Prologue: The City of the Worlds Desire (330 AD - 1444)
Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, once had the reputation of greatness. It was founded as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great, after whom it was named, in 330AD. The city was built intentionally to rival Rome in its greatness, and it was claimed that several elevations within its walls matched the 'seven hills' of Rome. Sitting in the center as a gateway between two continents and two seas, the city would preserve the light of Rome in the East as the West fell into darkness. Barely seventy years after the death of Constantine, Rome would be sacked for the first time in eight hundred years.
The Western Empire would fall and be carved up and split between various barbarian rulers and the light of Rome would be snuffed out. For centuries, the Empire had remained strong in the East and had even made attempts to reconquer the West on several occasions. But the Empire’s success was not made to last. In the seventh century, the Empire and all of Christendom would see it’s greatest enemy arrive from the deserts of Arabia. Led by newfound 'prophet' named Muhammad, his followers rapidly stormed the decaying Sassanids in Persia and most of Asia and Africa. Constantinople herself was threatened several times by the Avars, Bulgars and the newfound Arabs. But yet, the great walls and soldiers ensured the city’s survival in this dark time. From then on, the Empire would struggle immensely to regain control of the East, and suffering worse success in retaking areas such as Anatolia and Armenia.
Alexios I Komnenos (1048 - 1118): Alexios was able to curb the Byzantine decline and begin the military, financial, and territorial recovery known as the Komnenian restoration.
Despite this, Constantinople continued to flourish. It had become the metropolis of East and West, and became one of the largest cities in the world. With several periods of recovery, the Emperor slowly started to recover once again. With the restoration of lands and a strong central government, the empire became fabulously wealthy.The enormous prosperity also made Constantinople a valuable target for all of her enemies, and the Empire’s prosperity was completely shattered with the overwhelmingly crushing defeat in at Battle of Manzikert by the Turks. Anatolia had been lost to the Turks, who quickly made the region their homeland, and took the heart of the Empire away from them. Many years of back and forth conflict between the Turks and Greeks occured between the almost mockingly named Sultanate of Rum.
A much later depiction of the Sack of Constantinople
Once again, the Empire started to make a remarkable recovery until Latin Crusaders sacked the Imperial Capital in 1204, leaving the Empire much poorer, smaller, and ultimately less able to defend itself against the Turkish conquests that followed. The Latins took the city and would hold it for decades after shattering the former Eastern Empire into several rump states and declaring their own Latin Empire. The Latins were never able to maintain their new state, as sixty years later In 1261, Constantinople was retaken the forces of the Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos from it’s last Latin ruler, Baldwin II. The Empire would soon be restored shortly after it was captured.
The Empire had lost many of its key economic resources and struggled to survive against all odds.From the very start, new dynasty had its hands full the moment they became rulers. The Turks of Anatolia had been raiding and attacking Imperial territory with Islamic zeal, often hitting the Empire and the Greeks hard while doing so. Despite this, the Palaiologos was forced to fight among other opportunist Christian states such as Bulgaria, Serbia and even the Knights Hospitaller. The loss of land in the east to the Turks and in the west to the Bulgarians was then followed by two devastating civil wars over control of the Imperial throne, and then pandemic and chaos during the great pestilence of the Black Death. The Empire constantly stood on the brink of destruction,and by the end of the 14th century, the internal and external strife had led the Empire to only consist of Constantinople and a few other isolated exclaves.
And yet, the city endured. While nowhere near the splendor that it once was, Constantinople survived the early 15th century hanging on by a thread. Any gains and diplomatic successes that the Emperors had tried at that point had ended in vain. Manuel II, who succeeded in retaking some territory and held it to the end of his reign, had helped preserve the Empire for several more decades. Manuel’s son, John VIII was still hopeful that he was able to return the dying fortunes of the Empire in his reign, but his efforts were in vain.
Sketches of John VIII during his visit at the failed Council of Florence in 1438, by Pisanello.
After the Council, John VIII’s behavior started to change after returning home to Constantinople in 1439. The Emperor, who had so strongly done his best to preserve the Empire, started to isolate himself with the Imperial Library. The Emperor surrounded himself with ancient books, and had even closed the library to himself for days or even weeks at a time. One night, on the 10th of November 1444, the Emperor had went to his quarters and went to sleep for the night after a stressful day, feeling dreadful upon hearing the disastrous news of a Turkish victory at Varna.
When he woke up, the dream he had would change the world.
