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The Last Days of Constantinople: Palaiologoi 1402-1453 (Eastern Rome Summarized XXV)
The history of the last imperial Roman dynasty, the final quarter. Posting this on Konstantinos XI's coronation day (Jan 6).
And we reach the end of the Roman state based in Constantinople. It's a miracle the Palaiologoi lasted so long with their shenanigans, but under two decades of good governance under Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, the Romans normalized relations with the Ottomans, whose defeat by Timur and recent civil war left them much less aggressive than usual, and it almost seemed as if a bright future without existential threats was ahead.
But then Manuel's eldest son Ioannes VIII committed one youthful folly and unraveled all this. He provoked the Turks, causing the 1422 Siege of Constantinople and the Fallof Thessaloniki. From then on the Roman Empire was a shell of an "Empire", just the Queen of Cities and several surrounding cities. So Ioannes set out to fix the Great Schism once and for all so that the Latins would help their Eastern coreligionists... but all this caused more chaos and unrest within the City. The Romans were in no state to meet the Final Siege of Constantinople when the Empire's last days ran out.
However, in the Peloponnese, a more independent Despotate of the Morea saw a flourishing like never before while Constantinople decayed. Ioannes' brothers had no choice but establish themselves in this far flung corner of the Empire and make it prosperous through conquest and patronage if they wished to keep up to the imperial standards enjoyed by Roman princes of old. The last scholars of the Palaiologan Renaissance, like Gemistos Plethon, a peculiar polymath with a passion for the Ancient Hellenic past of the Eastern Romans, flooded the court of Mystras. Many of his students would end up in Italy after 1453 and spread Byzantine Humanist ideas as well as Ancient Greek literature to the Italians.
Among the Despots of the Morea was Ioannes' younger brother Konstantinos XI, who was the last Emperor of the Romans and attempted in vain to save his Empire before Sultan Mehmed II knocked down the Walls of Theodosius with cannons. The dawn of modernity finally dealt the death blow to this ancient Empire which survived all of the Middle Ages.
Stay tuned for the last episode of Eastern Rome Summarized, coming soon to explain the consequences of 1453! Don't miss out either on my future series, on the history of Trebizond, the Roman peoples after the collapse of imperial authority, and other exciting content!
Primary sources:
- The Letters of Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos (see THE LETTERS OF MANUEL II PALAEOLOGUS: TEXT, TRANSLATION, AND NOTES by George T. Dennis) - Manuel II's own writings: Funeral Oration for his brother (edition: Chrysostomides, J. Manuel II Paleologus Funeral Oration on his brother Theodore. Association for Byzantine Research, Thessaloniki, 1985.)
- Some of Georgios Gemistos Plethon's writings, found in Παλαιολόγεια και πελοποννησιακά : Τόμος Γ
- Laetentur Caeli Papal Bull, translated by D. P Curtin (BUY: amzn.to/3W7jw0q)
- The Chronicon of Georgios Sphrantzes, translated by Marios Philippides (BUY: amzn.to/4h2WP5I)
Secondary sources:
- Barker, John W. Manuel II Palaeologus (1391-1425); A Study in Late Byzantine Statesmanship. Rutgers University Press, 1969 (BUY: amzn.to/3UAK2OR)
- Çelik, Siren. Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425): A Byzantine Emperor in a Time of Tumult. Cambridge University Press, 2021 (BUY: amzn.to/4hwQxfy)
- The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium by Anthony Kaldellis (BUY: amzn.to/3Yefghw)
- The Last Centuries of Byzantium 1261- 1453 by Donald M. Nicol (BUY: amzn.to/3SgY8DW)
- The Lost Capital of Byzantium: The History of Mistra and the Peloponnese by Steven Runciman (BUY: amzn.to/4dEqAZn)
- The Fall of Constantinople 1453 by Steven Runciman (BUY: amzn.to/40kZZMA)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. So if any of these books interest you, buy them from those links and you'll be helping me out :) But NOTE: I link products from the US Amazon store, if you click on them and they're not available or you get a search result page, try changing your store region to the US. Because many of these books are fringe and won't be available everywhere :(
Music used:
Cappella Romana - Lament for Constantinople: Ο Θεός ήλθοσαν έθνη (ua-cam.com/video/HGvMXgIr6js/v-deo.htmlsi=MNT8Uium_1stPk7V)
ΤΡΕΙΣ ΚΑΛΟΓΗΡΟΙ ΚΡΗΤΙΚΟΙ (ua-cam.com/video/4u452eKFbqQ/v-deo.htmlsi=WmJjB4UWC-SQTA0F)
Chronis Aidonidis - Γιατι πουλί μ' δεν κελαηδείς (ua-cam.com/video/TcJXLPc4yVs/v-deo.htmlsi=YTomYVCBMSlQTKBy)
Farya Faraji - The Fall of Constantinople (ua-cam.com/video/QO3wlf4yT8g/v-deo.htmlsi=b9Pl8FvD6O-zea_4)
Feel generous? Do you wish to directly support me? Please check out my Patreon: www.patreon.com/Byzansimp
Join this channel to get access to perks:ua-cam.com/channels/RpS2QujXWWMmimZTIiMVmg.htmljoin
Переглядів: 1 036

