I think after 1204, Constantinople became a shadow of its former self, and fractured further over the centuries into smaller towns/municipalities rather than one big city.
BS. 🙄 Placing blame on a specific time it’s really disingenuous. There were plenty of times when Constantinople weakened itself before and after that time.
@@victor382 yeah but the Venetians literally dismantled the empire sacked the city and stole all its riches you act like it was a tiny Civil War or something. They literally never recovered from it that’s why there’s Roman statues in Venice. They weren’t built there. That’s for sure.
@@victor382 The sack of the city literally destroyed the central Byzantine government, the Nicaea Empire which succeeded later on was one of the multiple factions that sprang up, attempting to legitimize themselves as the true successor of the Empire now that the central administration was gone. Imagine the American President, most the Senators and the top brass of the army as well as the White house was destroyed and the local governments in California and New York both independently declared themselves as the continuation of the United States government, all the while Chinese troops continued to occupy key areas in the USA including Washington DC and Boston, do you really think the US would ever fully recover from a crisis like this and become the #1 world power again?
Actually it was a miracle that the ERE lasted as long as it did especially being relevant in the year 1000, the thing is that the ERE lasted so long that it ended exactly 39 years before Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, also the fall of Constantinople was the reason why the Spanish Inquisition started, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella threw the last Muslims out of Granada in 1492, The European Colonization came out as a result of this and many refugees from Constantinople left the city to escape Muslim persecution, sailed west to the Italian Peninsula to spread their knowledge there and thus the Renaissance was born.
I’d be curious how to square the European response to the 4th crusade against the ERE measures with Europes later response of the Fall of Constantinople. It seems that most of the Europeans kind of pitied the ERE in its final decades.
A portion would be now in Galata, the area granted to the Genoese, and if pilgrims from the rest of the Greek Orthodox world (many monasteries and churches) are counted, it would be temporarily much higher. Papal Rome had a population approximating that, albeit the permanent population was probably lower given the aftermath of the Black Death and its many reoccurrences, plus the long term residence of Popes in Avignon (Papal from 1348 to 1791 and an official residence until 1377, exc the Great Schism's claimants). Seasonal agricultural workers might also have boosted the population.
Rome started as a collection of villages and ended as a reduced city-state protected by the walls built 1000 years earlier. It refused to die, even as an enclave inside the Ottoman Empire, until the gunpowder revolution.. Thus ending 2200 years of roman cilvilization..
Indeed, it is a fascinating story. Rome had come, in a sense, full circle, ending where it had started, as a collection of villages, 2200 years after the founding of Rome. An incredible story.
At its peak around the 9th century Constantinople’s population would’ve been about 800,000, and by 1453 had fallen to maybe less than a tenth of that. Today, Istanbul has something like 16 million people. It’s a city with quite a history.
true. Istanbul does take the title of most populous city in Europe today. Makes you wonder how Constantine would feel if he could see it for a bit. lol. You did well, Princeps. lol.
@@mertnecati875 And what did the Turks do with it? They set an Empire and since day one stuck to the Middle Ages. Meanwhile the Venetians run European affairs, invested in Britain and built western European geopolitics altering the course of humanity. All that was based on the 1204 sack of Constantinople, without which it would not be possible for western Europeans to develop at that fast pace. Turks? They did not amount to much in spite of having the world's best location. That says a lot about them.
constantiople was long gone by that time, but interestingly, ther despotate of morea, being an automonous roman province and the center of the greek world at its capital of mystras was thriving, sebestian should talk about the morea, its interesting
@@surters Asimov inspired his writings from the Roman and Eastern Roman Empires . In Frank Herbert's work the history of Dune /Arakis, was written by Princess Irulan,, in the same manner as Anna Komnene wrote the Alexiad.
Well, you can think the venetians for that before the fourth crusade there was hundreds of thousands of people. that farmland they had was after they tore down all the abandoned buildings that people used to inhabit. They didn’t build those giant walls to protect farmland.
Interesting video. It reminds me of the last time I drove through Detroit, which still has some impressive buildings, but also some very desolate stretches.
And destruction many old art a of Greco Roman works gone. The monuments, 100,000 of manuscripts, statues, mosaic, old column, hippodrome and imperial library of Constantinople. burn, melted and destroyed taking away from western Europe from ever…..
@@charlesiphone5765 Bullshit, 1453 holds only symbolic and emotional value, and it was an event in the making way back the day Byzantium became too weak to stop the Turks.
Far from it, Charles. 1204 was far worse for humanity. Just like the sack of Baghdad was in 1258. I think these two events were the worst days for humanity if it the parameter is 'loss of knowledge'. Also the book-burning of 213 BCE in China could be considered amongst them, just like the burning/looting of the Library of Alexandria in or around 640.
The Venetians provided the fleet for the 4th crusade. As part of the deal they asked the troops to take a town on the coast of Dalmatia on the way. The Venetians wanted payment which they pressured the crusaders to provide. They saw how attractive Constantinople was when they arrived and in a cowardly act took the city dividing it into four. They occupied the city for a long period. The Pope oc the time denounced them with excommunication. It was about Venice taking over Constantinople its trading rival.
Infamous as it is, that crusade alone didn't end an empire that would otherwise have been thriving. That the crusaders managed to take the city has a lot to do with the fact that the empire was already collapsing at that point.
@@ansibarius4633 It's true that the empire was facing major issues prior to the sack, but I think their chances of recovery were good. Remember, the empire managed to survive for another two centuries after the sack. It's not difficult to believe that, had the city not been taken, the empire could have recovered to a significant degree from the crisis it was facing.
Maybe I haven't been keeping up, but this is the first video of yours I've seen where you show your face. Cool! You look WAY better than I thought you would.
