Stegura
05-30-2009, 12:10 AM
The fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks: May 29, 1453
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/GeorgeBethanis/Constantinople.jpg
Constantinople
http://www.herodote.net/Images/Constantinopleconquete.jpg
The siege of Constantinople
Above: The fall of the Eastern Roman Empire: on May 29 1453, the Turks began their final assault on the city of Constantinople. With an army in the hundreds of thousands, the city was defended by only some 7,000 knights drawn from all over Europe, under the command of a Genoan from northern Italy, Giustinianni. After a furious all night battle the walls of the city were finally breached at dawn the next day. Nearly all of the inhabitants in the city were either massacred or sold into slavery, with a mere handful escaping to tell the dreadful tale. Constantinople was later made into a major Islamic center and renamed Istanbul.
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7C.jpg
Constantine IX
Constantine IX was offered several times for a safe exit out of the city by his countrymen. But he choose instead to fight to the death alongside his countrymen in defense of Greece, European Christendom, and Western Civilization.
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7B.jpg
"Constantinos Paleologos at the battlements, dawn of the 29th May of 1453" Left painting of the trilogy "Constantinos Paleologos, the last Byzantine Emperor".
Above: The last Roman Emperor ever - Constantine XI, was killed by the Turks when they took the citadel of Constantinople in 1453. With his death formally ended the last vestiges of the mighty Roman Empire, established over 2000 years previously. In reality the original Roman Empire had long since vanished, submerged into the races of a myriad of nationalities.
Constantine's Speech before the battle
Gentlemen, illustrious captains of the army, and our most Christian comrades in arms: we now see the hour of battle approaching. I have therefore elected to assemble you here to make it clear that you must stand together with firmer resolution than ever. You have always fought with glory against the enemies of Christ. Now the defence of your fatherland and of the city known the world over, which the infidel and evil Turks have been besieging for two and fifty days, is committed to your lofty spirits.
Be not afraid because its walls have been worn down by the enemy's battering. For your strength lies in the protection of God and you must show it with your arms quivering and your swords brandished against the enemy. I know that this undisciplined mob will, as is their custom, rush upon you with loud cries and ceaseless volleys of arrows. These will do you no bodily harm, for I see that you are well covered in armour. They will strike the walls, our breastplates and our shiellds. So do not imitate the Romans who, when the Carthaginians went into battle against them, allowed their cavalry to be terrified by the fearsome sight and sound of elephants.
In this battle you must stand firm and have no fear, no thought of flight, but be inspired to resist with ever more herculean strength. Animals may run away from animals. But you are men, men of stout heart, and you will hold at bay these dumb brutes, thrusting your spears and swords into them, so that they will know that they are fighting not against their own kind but against the masters of animals.
You are aware that the impious and infidel enemy has disturbed the peace unjustly. He has violated the oath and treaty that he made with us; he has slaughtered our farmers at harvest time; he has erected a fortress on the Propontis as it were to devour the Christians; he has encircled Galata under a pretence of peace.
Now he threatens to capture the city of Constantine the Great, your fatherland, the place of ready refuge for all Christians, the guardian of all Greeks, and to profane its holy shrines of God by turning them into stables for fits horses. Oh my lords, my brothers, my sons, the everlasting honour of Christians is in your hands.
You men of Genoa, men of courage and famous for your infinite victories, you who have always protected this city, your mother, in many a conflict with the Turks, show now your prowess and your aggressive spirit toward them with manly vigour.
You men of Venice, most valiant heroes, whose swords have many a time made Turkish blood to flow and who in our time have sent so many ships, so many infidel souls to the depths under the command of Loredano, the most excellent captain of our fleet, you who have adorned this city as if it were your own with fine, outstanding men, lift high your spirits now for battle.
You, my comrades in arms, obey the commands of your leaders in the knowledge that this is the day of your glory -- a day on which, if you shed but a drop of blood, you will win for yourselves crowns of martyrdom and eternal fame.
A Greek scholar recites the last minutes of the last Roman Emperor, Constantine XI, as follows:
"Although he (Constantine XI) clearly saw with his own eyes the danger that threatened the city, and had the opportunity to save himself - as well as many people encouraging him to do so - he refused, preferring to die with his country and his subjects.
"Indeed, he chose to die first, so that he might avoid the sight of the city being taken and of its inhabitants being either savagely slaughtered or shamefully led away into slavery. When he saw that the enemy were forcing him back, and surging through the broken down wall into the city, it is said that he uttered in a great voice, these last words 'The city is taken; and should I still live?' With that he thrust himself into the midst of the enemy and was cut down."