Відео

Constantine XI's only living portrait found? Or not?
Переглядів 1,4 тис.21 день тому
As of December 12th, 2024, news has spread that at last, a contemporary depiction of the last Roman Emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, was discovered in the Old Monastery of the Taxiarches in Aigialeia. Is it 100% true? Should we question this at all? Why are we sure that it is Constantine? All these questions deserve further discussion and I am here to provide. Please, also READ THE PINNED C...
Beggar Basileus: Palaiologoi 1354-1402 (Eastern Rome Summarized XXIV)
Переглядів 1,7 тис.2 місяці тому
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Civil Conflict: Palaiologoi 1302-1354 (Eastern Rome Summarized XXIII)
Переглядів 2,2 тис.4 місяці тому
The history of the last imperial Roman dynasty, the second quarter. How one big dysfunctional family opened their millennium-old Empire up for foreign conquest. Faced with the Turks overrunning the last of Roman western Anatolia, Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos, having learnt nothing from the Crusades, called on the Catalan Company, a Latin mercenary band led by the ambitious Roger de Flor, t...
Everything Wrong with the Byzantine Arc in Vikings: Valhalla
Переглядів 9 тис.5 місяців тому
In this Netflix series centered on Harald Hardrada, legendary Norwegian king, we finally journey to the Eastern Roman Empire where Harald spent many formative years of his life, partaking in the civil and military history of the late Macedonian Dynasty. But it's Netflix, and some things are bound to be wrong. In this video, I point them out for you, in the CinemaSins style of critique. Some err...
Restoring and Ruining Rome: Palaiologoi 1261-1302 (Eastern Rome Summarized XXII)
Переглядів 3,3 тис.6 місяців тому
The history of the last imperial Roman dynasty, the first quarter. Michael VIII Palaiologos shouldered the burdensome task of rebuilding an Empire in a shifty world with very limited resources. He faced the threats of the Latin West, the aggression of the Turkish East, the animosity of the Balkan North, the looming shadow of the Mongol conquerors and above all, the incomprehension and disgust o...
Constantinople 1261: Roman Reconquest and Triumph (w/ @nobudgetfilms4628 )
Переглядів 1,2 тис.7 місяців тому
In 1261, the Romans retook Constantinople by accident. How exactly did it happen, and how did they celebrate afterwards? Find out in this bonus collab episode I made with @nobudgetfilms4628 , who will narrate to you in detail Alexios Strategopoulos' lucky excursion; I will then relate to you Michael VIII Palaiologos' Triumph of 1261, the last truly major one in Roman history. Check out No Budge...
Constantine XI Palaiologos Statue Speedpaint May 29th
Переглядів 6527 місяців тому
Many statues of Konstantinos XI Palaiologos, last Basileus of the Romans, could be found throughout Greece. For this video, I did my live sketch in front of the one in Mitropoleos Square, Athens. I suppose it’s tradition to come up with some art for May 29th every year now? I hope you like the video. Song is the iconic “You will come as lightning” by Stamatis Spanoudakis that pretty much every ...
FRANCE IS ROME'S TRUE SUCCESSOR
Переглядів 2,5 тис.9 місяців тому
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The Empire Strikes Back: 1214-1261 (Eastern Rome Summarized XXI)
Переглядів 2,4 тис.Рік тому
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Dragon Slayers of New Rome (East Roman Literature II)
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
Dragon Slayers of New Rome (East Roman Literature II)
The Romans in Exile: 1204-1214 (Eastern Rome Summarized XX)
Переглядів 2,2 тис.Рік тому
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Isaurian and Komnenian Dynastic Parallels: How Roman History Rhymes
Переглядів 2 тис.Рік тому
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Imperial Collapse (Eastern Rome Summarized XIX)
Переглядів 3 тис.Рік тому
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The Komnenian Restoration w/@UntoldHistoryAnimations (Eastern Rome Summarized XVIII)
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
The Komnenian Restoration w/@UntoldHistoryAnimations (Eastern Rome Summarized XVIII)
Alexios I Komnenos: Dealing with Devils (Eastern Rome Summarized XVII)
Переглядів 3,1 тис.Рік тому
Alexios I Komnenos: Dealing with Devils (Eastern Rome Summarized XVII)
Painting Giovanni Giustiniani in the Byzantine style (May 29th speedpaint)
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Рік тому
Painting Giovanni Giustiniani in the Byzantine style (May 29th speedpaint)
The Epic of Digenes Akritas, Andros version, Book 5 and Book 6 (1k sub special)
Переглядів 709Рік тому
The Epic of Digenes Akritas, Andros version, Book 5 and Book 6 (1k sub special)
"Thughur Life" - Byzantine-Arab frontier Thug Life (meme speed paint)
Переглядів 1 тис.Рік тому
"Thughur Life" - Byzantine-Arab frontier Thug Life (meme speed paint)
The Alexiad of Anna Komnene (East Roman Historiography I)
Переглядів 3,9 тис.Рік тому
The Alexiad of Anna Komnene (East Roman Historiography I)
The 526 Antioch Earthquake, 15 centuries before the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake
Переглядів 1,6 тис.Рік тому
The 526 Antioch Earthquake, 15 centuries before the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake
TheoDORA the Augusta! (Eastern Roman Dora the Explorer) Intro song
Переглядів 2,7 тис.Рік тому
TheoDORA the Augusta! (Eastern Roman Dora the Explorer) Intro song
Farewell, O Anatolia (Eastern Rome Summarized XVI)
Переглядів 3,4 тис.2 роки тому
Farewell, O Anatolia (Eastern Rome Summarized XVI)
The Withering Macedonians (Eastern Rome Summarized XV)
Переглядів 2,3 тис.2 роки тому
The Withering Macedonians (Eastern Rome Summarized XV)
Basileios Boulgaroktonos: Based Byzantine Badass (Eastern Rome Summarized XIV)
Переглядів 3,6 тис.2 роки тому
Basileios Boulgaroktonos: Based Byzantine Badass (Eastern Rome Summarized XIV)
The Roman Reconquerors (Eastern Rome Summarized XIII)
Переглядів 4,2 тис.2 роки тому
The Roman Reconquerors (Eastern Rome Summarized XIII)
The Epic of Digenes Akritas, Andros version, Book 3 and Book 4 (500 sub special)
Переглядів 7192 роки тому
The Epic of Digenes Akritas, Andros version, Book 3 and Book 4 (500 sub special)
Enter the Macedonians (Eastern Rome Summarized XII)
Переглядів 3,2 тис.2 роки тому
Enter the Macedonians (Eastern Rome Summarized XII)
End of the Dark Ages (Eastern Rome Summarized XI)
Переглядів 6 тис.2 роки тому
End of the Dark Ages (Eastern Rome Summarized XI)
The Isaurians and Iconoclasm (Eastern Rome Summarized X)
Переглядів 3,6 тис.2 роки тому
The Isaurians and Iconoclasm (Eastern Rome Summarized X)