Lmao usually this would be something someone says as a mean insult but it somehow seems like you actually meant your comment as a compliment without understanding how offensive it is… 🤦🏻♂️
Greeks don't say that. ONE Greek said that. But history tells a different story. Both before and after the fall of Constantinople, Italy became the primary land of refuge for Byzantine refugees fleeing the Turks. All of the major Byzantine scholars fled to Venice, Florence and Rome. Thousands of Greek entered Venetian service as Stradiot mercenaries.
It is recorded that during the ancient Greek colonization, Vyzas from Megara went to the oracle of Delphi to ask god Apolo which place was suitable to establish a new colony for his people. The oracle had responded that the migrants of Megara should cross the Helespont and found their city in the straits of Bosphorus, exactly opposite to the "city of the blind ones ". Vyzas followed the oracle's advice and when the Megareans got there they saw Chrysopolis at the Asian side, and right opposite a magnificent strategically placed site, most suitable to establish a new thriving and important city. It is written that Vyzas said "only blind men could build a city where Chrysopolis stands and ignore a site as important as the one that lies right across the straits.," I guess the oracle was right.
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion. Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist. Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism. Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
As a Turkish person i can confirm this was 100% accurate to our records as well. In Ottoman records the city is literally mentioned as the great ruin, it could never recover from the damage of 4th crusade and fall of Latin empire later on. Ottomans knew the state of city before capturing it and this was why Mehmed offered quite genarous surrender terms twice including no plunder, safe passage etc, because it was a pointless battle but Constantine refused them. And as a custom of those days when the city fell it was allowed to plunder the city for three days. The fate of Constantine is also a myth, there is no records in either side which actually prove he died while fighting nor his body could be ever found. So everything is actually possible, perhaps he fled the city and lived until old age. Archeological excavation in Istanbul is nowhere near complete and there are new passages, rooms etc found every year, perhaps one day his remainings will be found in such a room with battle wounds proving the myth. Another minor mistake, even Hagia Sophia wasn't in good condition, the building was expanding outwards under heavy weight of its dome and in danger of collapsing. To support the structure from outside Ottoman built both minarets and those extra sections outside so it wasn't entirely for converting. There are also cracks and rebars all around Hagia Sophia sadly which damaged many mosaics too. Because they were plastered they aren't seen, you can find historical Ottoman renovation or modern renovation photos showing cracks. Another sad detail about Hagia Sophia, its golden tiles were intact even in late 19th century and it was looking like a golden palace when you entered it. However Ottoman hired two renown Italian artists to do renovation work in late 19th century and they used a wrong kind of seal on tiles. This seal wasn't breathing so moisture built up behind tiles and within only few years they began falling one after another. This is why Hagia Sophia interior looks rather plain today without its golden tiles. Majority of tiles could be preserved but renovation cost would be very high to put them back so they remain in storage.
hahaha. The Ottomans had accurate records? This was very funny. The only records they kept is how many slaves and gold was stolen after each sacking of a Christian city
@@history_repeats8201 It looks like you are confusing Ottoman with crusaders! If you need help to refresh your memory i can help you with a huge list of crusader sacked cities including Orthodox, Muslim and even Catholic cities. Yep, crusaders sacked even some Catholic cities, your kind of people really don't learn anything when they read history..
@@mastermindd Good thing it was built by Greek and Roman architects, otherwise it will have the same fate as the apartment buildings built in 21st century in SW Turkey
First I love your hair- amazing. Second this is a wonderful visual portrayal of the decline and fall of Constantinople. Very well done. I benefited from it. Max
@@sebastianmaharg Partly true, partly false!!!Throughout history, every people called different cities in their own way.Arabs called Constantiniyye, Greeks called Constantinople, Turks called ISTANBUL...Names such as Nova Roma, Islambol were also used...In Ottoman documents, it is called ISTANBUL...With the Republic of Turkey founded by our great leader Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, the name ISTANBUL has been accepted in international law since 1928...
@@egekurt2733Correct me if I’m wrong. During the Ottoman times the official name was Constantiniyye ( Ottoman Sultans vieved themselves as the successors of the Roman empire). At the same time the Turkic people who arrived to Anatolia and Trakya called the city Istanbul. Ataturk made the Turkic name in use the official name for the city, correct?
@@eskil6096 In Ottoman state correspondence, it was also referred to as Constantiniyye, but it is also referred to as Istanbul. At that time, it would not be entirely correct to talk about an officiality in today's sense. In international law, it has been referred to as Istanbul since 1928. As a result, since there is no international law in today's sense, each society has named Istanbul according to itself.It was a political maneuver for the Sultans to see themselves as Roman Emperors. After all, millions of Orthodox lived within the borders of the empire.Of course, Byzantine culture was also reflected in the Ottoman Empire.Istanbul was the capital of both empires.We cannot deny this influence.However, it is debatable how accurate it is to call the Ottoman Empire, which is of Turkish-Muslim origin and carries traces of Central Asian and Middle Eastern culture, a continuation of Eastern Rome...I just don't understand this!!!What are you aiming by opening the name of Istanbul for discussion.Istanbul is a TURKISH city.since 1453...Regards...
It seems to me that the only functioning part of the city, other than the walls and Blachernae, would have been the Augustaion and the remnants of the Hippodrome. What's very interesting are the drawings of Petrus Gyllius in the 1540s, 90 years after the Fall: its clear that there were still bits of pieces of the ruins left even at that late date - he describes columns still visible in the Augustaion, for instances, and a general awareness of the Cisterns below the Ottoman city. The reality is that clearly after the sack of 1204, the ERE was no longer a player, and the city was never again what it had been. In many ways, the Ottoman takeover was a rejuvenation as the video describes!
When Mehmet the Conqueror conquered Istanbul in 1453, it was far from its former glory. Because the city was sacked and occupied by the Latins from the 4th crusade in 1204. All the important architectural works were stolen or moved to European cities. Although the Byzantine Empire recaptured the city, it no longer had the wealth to beautify it. The Ottoman Empire preserved much of the architecture that remained after the conquest and tried to increase the city's dwindling population. It embarked on a great architectural activity.