Constantinople, the Queen of Cities, once had the reputation of greatness. It was founded as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great, after whom it was named, in 330AD. The city was built intentionally to rival Rome in its greatness, and it was claimed that several elevations within its walls matched the 'seven hills' of Rome. Sitting in the center as a gateway between two continents and two seas, the city would preserve the light of Rome in the East as the West fell into darkness. Barely seventy years after the death of Constantine, Rome would be sacked for the first time in eight hundred years.
The Western Empire would fall and be carved up and split between various barbarian rulers and the light of Rome would be snuffed out. For centuries, the Empire had remained strong in the East and had even made attempts to reconquer the West on several occasions. But the Empire’s success was not made to last. In the seventh century, the Empire and all of Christendom would see it’s greatest enemy arrive from the deserts of Arabia. Led by newfound 'prophet' named Muhammad, his followers rapidly stormed the decaying Sassanids in Persia and most of Asia and Africa. Constantinople herself was threatened several times by the Avars, Bulgars and the newfound Arabs. But yet, the great walls and soldiers ensured the city’s survival in this dark time. From then on, the Empire would struggle immensely to regain control of the East, and suffering worse success in retaking areas such as Anatolia and Armenia.
Alexios I Komnenos (1048 - 1118): Alexios was able to curb the Byzantine decline and begin the military, financial, and territorial recovery known as the Komnenian restoration.
Despite this, Constantinople continued to flourish. It had become the metropolis of East and West, and became one of the largest cities in the world. With several periods of recovery, the Emperor slowly started to recover once again. With the restoration of lands and a strong central government, the empire became fabulously wealthy.The enormous prosperity also made Constantinople a valuable target for all of her enemies, and the Empire’s prosperity was completely shattered with the overwhelmingly crushing defeat in at Battle of Manzikert by the Turks. Anatolia had been lost to the Turks, who quickly made the region their homeland, and took the heart of the Empire away from them. Many years of back and forth conflict between the Turks and Greeks occured between the almost mockingly named Sultanate of Rum.
A much later depiction of the Sack of Constantinople
Once again, the Empire started to make a remarkable recovery until Latin Crusaders sacked the Imperial Capital in 1204, leaving the Empire much poorer, smaller, and ultimately less able to defend itself against the Turkish conquests that followed. The Latins took the city and would hold it for decades after shattering the former Eastern Empire into several rump states and declaring their own Latin Empire. The Latins were never able to maintain their new state, as sixty years later In 1261, Constantinople was retaken the forces of the Nicaean emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos from it’s last Latin ruler, Baldwin II. The Empire would soon be restored shortly after it was captured.
The Empire had lost many of its key economic resources and struggled to survive against all odds.From the very start, new dynasty had its hands full the moment they became rulers. The Turks of Anatolia had been raiding and attacking Imperial territory with Islamic zeal, often hitting the Empire and the Greeks hard while doing so. Despite this, the Palaiologos was forced to fight among other opportunist Christian states such as Bulgaria, Serbia and even the Knights Hospitaller. The loss of land in the east to the Turks and in the west to the Bulgarians was then followed by two devastating civil wars over control of the Imperial throne, and then pandemic and chaos during the great pestilence of the Black Death. The Empire constantly stood on the brink of destruction,and by the end of the 14th century, the internal and external strife had led the Empire to only consist of Constantinople and a few other isolated exclaves.
And yet, the city endured. While nowhere near the splendor that it once was, Constantinople survived the early 15th century hanging on by a thread. Any gains and diplomatic successes that the Emperors had tried at that point had ended in vain. Manuel II, who succeeded in retaking some territory and held it to the end of his reign, had helped preserve the Empire for several more decades. Manuel’s son, John VIII was still hopeful that he was able to return the dying fortunes of the Empire in his reign, but his efforts were in vain.
Sketches of John VIII during his visit at the failed Council of Florence in 1438, by Pisanello.
After the Council, John VIII’s behavior started to change after returning home to Constantinople in 1439. The Emperor, who had so strongly done his best to preserve the Empire, started to isolate himself with the Imperial Library. The Emperor surrounded himself with ancient books, and had even closed the library to himself for days or even weeks at a time. One night, on the 10th of November 1444, the Emperor had went to his quarters and went to sleep for the night after a stressful day, feeling dreadful upon hearing the disastrous news of a Turkish victory at Varna.
When he woke up, the dream he had would change the world.
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