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @Greekmilsim
    @Greekmilsim 8 годин тому

    1. They put wrong flags .Byzantine flags had double head eagles not macedonian suns .2. They used turkish march during parade of constantinople in "lost" episode 3. Pronouce of greek is terrible 4. Uniforms and body armor is wrong

  • @EqqqKdh
    @EqqqKdh 11 годин тому

    Фотий реально хороший мужик, я думаю. Не надо иронизировать над ним..

  • @sotirismitzolis5171
    @sotirismitzolis5171 21 годину тому

    Wtf was Plethon on?

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 18 годин тому

      On ua-cam.com/video/72hBDc37eFg/v-deo.htmlsi=wTPT5gdzNgsQ7i7l but it was confiscated by the Despot of Morea at Korinthia so he's been having strange visions ever since

    • @sotirismitzolis5171
      @sotirismitzolis5171 11 годин тому

      @@byzansimpit all makes sense now.

  • @aguapanela7951
    @aguapanela7951 21 годину тому

    Leo the chad

  • @aguapanela7951
    @aguapanela7951 21 годину тому

    Are you a woman?

  • @symphonyoforder
    @symphonyoforder 4 дні тому

    Farya's symphony on the Fall of Constantinople really nails it straight in the heart. Constantine XI and the Roman Empire fell the way Augustus would have wanted them to.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 3 дні тому

      Absolutely! And Farya is always quality.