I'm more interested in what we would see in a year or so after the city fell, and how it's transformation into Istanbul began. Transformations are fascinating.
Ironically city being conquered by Turks actually was a very good thing for Greeks living in city because their population and wealth also increased after 1453.
The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are the two main Roman institutions to have survived till now. The Pope was the senior archbishop in a "first among equals" relationship with the Patriarchs (from the Orthodox viewpoint). From the Catholic viewpoint, only the Pope was supreme. The Catholics survived, and used Latin. After the last Christian ceremonies were performed in Hagia Sophia, the people of Constantinople thought the world was coming to an end. When the Turks came, they killed, and they enslaved somewhat as the Romans had done before them. After the conquest, Sultan Mehmet II claimed that it was revenge for what the Greeks had done to Troy. Asia was recovering what Greece (and Rome), had taken. However, the Turks did not destroy everything. The Sultan wanted to preserve some churches for Christian worship, even Hagia Sophia at first. More significantly, he made sure that the Patriarch remained in place. In fact, the Patriarch became an official in the Ottoman bureaucracy! The Turks divided their empire into "milletlar.' A "millet" or milyet, was a people. The Sultan put the Patriarch in charge of the Christian "millet." That is to say that ALL Christians were subject to the Orthodox Patriarch! His worldly authority existed inside the empire, but his spiritual authority stretched further. You are correct about the rebirth of the city under the Turks. Mehmet II wanted Constantinople as HIS capital. He invited the Greeks to come back. To this day, there are still some Greek and Armenian churches in Istanbul.
@@John-qd5of actually after the 3 massive pogroms (2 against the Greeks and one against the Armenians) that happened during the 20th century,it is a wonder that even these few churches (but not people to support them any more ) still exist.
"So-called fall?" The defence of Constantinople was epic. Even after the walls failed and the emperor died, the citizens were fighting the Ottomans for 3 days, house by house. That was the time when the Ottomans conducted something that would be called a genocide today. Thousands of people were killed, women of any ages and boys were rapped. At the very end, sultan Mehmed figured out it went too far, and ordered attrocities to stop. Sure, the Ottomans rebuit and repopulated the city, as the remaining Roman population was not enough to maintain the city. But in 1453, the New Rome failed and that was the end of the Roman Empire.
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion. Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist. Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism. Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion. Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist. Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism. Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
One of the most thrilling historical novels, regarding the history and the legacy of Constantinople is “The Dark Angel” (original title Johannes Angelos), of prominent Finnish writer, Mika Waltari. Truly epic.
Visiting Italy right now. Was in Rome the last couple days, now in Napoli. Was going to visit Pompeï today but all the trains got cancelled right in front of me.... And the next 2 days while i am still here it's going to be a rainy mess. No Pompeï for me i guess... :(
I’d have seen the garrison force stumbling all over the city trying to mobilize, as fathers, mothers, and even children would armed themselves against the massive Turkish army bombarding the city walls, as Constantine XI gives his last speech to the Roman Empire, with sword, shield, and armor.
Think I heard the narrator say twice "given price to the elements/ruins" in the sense of "left to the elements" or "fallen into disrepair/ruin". Think the "price" usage is a false friend from the German "preisgeben". Examples of usage: "Das alte Schloss wurde dem Verfall preisgegeben." (The old castle was left to decay.); "Nach dem Sturm gab man das zerstörte Dorf dem Verfall preis." (After the storm, the destroyed village was left to decay.)
Rome at this time looked the same way, a city of one million shrunk to one of 35,000, %75 of the area inside it's great walls was open fields, small farms and overgrown ruins. Many of the cities of Europe after the fall of western Rome would've looked much the same at some point, a great many shrank to 1/10th of their land area. Nimes and Arles are two fascinating examples of this urban implosion, they shrank down to just a couple thousand people living in their Amphitheaters (they turned them into little fortified villages with old amphitheater walls acting as town walls), I always think about these two towns when ever I look at some map of a huge Roman city and see the amphitheater.
One thing you can say about urban decay back then: At least when a building fell into ruin you could pull it apart to make a new building. New stuff, it's either land fill or getting somebody to break up all the concrete.
It can be said with some pride that Constantinople and the Byzantines at least went down fighting. No surrender, like Venice chose to do when Napoleon showed up at their doorstep.
It is very interesting that Constantinople has three names Istanbul, Constantinople and Byzantium.I prefer Constantinople. So much so that during the Ottoman Empire it was mostly called Constantinople.
The name of Istanbul, Turkey comes from the Medieval Greek phrase eis tin Polin (εἰς τὴν πόλιν), which literally means "to the city". The name was used in colloquial Turkish during the Ottoman rule, and became the official name of the city in 1930.
It seems it was called Konstantiniye in official records but people used Istanbul more in daily life. Another name I really like is Dersaadet (gate of happiness)
So, im thinking, if Ottomans stayed in their own lane and never conquered the ERE, nothing would have triggered the will to travel further, so maybe the arrival to america would have been delayed? but yes, roman world proved to be very very resilient and long lasting, their concepts so influential that they shaped our western world, definitely its the flagship empire of entire earths history
Great video. I bet, the civil wars of Palaiologos era and the Black Death contributed to the desolation. Today Istanbul is the largest city of Europe by population 😉
I think this was a great video with your format because you focus more on things toward the end of the empire. What say that you can’t focus on things for toward the end of both empires? There are plenty of small stories of the near the end of the east empires just like there was for the west.
Why was it that when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453 they came to stay, rebuild, improve and make it their capital, whereas when it fell to the Venetians in 1204 they came to loot, pillage, destroy and leave? Why didn't the Venetians see the same opportunity as the Ottomans?
Because we already had Balkans and Anatolia under our rule so Constantinople would be only natural capital while Italians had nothing except a few colonies.
Congratulations for the video! Nature also teaches us that when an organism is already worn out by old age and disease, new organisms begin to proliferate and develop, because the immune system can no longer do anything.