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7.jpg
Barbaro then went on to relate the horror of the Ottoman sack of the city, scenes which were repeated all over central and southeast Europe:
"On May 29 1453, the Turks entered Constantinople at daybreak. Before they entered the city, the confusion of those Turks and of the Christians was so great that they met face to face, and so many died that the dead bodies would have filled two thousand carts.
"The Turks put the city to sword as they came, and everyone they found in their way they slashed with their scimitars, women and men, old and young, of every condition, and this slaughter continued from dawn until midday. Those Italian merchants who escaped hid in caves under the ground, but they were found by the Turks, and were all taken captive and sold as slaves. When those of the Turkish fleet saw with their own eyes that the Christians had lost Constantinople, that the flag of Sultan Mehmed had been hoisted over the highest tower in the city, and that the emperor's flags had been cut down and lowered, then all those in the seventy galleys went ashore . . .
"They sought out the convents and all the nuns were taken to the ships and abused and dishonored by the Turks, and they were all sold at auction as slaves to be taken to Turkey, and similarly the young women were all dishonored and sold at auction; some preferred to throw themselves into wells and drown.
"These Turks loaded their ships with people and a great treasure. They had this custom: when they entered a house, they would at once raise a flag with their own device, and when other Turks saw such a flag raised, no other Turk would for the world enter that house but would go looking for a house that had no flag; it was the same with all the convents and churches. As I understand it, it seems there were some two hundred thousand of these flags on the houses of Constantinople . . these flags flew above the houses for the whole of that day, and for all of that day the Turks made a great slaughter of Christians in the city. Blood flowed on the ground as though it were raining."
http://i40.tinypic.com/27zgmbs.jpg
Sultan Mehmed II (Destroyer of Constantinople).
Nearly all the inhabitants of the city were slaughtered, the women were raped and defiled, nuns and monks were made to fornicate in the streets, children were stolen and sold off into slavery. Greek Orthodox churches and Catherdals were turned into Islamic Mosques.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2pyuqeb.jpg
The city was looted for three days, in accordance with the traditional Muslim punishment allotted to a city that had resisted a siege. After the area was secured, Mehmed entered the city in a ceremonial procession where the local population brought him flowers in congratulations.
http://www.oramaworld.com/images/flags/byz_300.jpg
Above: The Greek flag of the Byzantine Eagle, which hasn't been flown utop any building in Constantinople for over 550 years.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/GeorgeBethanis/Constantinople.jpg
Constantinople
http://www.herodote.net/Images/Constantinopleconquete.jpg
The siege of Constantinople
Above: The fall of the Eastern Roman Empire: on May 29 1453, the Turks began their final assault on the city of Constantinople. With an army in the hundreds of thousands, the city was defended by only some 7,000 knights drawn from all over Europe, under the command of a Genoan from northern Italy, Giustinianni. After a furious all night battle the walls of the city were finally breached at dawn the next day. Nearly all of the inhabitants in the city were either massacred or sold into slavery, with a mere handful escaping to tell the dreadful tale. Constantinople was later made into a major Islamic center and renamed Istanbul.
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7C.jpg
Constantine IX
Constantine IX was offered several times for a safe exit out of the city by his countrymen. But he choose instead to fight to the death alongside his countrymen in defense of Greece, European Christendom, and Western Civilization.
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7B.jpg
"Constantinos Paleologos at the battlements, dawn of the 29th May of 1453" Left painting of the trilogy "Constantinos Paleologos, the last Byzantine Emperor".
Above: The last Roman Emperor ever - Constantine XI, was killed by the Turks when they took the citadel of Constantinople in 1453. With his death formally ended the last vestiges of the mighty Roman Empire, established over 2000 years previously. In reality the original Roman Empire had long since vanished, submerged into the races of a myriad of nationalities.
Constantine's Speech before the battle
Gentlemen, illustrious captains of the army, and our most Christian comrades in arms: we now see the hour of battle approaching. I have therefore elected to assemble you here to make it clear that you must stand together with firmer resolution than ever. You have always fought with glory against the enemies of Christ. Now the defence of your fatherland and of the city known the world over, which the infidel and evil Turks have been besieging for two and fifty days, is committed to your lofty spirits.
Be not afraid because its walls have been worn down by the enemy's battering. For your strength lies in the protection of God and you must show it with your arms quivering and your swords brandished against the enemy. I know that this undisciplined mob will, as is their custom, rush upon you with loud cries and ceaseless volleys of arrows. These will do you no bodily harm, for I see that you are well covered in armour. They will strike the walls, our breastplates and our shiellds. So do not imitate the Romans who, when the Carthaginians went into battle against them, allowed their cavalry to be terrified by the fearsome sight and sound of elephants.
