for being the last Byzantine Emperor who put up a brave last stand against the Ottomans, but also for his last speech to his officers and allies before the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 … The Hagia Sophia, one of Christendom’s most hallowed churches, was converted into a mosque before being turned into a museum. This book produces a more balanced portrait of an intriguing individual: the last emperor of Constantinople. Because no Greeks who survived were with the Emperor in his final moments, the exact circumstances of his end are lost to the tides of time. Nicholas A. Ferrell, a life-long resident of brownstone Brooklyn, is the content editor and acting site administrator for The New Leaf Journal. Regardless of the sincerity of all of the Sultan’s promises, the historian and diplomat Cedomilj Mijatovic noted that the Ottoman’s assessment of the Emperor’s military position consisted of “undeniable facts.”  He noted that “[t]he walls on the land side [of Constantinople] were broken through in several places, four towers were quite destroyed, the small garrison could not be otherwise than exhausted, and there was no prospect of a speedy arrival of help from without.”  Nevertheless, Mr. Mijatovic observed that “Constantine had a more lofty conception of his own duty and dignity,” one that could not survive by accepting the Sultan’s terms. He resolved to stand up to the Ottomans, and when a young and ambitious Mehmet II took the Ottoman throne in 1451, the two leaders would fight with everything they possessed. The now-former Patriarch Gregory, we are told, implored the Emperor: “If the Imperial City could not be saved, let the Emperor be saved! Please feel free to use... Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned the hallowed Hagia Sophia cathedral back into a mosque, An Early Review of Pixelfed – Instagram Alternative, Persona 4 Golden Digital Artbook Review (Steam), The Quarantine Sessions: Covering The Beatles. For the account itself, we learn a bit more about how sources described Constantine’s visit. How many emperors, great and glorious, before me have had to suffer and die for their country! We must all bow to the decree of the Almighty, whose mercy might return to our people as it had returned to Israel in olden times.”. First, Hutton made reference to the significance of this final night of prayers at the Hagia Sophia beyond it being Constantine’s final visit:  “For the last time the Holy Sacrifice was offered in S. Sophia…”  Then, in a line that was the focus of my earlier article on Constantine, Hutton made reference to Constantine XI’s place in the lineage of Roman Emperors, as tenuous as the links to Caesar Augustus may have been by 1453:  “[T]hen the last of the Cæsars and his nobles went forth to die.”. With the ascent of Mehmed II as Ottoman Sultan in February of 1451, it quickly became evident that Constantine’s declining Empire was in existential danger. In Constantine XI’s view, it was his duty to God and to his station to defend Constantinople with his life. Constantine Xi Palaiologos 1405-1453 was the final emperor of the Byzantine Empire. The pre-Christian Romans fretted over their final words and revered honorable deaths. Nicholas A. Ferrell, a life-long resident of brownstone Brooklyn, is the content editor and acting site administrator for The New Leaf Journal. Wounded, but still ambulatory, Constantine fought until he was struck down by an Ottoman soldier. The final message from Constantine XI to the Sultan read as follows (p. 138): “As it is plain thou desirest war more than peace, as I cannot satisfy thee by my vows of sincerity or by my readiness to swear allegiance, so let it be according to thy will. Constantine XI was the last Byzantine emperor, the last Christian ruler of what had been the Eastern Roman Empire, killed trying to defend his city against the final, successful Ottoman attack in May 1453. Copyright © 2021 The New Leaf Journal All Rights Reserved. Although he could not save his Empire or the physical church in his capital, his last stand inspired others, notably his Greek descendants centuries later. We turn to pages 148-49 for the account of the last Roman Emperor’s final visit to the Hagia Sophia. And so, reign in happiness till the Righteous and Supreme Judge shall call us both before the seat of His judgment.”. After braving internal and external enemies, he decides to complete what he was destined to do - conquer Constantinople. Nevertheless I release thee from all thy oaths and treaties to me, I close the gates of my city, I will defend my people to the last drop of my blood. Just as the story of Constantine XI’s last stand tied together the heroic ideals of classical and Christian Rome, the Hagia Sophia endures, as a testament to the faith that went into it and as a link to the pinnacle of the Eastern Roman Empire (see final thoughts). Our first account comes from “Constantinople:  The Story of the Old Capital of the Empire,” by William Holden Hutton. We are told that while gazing on the illuminated and noisy camp of the enemy, the Emperor remained silent, wrapped in thought, while tears ran down his cheeks. We feature creative writing content and musings from our editors and writers. Constantine XI, also known as Constantine Paleologos, led a valiant effort to defend the city until the final day of the siege when he was killed. That possibility didn’t exist for the Emperor and he knew it. Veterans Day and World War I Double Quarantines, 75th Anniversary of the Japanese Surrender. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos is not only remembered for being the last Byzantine Emperor who put up a brave last stand against the Ottomans, but also for his last speech to his officers and allies before the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II. Directed by Faruk Aksoy. With that, the last Roman Emperor left the cathedral that had been left to him for the final time, resolved to defend it until his last, which would come the very next day. When he is not working on The New Leaf Journal, he is a legal research specialist in the area of U.S. immigration law. You will find many articles about society and culture, music, arts and literature, history, and current affairs. Unlike the valiant last stand by Constantine XI in Constantinople which marked the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Roman Empire in the West did not fall after a notable battle. Mijatovic began the account by noting when “[t]he bells rung for Vespers,” being the evening prayer service at the Hagia Sophia. During a council meeting on the 25th of May, the Emperor was again encouraged to flee the city. (Sultan Mehmed II subsequently had his head cut off, peeled off the skin, and stuffed it … You see, Constantine XI Palaiologos didn’t die an emperor, he died a soldier. Instead, the council provided for some to flee while it made plans for the final defense of the capital. With 567 years having passed since Constantine and the Eastern half of the Roman Empire breathed their last, I thought that it would be fitting, with the aid of some older books and other resources, to make a toast to the last Emperor. This is post 1 of 2 in the series “Constantine XI”. Before the beginning of the siege, Mehmed II, the leader of the Ottoman forces, made an offer to Constantine to surrender the city. Copyright © 2021 The New Leaf Journal All Rights Reserved. After establishing himself as the Despot, Constantine worked to strengthen the defence of the Morea, including reconstructing a wall across the Isthmus of Corinth called the "Hexamilion" (Six-… Please feel free to use... Constantine and the Last Vespers at Hagia Sophia, Constantine, The Last Emperor of the Greeks, [A]nd then the last of the Caesars and his nobles went forth to die, An Early Review of Pixelfed – Instagram Alternative, Persona 4 Golden Digital Artbook Review (Steam), The Quarantine Sessions: Covering The Beatles. Speaking both to the Greeks and to the Italians who had joined the cause, Constantine said: “Let us work together, my companions and my brethren, to gain for ourselves liberty, glory, and eternal memory! All content published on the New Leaf Journal is property of the New Leaf Journal and its editors, unless otherwise expressly stated. It’s important to remember, though, that when the Western Roman Empire fall, the Eastern Roman Empire did not. Although Constantinople would not fall for another several weeks, the Emperor could clearly see the writing on the city walls. Into your hands I commit now my scepter. In so doing, I will note where we are relying on chroniclers and where I am noting passages from nineteenth century historians analyzing the chronicles. He could have walked away, unscathed, but chose to die fighting. Wikipedia has slightly different translation of the final passage of Constantine’s response: “As to surrendering the city to you, it is not for me to decide or for anyone else of its citizens, for all of us have reached the mutual decision to die of our own free will, without any regard for our lives.”. Resolved to die with the city he ruled, he asked his council to not speak of his fleeing again, but rather to plead with him to stay by their side until the very end. A chronicler tells us that those gathered were moved by the Emperor’s remarks: “The defenders of the city embraced each other, and through tears kissed one another, asking and giving mutual pardon; no one thought more of wife, child, or property, but only of the glorious death which all were ready to meet for the sake of the Fatherland.”. You will find many articles about society and culture, music, arts and literature, history, and current affairs. Enter your email address to sign up for The Newsletter Leaf Journal. Or perhaps as the legend goes, Constantine lies marbled, in splendid repose, waiting to rise again. Constantine XI Palaiologos was the last Byzantine emperor in history. The borders would continuously expand and contract according to the pressure of its teeming enemies, however, and by 1453, the Byzantine Empire was little more than just the city state of Constantinople. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos is not only remembered for being the last Byzantine Emperor who put up a brave last stand against the Ottomans, but also for his last speech to his officers and allies before the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II. According to one chronicler, Constantine stood in shock when news reached him that the walls had been breached. After the death of his father Murat II, Mehmet II ascends to the Ottoman throne. Chroniclers report that all those who were gathered were moved by Gregory’s words, and that the Emperor, upon hearing it vocalized that the Church now recognized that the fall of Constantinople as unavoidable, he momentarily fainted. He was not, he had no need to be, ashamed of his tears, as he was resolved bravely to do his duty to the last.”. Although the situation remained grave, the Emperor fought on. Despite the fact that he was both kind and competent, his empire was beyond the point of no return. In this post, in light of recent events, I will look at a couple of accounts of the final night of prayers in the Christian Hagia Sophia, telling the story of Emperor Constantine XI’s visit. All of the Catholics in … No, I will stay and die here with you!”. Ferrell enjoys coffee, tea, reading, history, philosophy, politics, video games, anime, and long walks. “If the Emperor had not arrived with fresh assistance, that same night would have been our final destruction.”   