Constantinople never recovered from the sack by the 4th Crusaders in 1204, as well as the endless intrigue of the Royals. The disruption of trade routes by the Seljuks contributed to the economic decline of the Byzantines. The Empire lasted nearly 1000 years, but time caught up with it.
50k people in 1453 now 16 million can you imagine how empty and green was istanbul (Constantinople) now you hardly find a tree in there by the way just saw on the map Galata Tower still exist amazing view was 15 euro in 2014 also Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) and some monuments
The quality of the images has improved dramatically. I was wondering if you could specify when something is AI, when is a reconstruction and when is remainings or images of the time lik the map with the Hippodrome
Unfornately byzantine civilization has fallen as the same with the splendorous ancient rome including great old greece, because i like this great civilizations.but time always tells the same thing that nothing last forever,regardless how much nostalgic we are it don,t matter in reality because everything will end at one day or another day for some reason; but nevertheless it remains interesting to learn more about this past and see its beauty and highdays but also its decay and demise!
,Great! I love human history, it really gives us so much knowledge and so many lessons. None of those empires, since the beginning of history, lasts forever. It’s like a line that rises to a peak of glory, then starts to decline until it vanishes and is replaced by another power, and the cycle continues. What matters is what each of those empires leaves behind for those who come after,whether it's knowledge, culture, resources, or damage to humanity as a whole, i like your hair style btw ..
Yes, but at the same time, these were the same people who inspired the English to conquer the Americas. You could say 1453 was karma if you like, but if the Romans hadn't created an empire, I guarantee someone else would have. The same is true for what happened in North America. That brutality was simply the way of the old world. It still is in certain places actually.
Revitalized? There was nothing vital in North America before the white man showed up to create a civilization. Just stone aged savages living hand to mouth in the wilderness. They should be thankful frankly.
i born in Istanbul. Although i am Turk, i feel that i have the same Roman culture. We never been Latins. Culture is about neighbourhood, food, music, daily life. I visit nearly all world but nothing can be compared as culture and daily life in Istanbul and also Athens.
Love this! But how did you instruct AI to ensure the imagery is historically accurate? There are several visual references to the Pantheon. St. Peter's in Rome was also about to fall apart around the same time. I would love to meet you at a café in Minga and discuss this and whatnot, really, but I live far away. Subscribed!
At 15:30 you are correct; the Turks died in vast numbers by the hands of the gallant defenders of Constantinople. In fact, the city would never have fallen if not for three major acts of sabotage undertaken by the "alien" residents of the city. The final act was to open a secret gate (Circus Gate), into which poured 1,000s of Mehemet's heavy infantry. The Semites and Turks were in a big hurry to end the siege because they were terrified more Catholics would be arriving to help defend the city. Equally tragic, the Catholic Empire was planning a new crusade to retake the city 50 years later; but had to cancel the plans due to the catastrophe known as The Reformation.
I much appreciate your attention to and focus on the transitional eras of civilizations. The piece you did on the visit of Constans to Rome was excellent. What is remarkable about the Byzantine Empire is that it managed to survive for so long. Gibbon was wrong in denigrating it. It was much more dynamic and adaptable than scholars allow. Please continue your fine and well researched work. So much appreciated in this smallish Georgia town.
Indeed an interesting video . Can give more explanation how the city looked back in those days as you describe because it looks like you have very old pictures which is not the case that is what you are not telling . You talk about it as if you are a time traveler 😀. So if you can explain that in a next video would be great
Dude, I must confess that until I saw you, I thought you'd look a bit nerdish, but, wow, you have great looks, much in line with the beauty you describe in your videos. THANK YOU.
Ich liebe Vortrag, Erzählkunst und Profundität Deiner Videos! S.M. Maioranus hätte Dich sicher wohlwollend bemerkt: "Guter Mann"! Ich mag auch die Illustrationen der Videos - solange sie menschengemacht sind. KI-Bilder in Videos allgemein mag ich gar nicht, da schaudert es mich immer. Ich finde ihre Herstellungsweise auch "unrömisch" 😉 Ich schreibe sehr selten Kommentare, aber dieser war mir ein Anliegen. Bitte weiter so! Viele Grüße Gerd
I think it must have very much looked like Detroit - lots of ruins and lots of empty space. I have this image of Constanstine on the land walls on the last night of Constantinople, looking back over the dark, empty city. What thoughts went through his mind? He must have been mind-numbingly tired, like the city he ruled.
It was a fall in that it was last vestiges of any kind official roman state. No matter how different governments try claim themselves Roman it was doesn't make them so. Not the Ostrogoths, not the Franks, not the Swabians, not the Brittons, not the Anglo Saxons, and definitely not the Turks. Rulling over the a ethnic or cultural demographic that formerly constituted the ruling class does not make you one of them. Nobody but a Aztec, Han, or Yamato could claim to be the ruler of one of their Empires. Especially when they don't even follow the same religion, culture, or even speak the same language. To go around claiming these things as some of these groups did is laughable at best and absurd at the most.
I wonder what psychological affects it has on a person knowing that one's city is a shadow of its former self? Would it give you a more pessimistic attitude towards the future , wondering if the decline would continue and make it harder to be optimistic about things getting better? And how collectively that sense of decline among the people would in itself ensure your city's continued decline?
No its not. Constantinople's wealth came from its geography, controlling the trade routes and of being capital of a large empire (having the surrounding regions under its control at least). After 1204 and the fourth crusade, the Latins literally destroyed both of that...even if later the city was retaken by the Byzantine Greeks, the latins still controlled much of the islands in the Aegean, the trade routes and even the ports of the imperial capital. They made the empire dependent for their own benefits which was in vain as we it now...latins/catholics allowed the islamic conquest of the City and of the empire, giving the keys of the door of Europe away just because they thought they could hold Arabs and Turks with those little exclaves and having the trade routes...for their wealth and power have been so blind. These lands, the straits of Bosporus and the Dardanelles should be controlled by one powerful state, Christian one to secure the doorway of Europe...they shouldn't have been acting like this.... hurting so deeply the Eastern Roman state just allowed an islamic Caliphate to grow and eventually control Europe's door...and that error we all pay it till this day.