In this battle you must stand firm and have no fear, no thought of flight, but be inspired to resist with ever more herculean strength. Animals may run away from animals. But you are men, men of stout heart, and you will hold at bay these dumb brutes, thrusting your spears and swords into them, so that they will know that they are fighting not against their own kind but against the masters of animals.
You are aware that the impious and infidel enemy has disturbed the peace unjustly. He has violated the oath and treaty that he made with us; he has slaughtered our farmers at harvest time; he has erected a fortress on the Propontis as it were to devour the Christians; he has encircled Galata under a pretence of peace.
Now he threatens to capture the city of Constantine the Great, your fatherland, the place of ready refuge for all Christians, the guardian of all Greeks, and to profane its holy shrines of God by turning them into stables for fits horses. Oh my lords, my brothers, my sons, the everlasting honour of Christians is in your hands.
You men of Genoa, men of courage and famous for your infinite victories, you who have always protected this city, your mother, in many a conflict with the Turks, show now your prowess and your aggressive spirit toward them with manly vigour.
You men of Venice, most valiant heroes, whose swords have many a time made Turkish blood to flow and who in our time have sent so many ships, so many infidel souls to the depths under the command of Loredano, the most excellent captain of our fleet, you who have adorned this city as if it were your own with fine, outstanding men, lift high your spirits now for battle.
You, my comrades in arms, obey the commands of your leaders in the knowledge that this is the day of your glory -- a day on which, if you shed but a drop of blood, you will win for yourselves crowns of martyrdom and eternal fame.
A Greek scholar recites the last minutes of the last Roman Emperor, Constantine XI, as follows:
"Although he (Constantine XI) clearly saw with his own eyes the danger that threatened the city, and had the opportunity to save himself - as well as many people encouraging him to do so - he refused, preferring to die with his country and his subjects.
"Indeed, he chose to die first, so that he might avoid the sight of the city being taken and of its inhabitants being either savagely slaughtered or shamefully led away into slavery. When he saw that the enemy were forcing him back, and surging through the broken down wall into the city, it is said that he uttered in a great voice, these last words 'The city is taken; and should I still live?' With that he thrust himself into the midst of the enemy and was cut down."
http://www.iannisnikou.gr/paintings/HIGH/Hist7.jpg
Barbaro then went on to relate the horror of the Ottoman sack of the city, scenes which were repeated all over central and southeast Europe:
"On May 29 1453, the Turks entered Constantinople at daybreak. Before they entered the city, the confusion of those Turks and of the Christians was so great that they met face to face, and so many died that the dead bodies would have filled two thousand carts.
"The Turks put the city to sword as they came, and everyone they found in their way they slashed with their scimitars, women and men, old and young, of every condition, and this slaughter continued from dawn until midday. Those Italian merchants who escaped hid in caves under the ground, but they were found by the Turks, and were all taken captive and sold as slaves. When those of the Turkish fleet saw with their own eyes that the Christians had lost Constantinople, that the flag of Sultan Mehmed had been hoisted over the highest tower in the city, and that the emperor's flags had been cut down and lowered, then all those in the seventy galleys went ashore . . .
"They sought out the convents and all the nuns were taken to the ships and abused and dishonored by the Turks, and they were all sold at auction as slaves to be taken to Turkey, and similarly the young women were all dishonored and sold at auction; some preferred to throw themselves into wells and drown.
"These Turks loaded their ships with people and a great treasure. They had this custom: when they entered a house, they would at once raise a flag with their own device, and when other Turks saw such a flag raised, no other Turk would for the world enter that house but would go looking for a house that had no flag; it was the same with all the convents and churches. As I understand it, it seems there were some two hundred thousand of these flags on the houses of Constantinople . . these flags flew above the houses for the whole of that day, and for all of that day the Turks made a great slaughter of Christians in the city. Blood flowed on the ground as though it were raining."
http://i40.tinypic.com/27zgmbs.jpg
Sultan Mehmed II (Destroyer of Constantinople).
Nearly all the inhabitants of the city were slaughtered, the women were raped and defiled, nuns and monks were made to fornicate in the streets, children were stolen and sold off into slavery. Greek Orthodox churches and Catherdals were turned into Islamic Mosques.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2pyuqeb.jpg
The city was looted for three days, in accordance with the traditional Muslim punishment allotted to a city that had resisted a siege. After the area was secured, Mehmed entered the city in a ceremonial procession where the local population brought him flowers in congratulations.
http://www.oramaworld.com/images/flags/byz_300.jpg
Above: The Greek flag of the Byzantine Eagle, which hasn't been flown utop any building in Constantinople for over 550 years.