    • @symphonyoforder
      @symphonyoforder 2 дні тому

      @@byzansimp Big agree, and I'm glad to see his work get used whenever I notice it!

  • @koksalceylan9032
    @koksalceylan9032 5 днів тому

    🎉🎉🎉❤❤

  • @VoiceInHisHead
    @VoiceInHisHead 5 днів тому

    Great channel

  • @jackbharucha1475
    @jackbharucha1475 5 днів тому

    It feels like John really fucked up and left Constantine to preside over the results of his policies

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 5 днів тому

      Problems of primogeniture

  • @extrahistorylowbudget1443
    @extrahistorylowbudget1443 5 днів тому

    u know all of this could avoided if manual komnenos retaking anatolia had anatolia been retaking nothing would danger the empire even if 1204 happen

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 5 днів тому

      @@extrahistorylowbudget1443 all of this could have been avoided if Marcus Aurelius didn’t make Commodus his successor

    • @extrahistorylowbudget1443
      @extrahistorylowbudget1443 5 днів тому

      @@byzansimp all jokes a side anatolia was far more important then useless bullkan even leo third knew this in 717 ad all he had to do was lure the arab in safe passage in anatolia making sure amoria is not raised to ground let them in water & bullkan & then wait for right had he did not do this anatolia would have fallen & empire would have doomed even if they won the siege cuz remember raids in anatolia didnt stop till 740s ad

  • @Arxyium
    @Arxyium 6 днів тому

    it’s officially now Palaiolover...

  • @brig.badger2896
    @brig.badger2896 6 днів тому

    Didn’t want to comment until I finished the video but thank you for everything and I can’t wait to see what comes next!

  • @Saul-fall-go1qf
    @Saul-fall-go1qf 6 днів тому

    It’s insane how in the state the eastern Roman Empire was in its final days that it was able to cling on to life for as long as it did

  • @Fakeslimshady
    @Fakeslimshady 6 днів тому

    VERY DEPRESSING EPISODE

  • @sirbanny9528
    @sirbanny9528 6 днів тому

    We shall miss these dynasty’s what saved the romans through the worse of times from the heraclian dynasty all the way to the last of the palogoi what sat at the queen of city’s

  • @sonap004
    @sonap004 6 днів тому

    What an incredible series! I am so happy that I found your channel, since noone else is really covering these final periods of Roman history on UA-cam.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @sonap004 thank you! Someone has to cover them haha

  • @jay2159
    @jay2159 6 днів тому

    Now I want more :(( Like Empire of Trebizond, Despotate of Epirus and Thessaly…

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@jay2159 literally said I have Trebizond series planned haha

  • @intellegence63smart
    @intellegence63smart 6 днів тому

    I am a Roman Egyptian and celebrate Christmas today! Glory to God! Glory to GOD! This is a great channel and a great video. Your Greek flows like honey with perfect pronunciation of all the names.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@intellegence63smart merry Christmas my friend from Egypt! You are Coptic? Or Alexandrian Melkite?

  • @El-Silver
    @El-Silver 6 днів тому

    gotta play con te partiro after I watch the end of the video.

  • @clearlypellucid
    @clearlypellucid 6 днів тому

    Man, where's the best place to meet Byzaboo girls? Lel.

  • @kacperwilk8806
    @kacperwilk8806 6 днів тому

    It's over

  • @captainvalourous6668
    @captainvalourous6668 6 днів тому

    Now that was beautifully very depressing. Thank you for giving us a wonderful series. Glory to Rome. 🥹

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@captainvalourous6668 glory eternal 💜

  • @sourwinee
    @sourwinee 6 днів тому

    i’m not crying my eyes are just sweating

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@sourwinee hot day in winter 🥵

  • @jovanvladetic8772
    @jovanvladetic8772 6 днів тому

    It's so Joever

  • @Onezy05
    @Onezy05 6 днів тому

    Wow, I can't believe the series it's actually completed now. You've worked very hard on it and with great passion.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@Onezy05 not complete yet, one more epilogue episode to go! But thank you!

    • @Onezy05
      @Onezy05 5 днів тому

      @@byzansimp Oh yeah that's great I know! Still very excited to see what you cover next with the epilogue and Trebizond. But obviously reaching 1453 is still a big milestone to have reached.

  • @joebloggs1356
    @joebloggs1356 6 днів тому

    How much Ottoman gold prevented unification?

  • @sword_of_sanghelios
    @sword_of_sanghelios 6 днів тому

    thank you telling this story

  • @zharyan0089
    @zharyan0089 6 днів тому

    You made it to the (god forbid) end!