Some snooty academics like to insist that the European Middle Ages weren't really that bad because they had religion and culture. Yeah, tribal peoples have religion and culture too. That's pretty universal among humans. But, when you look at the state of urban collapse, the lack of civic infrastructure (maintenance or new development), endlessly changing rulership, the lack of literacy (even when it came to their own religions' scriptures), and the precariousness of life in general - it was an *awful* time to be alive if you weren't in the ruling class (and often even then).
Does anyone know why the Muslim Turks took over the city of Constantinople? The Greeks still cry today, they felt the same spiritual pain that the Jews felt when they lost their land. It's a good thing the Greeks They had Hellas, and they almost lost Hellas too.
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I think after 1204, Constantinople became a shadow of its former self, and fractured further over the centuries into smaller towns/municipalities rather than one big city.
BS. 🙄
Placing blame on a specific time it’s really disingenuous. There were plenty of times when Constantinople weakened itself before and after that time.
@@victor382 yeah but the Venetians literally dismantled the empire sacked the city and stole all its riches you act like it was a tiny Civil War or something. They literally never recovered from it that’s why there’s Roman statues in Venice. They weren’t built there. That’s for sure.
@@victor382 The sack of the city literally destroyed the central Byzantine government, the Nicaea Empire which succeeded later on was one of the multiple factions that sprang up, attempting to legitimize themselves as the true successor of the Empire now that the central administration was gone.
Imagine the American President, most the Senators and the top brass of the army as well as the White house was destroyed and the local governments in California and New York both independently declared themselves as the continuation of the United States government, all the while Chinese troops continued to occupy key areas in the USA including Washington DC and Boston, do you really think the US would ever fully recover from a crisis like this and become the #1 world power again?
True story. Also in 13-15 AD The Empire is more Hellenic than Roman .
Humanity is doing that very same thing right now, spiraling down the drain of recycling...
Actually it was a miracle that the ERE lasted as long as it did especially being relevant in the year 1000, the thing is that the ERE lasted so long that it ended exactly 39 years before Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, also the fall of Constantinople was the reason why the Spanish Inquisition started, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella threw the last Muslims out of Granada in 1492, The European Colonization came out as a result of this and many refugees from Constantinople left the city to escape Muslim persecution, sailed west to the Italian Peninsula to spread their knowledge there and thus the Renaissance was born.
I’d be curious how to square the European response to the 4th crusade against the ERE measures with Europes later response of the Fall of Constantinople. It seems that most of the Europeans kind of pitied the ERE in its final decades.
@@DavGre It survived the first, but not the second.
@@DavGreDifference was population replacement and the genocides of the 20th century.
@@ClevelandBrown44Yeah I bet you tell yourself that everyday.
@@ClevelandBrown44 Uh what about the Islamic Turks went into Constantinople?
50k people for a 1453 is still a massive city. Crazy how it would feel emptish or small compared to its infrastructure.
A portion would be now in Galata, the area granted to the Genoese, and if pilgrims from the rest of the Greek Orthodox world (many monasteries and churches) are counted, it would be temporarily much higher. Papal Rome had a population approximating that, albeit the permanent population was probably lower given the aftermath of the Black Death and its many reoccurrences, plus the long term residence of Popes in Avignon (Papal from 1348 to 1791 and an official residence until 1377, exc the Great Schism's claimants). Seasonal agricultural workers might also have boosted the population.
Massive? I think not.
Rome started as a collection of villages and ended as a reduced city-state protected by the walls built 1000 years earlier. It refused to die, even as an enclave inside the Ottoman Empire, until the gunpowder revolution..
Thus ending 2200 years of roman cilvilization..
Strangely poetic
Rome? Constantinopel!
Indeed, it is a fascinating story. Rome had come, in a sense, full circle, ending where it had started, as a collection of villages, 2200 years after the founding of Rome. An incredible story.
Nothing to do Rome with Constantinople! For the Greeks of Constantinople the Roman's of middle ages in Italy considered BARBARIANS
@@LondonPower OMG
At its peak around the 9th century Constantinople’s population would’ve been about 800,000, and by 1453 had fallen to maybe less than a tenth of that. Today, Istanbul has something like 16 million people. It’s a city with quite a history.
Not really, the old city within the city walls has population of about 370.000 today.
true. Istanbul does take the title of most populous city in Europe today. Makes you wonder how Constantine would feel if he could see it for a bit. lol. You did well, Princeps. lol.
The peak was in 541, and never was more than half million
Islam ruined it
@@randomvintagefilm273 Ha Haa , Yu stupid jealous moron.Get over it,
The Crusaders in 1204 got the cake [sack of Constantinople], and the Turks got the crumbs in 1453.
Accurate
the real jewelry is its location...
Mehmet II didn't want the gold or the treasures that were there before 1204. He wanted Constantinople and it's geographically strategic site.
Lol, capturing a city in such strategic position is priceless.
@@mertnecati875 And what did the Turks do with it? They set an Empire and since day one stuck to the Middle Ages. Meanwhile the Venetians run European affairs, invested in Britain and built western European geopolitics altering the course of humanity. All that was based on the 1204 sack of Constantinople, without which it would not be possible for western Europeans to develop at that fast pace. Turks? They did not amount to much in spite of having the world's best location. That says a lot about them.
constantiople was long gone by that time, but interestingly, ther despotate of morea, being an automonous roman province and the center of the greek world at its capital of mystras was thriving, sebestian should talk about the morea, its interesting
Wasn't Trebizond the real last Outpost?
@@AndreaMoletta-s3c yeah but morea was the last direct outpost, trabizond was a remenant of the fourth crusade, but it was roman
This is so well done . The artist renditions are excellent.