According to the same account, he had to be discouraged from going to the front lines himself. However, the Turks, after vicious fighting, breached the gates and poured into the city. Articles about the life and times of the last Roman/Byzantine Emperor, Constantine XI. This content may not be used or published elsewhere without the express permission of the owner(s). When the siege of Constantinople began on April 6, 1453, the Emperor and his 7,000 soldiers were vastly outnumbered – nearly ten-to-one by one account. This account, popular in tradition, suggests that Constantine was, in the midst of battle, separated from his followers and removed from his horse. But just as the ground of Constantinople was “sanctified for ever by the heroic death of the last Greek Emperor,” the Hagia Sophia is forever sanctified by those who built it. by Paul Antonopoulos. Meanwhile Constantine XI manages to overthrow the Ottomans in Europe with the help of a general uprising of their Orthodox subjects and thus revitalizes the empire. In the final and most memorable passage of his response as recorded in the chronicles, Constantine explained why he could not abandon the city: “To surrender this city is neither in my power nor in the power of any one here. Welcome to The New Leaf Journal Guestbook. He noted that the pleas for him to escape were motivated by concerns for his personal safety rather than prospects for bettering the fate of the city (“inasmuch as all that you foresee might really happen”). That there is a thread linking Augustus, who became master of the Roman world after prevailing in his civil war against Marc Antony in the latter half of the first century BC, to Constantine XI, the final Greek and Christian ruler of Constantinople, is remarkable in and of itself. Whoever of them was persecuted by misfortune and came to us was safe; but whoever raised a hand against our city never prospered.”, “Retain as thy rightful possession the territories which thou has unjustly taken from us, and settle the amount of tribute, which we will do our utmost to pay every year, and then go in peace. Had he surrendered the city or not volunteered to stand with his men at the very end, he would be remembered, if at all, as a sort of curiosity – similar to Romulus Augustulus, the child who nominally served as the last Emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 476. A census made in the first half of 15th century revealed that the city officially only had 4,973 Greek professional soldiers as defenders, accompanied by around 200 foreign residents. Constantine and the few gallant men who shared with him the burden and responsibility of the defence recognized in that spectacle the precursor to general assault. He undertook to fortify the city and appealed for support from Catholics in Western Europe, but it would be for naught. The book describes the occasion as follows: “Constantine for the last time went to the great church, and there, before all the bishops, asked the pardon of all whom he had wronged. Crowns await you in heaven, and on earth your nations will be remembered honourably until the end of time.”, Another account reported his saying (149):  “Brothers and fellow-soldiers, be ready for the morn. The New Leaf Journal’s tag-line – “Where the leaves are perennially virid” – highlights the common fiber that holds our content together. Constantine XI Paleologos, the last Emperor of the East Roman Empire, who was martyred by the forces of Sultan Mehmet during the assault on The City on May 29, 1453, was a man whose personal life was marked by tragedy, but who above all maintained steadfast his Christian faith and his dedication to his duties as the Christian Emperor. However, on July 10, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned the hallowed Hagia Sophia cathedral back into a mosque. Having heard the Emperor’s determination, the council acquiesced, and it would not have the opportunity again to persuade Constantine to abandon his post. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the city’s new Turkish rulers converted the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. I have also provided links to the books and pages that I am using as references, so you will be able to follow along. According to this account, about two hundred men chose to join Constantine for his last stand. Evidence suggests the European Renaissance was brought about an influx of, “Gr… Saved by Alex Aja. I know that my going out of the city might be of some benefit to me, inasmuch as all that you foresee might really happen. Unlike Constantine the Great, who some 1100 years earlier reigned from Constantinople over an Empire that stretched from Britain to Syria, Constantine XI inherited the remnants of an Empire that did not extend far from Constantinople itself. “I should praise God if thou wouldst live in peace with us, as thy forefathers did; they treated my predecessors with filial respect, and this city with the greatest consideration. N.A. As for Constantine XI himself, his body was never found. Finally, although the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine, as it is most often called) had been for centuries a Greek Empire, it still traced its lineage, with a few hiccups, to the Roman Empire established by Augustus. Emperor Constantine XI cast off his purple cloak and made a last stand with his remaining soldiers. We feature creative writing content and musings from our editors and writers. Launched on April 27, 2020, The New Leaf Journal is a growing online magazine.We feature creative writing content and musings from our editors and writers. Combined with exposure to Islamic and far eastern (India and China) learning and wisdom, the Byzantium Empire was at one point, the height of knowledge on Earth. The legend of Constantine, as I noted earlier, was a rallying cry for the Greeks in their war for independence against the Ottomans in the nineteenth century (Munger, supra). I am resolved to die here with you.’ And saying this, the Emperor turned his head aside, because tears filled his eyes; and with him wept the Patriarch and all who were there.”. When his city was invaded, he was offered safety if he gave up his empire over and over again. Here it is! (Sultan Mehmed II subsequently had his head cut off, peeled off the skin, and stuffed it … Constantine’s final days and death, in a sense, honored the traditions of Republican and Christian Rome – and in this sense, served as an equally fitting and tragic end to the Roman Empire.
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