  • @sword_of_sanghelios
    @sword_of_sanghelios 6 днів тому

    Thank you❤

  • @TrajGreekFire
    @TrajGreekFire 6 днів тому

    Omg can't wait for when I get home from work to watch it

  • @antiepix9555
    @antiepix9555 6 днів тому

    I appreciate the artist touch where in the previous videos about any decline of Rhomania, your character looked at the Emperors in charge with sadness or disgust in the thumbnails, but now in this video you are looking directly at the viewer, noting to everyone that this is indeed, the END. 😭🙏

  • @danske613
    @danske613 7 днів тому

    Well that was depressing.

  • @ericponce8740
    @ericponce8740 7 днів тому

    Civil Wars and Weak Emperors = Fall of Eastern Rome.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@ericponce8740 and opportunistic ottomans

  • @byzansimp
    @byzansimp 7 днів тому

    Firstly, best wishes to all who celebrate Epiphany/Theophania and then Christmas when this video released (Jan 6 and 7). You who keep alive the Byzantine faith and traditions are amazing <3 Secondly, to address some confusion I've seen, no this isn't the last episode of my Eastern Rome Summarized series! We have another "epilogue" episode coming up. Because, dear Mehmed, you don't just end a 2200 year old political structure without leaving a mess to mop up for the Roman citizens and for historians. There are lots of loose ends to tie up, not counting the Trapezuntine Roman sphere which will get its own series soon. You want to learn what happened next to the Romans... right? Thirdly, just a huge thanks to everyone following the series, whether from day one or later (or maybe even this is your first video!). It's been my pleasure presenting the history of Eastern Rome to you, to read these sources, to illustrate these names on paper into real characters with emotions, to animate these whacky moments... I hope you enjoyed to a similar degree. But I confess I am happy that I get to gradually move on from plain historical narration once I tie up ERS and do Trebizond; my interests have always lied more in Roman culture, art, cuisine, literature, philosophy... in short, Roman society! And now I will have more freedom to create content on topics which delight me even more. So I'm excited for what's up ahead! Do stay tuned :)

  • @sotirismitzolis5171
    @sotirismitzolis5171 7 днів тому

    I think that after 1261 the Byz boys should have invested solely on their Haemean holdings and expand in the expense of the weak statelets around them instead of trying to preserve Asia Minor or whatever would be left of it.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @sotirismitzolis5171 that was honestly what they pretty much did. Michael VIII almost didn’t care about Asia at all when he was dealing with the West; once he was done he turned East but then he died. Later Emperors didn’t have the power to do much in Anatolia even if they wanted to

  • @TheodoreIosifidis-gx4qb
    @TheodoreIosifidis-gx4qb 7 днів тому

    Great video once again!have you ever heard that napoleon is descended from David of Trebizond Roman’s after Rome!

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 6 днів тому

      @@TheodoreIosifidis-gx4qb of course, I made a most scientific and accurate documentary on Napoleon’s lineage! ua-cam.com/video/M0nVfJfELXQ/v-deo.htmlsi=i4E0C9W1wgJd1zUc

    • @TheodoreIosifidis-gx4qb
      @TheodoreIosifidis-gx4qb 6 днів тому

      @ geez how did I miss that video thanks!so stoked for Trebizond any idea when we can expect?

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 5 днів тому

      @ the middle of this year, let’s hope!

  • @seansmith9941
    @seansmith9941 7 днів тому

    I’m supposed Alexios iii didn’t wander through time into Constantinople given he was basically just a brainless wanderer after 1204 lmfao 🤣 😅

  • @Arcadius2207
    @Arcadius2207 7 днів тому

    It was an honor... to follow this video series from day one, you definitely finished what unbiased history couldn't do, if we can learn anything from you... it's that your videos made with heart and passion are the best... than a six hour Byzantine speedrun video from unbiased history, Learn from her guys!! dedicate with heart and passion something that we all love and can enjoy!! GOOD WORK BASILISSA AUGUSTA!!

  • @cturner956
    @cturner956 7 днів тому

    it's been a fun ride!

  • @TheHideousStrength
    @TheHideousStrength 7 днів тому

    Romulus -> Romulus, Constantine -> Constantine

  • @seansmith9941
    @seansmith9941 7 днів тому

    Thanks for this whole series dude it was fantastic and quite a sad end but this was such a great historical marathon.

    • @byzansimp
      @byzansimp 7 днів тому

      @@seansmith9941 thanks for watching and I think we’re all a little tired now near the end 😂

  • @Saul-fall-go1qf
    @Saul-fall-go1qf 10 днів тому

    Oh this is so based