Hollywood: *shows Constantinople in a medieval peak in 1453
Sack of 1204: Am I a joke to you?
It's shocking and counterintuitive to think of Constantinople as more a collection of villages than a unified city, even as late as 1453.
Made me think of Trantor in Foundation after the fall.
@@surters Foundation was based on the ERE
@@surters Asimov inspired his writings from the Roman and Eastern Roman Empires . In Frank Herbert's work the history of Dune /Arakis, was written by Princess Irulan,, in the same manner as Anna Komnene wrote the Alexiad.
@@etherospike3936 Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
Well, you can think the venetians for that before the fourth crusade there was hundreds of thousands of people. that farmland they had was after they tore down all the abandoned buildings that people used to inhabit. They didn’t build those giant walls to protect farmland.
Interesting video. It reminds me of the last time I drove through Detroit, which still has some impressive buildings, but also some very desolate stretches.
I was thinking about Detroit while watching this, too....
...the fall of empires
@@JohnDoe-qv3rf The empire of detroit sounds kinda fun ngl
Can you shoot a post apocalyptic movie in Detroit?
@@DesertPunk-USA There's certainly stretches where you could do that. It's very sad because many of the older houses were beautifully constructed.
1204 - one of the greatest catastrophies of humanity...
And destruction many old art a of Greco Roman works gone. The monuments, 100,000 of manuscripts, statues, mosaic, old column, hippodrome and imperial library of Constantinople. burn, melted and destroyed taking away from western Europe from ever…..
and then came the saddest day in human history 1453
@@charlesiphone5765 Bullshit, 1453 holds only symbolic and emotional value, and it was an event in the making way back the day Byzantium became too weak to stop the Turks.
@@charlesiphone5765 we should never let muslim to europe
Far from it, Charles. 1204 was far worse for humanity. Just like the sack of Baghdad was in 1258. I think these two events were the worst days for humanity if it the parameter is 'loss of knowledge'. Also the book-burning of 213 BCE in China could be considered amongst them, just like the burning/looting of the Library of Alexandria in or around 640.
The Romans had survived so much up till this point that I honestly think that they deserved to survive to today. I hate the 4th Crusade!
The Venetians provided the fleet for the 4th crusade. As part of the deal they asked the troops to take a town on the coast of Dalmatia on the way. The Venetians wanted payment which they pressured the crusaders to provide. They saw how attractive Constantinople was when they arrived and in a cowardly act took the city dividing it into four. They occupied the city for a long period. The Pope oc the time denounced them with excommunication. It was about Venice taking over Constantinople its trading rival.
As far as I know, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are the only 2 Roman institutions to have survived to this day.
Infamous as it is, that crusade alone didn't end an empire that would otherwise have been thriving. That the crusaders managed to take the city has a lot to do with the fact that the empire was already collapsing at that point.
@@ansibarius4633 It's true that the empire was facing major issues prior to the sack, but I think their chances of recovery were good. Remember, the empire managed to survive for another two centuries after the sack. It's not difficult to believe that, had the city not been taken, the empire could have recovered to a significant degree from the crisis it was facing.
@@rosskourtis9602 I love the 4th Crusade!
Great, video! I have never heard anyone offer this take on the Fall. Thought provoking!
Maybe I haven't been keeping up, but this is the first video of yours I've seen where you show your face.
Cool! You look WAY better than I thought you would.
Lmao usually this would be something someone says as a mean insult but it somehow seems like you actually meant your comment as a compliment without understanding how offensive it is… 🤦🏻♂️
This is why we Greek Constantinopolitans say "better the Sultans turban than the Cardinal's cap"
Well, greeks got what they wanted then, I guess.
Greeks don't say that. ONE Greek said that. But history tells a different story. Both before and after the fall of Constantinople, Italy became the primary land of refuge for Byzantine refugees fleeing the Turks. All of the major Byzantine scholars fled to Venice, Florence and Rome. Thousands of Greek entered Venetian service as Stradiot mercenaries.
@@cartesian_doubt6230he clearly said constantinople greeks.
This is what happens when you butcher innocent Latins for making money, then expect to get away with no repercussions. You reap what you sow.
@@Isphanianhaha, mofo is saying it as if that was a chad thing to say, Greek bro, that’s such a loser statement.
Awesome video yet again!
It is recorded that during the ancient Greek colonization, Vyzas from Megara went to the oracle of Delphi to ask god Apolo which place was suitable to establish a new colony for his people. The oracle had responded that the migrants of Megara should cross the Helespont and found their city in the straits of Bosphorus, exactly opposite to the "city of the blind ones ". Vyzas followed the oracle's advice and when the Megareans got there they saw Chrysopolis at the Asian side, and right opposite a magnificent strategically placed site, most suitable to establish a new thriving and important city. It is written that Vyzas said "only blind men could build a city where Chrysopolis stands and ignore a site as important as the one that lies right across the straits.,"
I guess the oracle was right.
Κι από αυτόν ονομάστηκε η πόλη που έχτισε Βυζάντιο. ❤
*WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE HERE 🇹🇷*
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion.
Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist.
Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism.
Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
I was thinking of this topic the last 2 years!
As usual fantastic delivery of information and entertainment for a Byzantine geek like me
Can you do Alexandria or Jerusalem just before the Arab conquests please?
Antioch and Carthage too maybe
@@jBread28 Athens and Thessalonica would be interesting too
They got conquered by the Sassanids few years before
@@baha3alshamari152 yes they did
As a Turkish person i can confirm this was 100% accurate to our records as well. In Ottoman records the city is literally mentioned as the great ruin, it could never recover from the damage of 4th crusade and fall of Latin empire later on. Ottomans knew the state of city before capturing it and this was why Mehmed offered quite genarous surrender terms twice including no plunder, safe passage etc, because it was a pointless battle but Constantine refused them. And as a custom of those days when the city fell it was allowed to plunder the city for three days.
The fate of Constantine is also a myth, there is no records in either side which actually prove he died while fighting nor his body could be ever found. So everything is actually possible, perhaps he fled the city and lived until old age. Archeological excavation in Istanbul is nowhere near complete and there are new passages, rooms etc found every year, perhaps one day his remainings will be found in such a room with battle wounds proving the myth.
Another minor mistake, even Hagia Sophia wasn't in good condition, the building was expanding outwards under heavy weight of its dome and in danger of collapsing. To support the structure from outside Ottoman built both minarets and those extra sections outside so it wasn't entirely for converting. There are also cracks and rebars all around Hagia Sophia sadly which damaged many mosaics too. Because they were plastered they aren't seen, you can find historical Ottoman renovation or modern renovation photos showing cracks. Another sad detail about Hagia Sophia, its golden tiles were intact even in late 19th century and it was looking like a golden palace when you entered it. However Ottoman hired two renown Italian artists to do renovation work in late 19th century and they used a wrong kind of seal on tiles. This seal wasn't breathing so moisture built up behind tiles and within only few years they began falling one after another. This is why Hagia Sophia interior looks rather plain today without its golden tiles. Majority of tiles could be preserved but renovation cost would be very high to put them back so they remain in storage.
It's still a miracle that the Hagia Sophia has been standing for as long as it did. Thank you for the insight
hahaha. The Ottomans had accurate records? This was very funny. The only records they kept is how many slaves and gold was stolen after each sacking of a Christian city
@@history_repeats8201 It looks like you are confusing Ottoman with crusaders! If you need help to refresh your memory i can help you with a huge list of crusader sacked cities including Orthodox, Muslim and even Catholic cities. Yep, crusaders sacked even some Catholic cities, your kind of people really don't learn anything when they read history..
@@ggoddkkiller1342 Please dont compare Christians with Turko-jihadis. It is like equating Rome and Paris with the stinky middle east. lol
@@mastermindd Good thing it was built by Greek and Roman architects, otherwise it will have the same fate as the apartment buildings built in 21st century in SW Turkey
First I love your hair- amazing. Second this is a wonderful visual portrayal of the decline and fall of Constantinople. Very well done. I benefited from it.
Max
Constantinople was broken beyond repair after 1204.
From 1453 it was recreated by the TURKS!!!ISTANBUL!!!Of course with respect to Eastern Rome...
@egekurt2733 it wasn't renamed "Istanbul" until the 1920s.
@@sebastianmaharg Partly true, partly false!!!Throughout history, every people called different cities in their own way.Arabs called Constantiniyye, Greeks called Constantinople, Turks called ISTANBUL...Names such as Nova Roma, Islambol were also used...In Ottoman documents, it is called ISTANBUL...With the Republic of Turkey founded by our great leader Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, the name ISTANBUL has been accepted in international law since 1928...
@@egekurt2733Correct me if I’m wrong. During the Ottoman times the official name was Constantiniyye ( Ottoman Sultans vieved themselves as the successors of the Roman empire). At the same time the Turkic people who arrived to Anatolia and Trakya called the city Istanbul. Ataturk made the Turkic name in use the official name for the city, correct?
@@eskil6096 In Ottoman state correspondence, it was also referred to as Constantiniyye, but it is also referred to as Istanbul. At that time, it would not be entirely correct to talk about an officiality in today's sense. In international law, it has been referred to as Istanbul since 1928. As a result, since there is no international law in today's sense, each society has named Istanbul according to itself.It was a political maneuver for the Sultans to see themselves as Roman Emperors. After all, millions of Orthodox lived within the borders of the empire.Of course, Byzantine culture was also reflected in the Ottoman Empire.Istanbul was the capital of both empires.We cannot deny this influence.However, it is debatable how accurate it is to call the Ottoman Empire, which is of Turkish-Muslim origin and carries traces of Central Asian and Middle Eastern culture, a continuation of Eastern Rome...I just don't understand this!!!What are you aiming by opening the name of Istanbul for discussion.Istanbul is a TURKISH city.since 1453...Regards...
It seems to me that the only functioning part of the city, other than the walls and Blachernae, would have been the Augustaion and the remnants of the Hippodrome. What's very interesting are the drawings of Petrus Gyllius in the 1540s, 90 years after the Fall: its clear that there were still bits of pieces of the ruins left even at that late date - he describes columns still visible in the Augustaion, for instances, and a general awareness of the Cisterns below the Ottoman city. The reality is that clearly after the sack of 1204, the ERE was no longer a player, and the city was never again what it had been. In many ways, the Ottoman takeover was a rejuvenation as the video describes!
Things that they would've considered ruined and abandoned, we today consider to be beautiful..
When Mehmet the Conqueror conquered Istanbul in 1453, it was far from its former glory. Because the city was sacked and occupied by the Latins from the 4th crusade in 1204. All the important architectural works were stolen or moved to European cities. Although the Byzantine Empire recaptured the city, it no longer had the wealth to beautify it. The Ottoman Empire preserved much of the architecture that remained after the conquest and tried to increase the city's dwindling population. It embarked on a great architectural activity.
Awesome video. Thank you.
I'm more interested in what we would see in a year or so after the city fell, and how it's transformation into Istanbul began. Transformations are fascinating.
Istanbul reached a population of 500,000-700,000 just a century after this all happened
Ironically city being conquered by Turks actually was a very good thing for Greeks living in city because their population and wealth also increased after 1453.
The Ottomans worked hard to restore Constantinople to be the Queen of Cities again.
@@Aeterna71 apart the various pogroms against them who costed the lives sometimes of hundreds and sometimes of thousands.
The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are the two main Roman institutions to have survived till now. The Pope was the senior archbishop in a "first among equals" relationship with the Patriarchs (from the Orthodox viewpoint). From the Catholic viewpoint, only the Pope was supreme. The Catholics survived, and used Latin.
After the last Christian ceremonies were performed in Hagia Sophia, the people of Constantinople thought the world was coming to an end.
When the Turks came, they killed, and they enslaved somewhat as the Romans had done before them. After the conquest, Sultan Mehmet II claimed that it was revenge for what the Greeks had done to Troy. Asia was recovering what Greece (and Rome), had taken.
However, the Turks did not destroy everything. The Sultan wanted to preserve some churches for Christian worship, even Hagia Sophia at first.
More significantly, he made sure that the Patriarch remained in place. In fact, the Patriarch became an official in the Ottoman bureaucracy! The Turks divided their empire into "milletlar.' A "millet" or milyet, was a people. The Sultan put the Patriarch in charge of the Christian "millet." That is to say that ALL Christians were subject to the Orthodox Patriarch! His worldly authority existed inside the empire, but his spiritual authority stretched further.
You are correct about the rebirth of the city under the Turks. Mehmet II wanted Constantinople as HIS capital. He invited the Greeks to come back. To this day, there are still some Greek and Armenian churches in Istanbul.
@@John-qd5of actually after the 3 massive pogroms (2 against the Greeks and one against the Armenians) that happened during the 20th century,it is a wonder that even these few churches (but not people to support them any more ) still exist.
Congratulations on this video.
So well presented. I really enjoy these
"So-called fall?" The defence of Constantinople was epic. Even after the walls failed and the emperor died, the citizens were fighting the Ottomans for 3 days, house by house. That was the time when the Ottomans conducted something that would be called a genocide today. Thousands of people were killed, women of any ages and boys were rapped. At the very end, sultan Mehmed figured out it went too far, and ordered attrocities to stop. Sure, the Ottomans rebuit and repopulated the city, as the remaining Roman population was not enough to maintain the city. But in 1453, the New Rome failed and that was the end of the Roman Empire.
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion.
Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist.
Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism.
Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days
True Roman culture ended with Semitic religion Christianity. Same as Judaism and Islam did to all other national cultures and ten thousands years of heritage all over the world. (Replacing-Murdering local and national elites families with the 'Chosen' converts and sharing the riches at top when leaving nothing to the people below). The truth of Semitic 'belief' weapon of politics. Speaking about 'belief' and unfairness here. Not pointing out anything about a race but this is politics and monetal gains by using Religious and Economic Conversion.
Foreign legions converted in to Roman legions then to Roman society through christianity took control of anything Roman. Convert West Roman Catholics (Germanic Barbarians who rule Italics for centuries Behind the curtains) and Slavic barbarians who flowed from north under command of others allready destroyed the Roman empire. They did it through hundreds of years over and over again. Both the west and the east Rome did not truly exist.
Ancient Türks were actually the allies of Rome. But after the Crusades the remaining territory turned in to a weak spot to control entire east which Catholic Crusaders used it as a opportunity for centuries. The City had to be taken and ruled by a stronger culture which could defend the region much better. It did happen. It is pragmatism.
Pointing out As if only Ancient Türks and Rome fought eachother does not represent the true history. Especially when these two forces were allied against other empires together for allmost a thousand years before Medieval ages.
Very interesting video. Thanks
One of the most thrilling historical novels, regarding the history and the legacy of Constantinople is “The Dark Angel” (original title Johannes Angelos), of prominent Finnish writer, Mika Waltari.
Truly epic.
Roman empire is eternal. Immortal in our hearts and minds
Visiting Italy right now. Was in Rome the last couple days, now in Napoli. Was going to visit Pompeï today but all the trains got cancelled right in front of me....
And the next 2 days while i am still here it's going to be a rainy mess. No Pompeï for me i guess... :(
When in Rome...
@@christopherevans2445 somebody should have called Mussolini, he would have made the trains run on time!
I’d have seen the garrison force stumbling all over the city trying to mobilize, as fathers, mothers, and even children would armed themselves against the massive Turkish army bombarding the city walls, as Constantine XI gives his last speech to the Roman Empire, with sword, shield, and armor.
The arguments in the Comments section are epic. Love it!
Think I heard the narrator say twice "given price to the elements/ruins" in the sense of "left to the elements" or "fallen into disrepair/ruin". Think the "price" usage is a false friend from the German "preisgeben". Examples of usage: "Das alte Schloss wurde dem Verfall preisgegeben." (The old castle was left to decay.); "Nach dem Sturm gab man das zerstörte Dorf dem Verfall preis." (After the storm, the destroyed village was left to decay.)
Rome at this time looked the same way, a city of one million shrunk to one of 35,000, %75 of the area inside it's great walls was open fields, small farms and overgrown ruins. Many of the cities of Europe after the fall of western Rome would've looked much the same at some point, a great many shrank to 1/10th of their land area.
Nimes and Arles are two fascinating examples of this urban implosion, they shrank down to just a couple thousand people living in their Amphitheaters (they turned them into little fortified villages with old amphitheater walls acting as town walls), I always think about these two towns when ever I look at some map of a huge Roman city and see the amphitheater.
One thing you can say about urban decay back then: At least when a building fell into ruin you could pull it apart to make a new building.
New stuff, it's either land fill or getting somebody to break up all the concrete.
I am happy Contanstinople did not have the same fate as Rome. I like the Turks, particularly Mehmet II, kept as well as they could.
It can be said with some pride that Constantinople and the Byzantines at least went down fighting. No surrender, like Venice chose to do when Napoleon showed up at their doorstep.
7:04 last barh 713 ad
7:40 the old milion
8:17 the column of justinian
11:21 Oval Forum: the forum of constantine
Despite the Ottoman conquest, Constantinople was reborn and even grew in size. I think you should also make videos regarding the Ottomans.
Ottoman sympathizer located
@@DouglasJones-wg6xh What's bothering you?
@@DouglasJones-wg6xh He is right tho
It is very interesting that Constantinople has three names Istanbul, Constantinople and Byzantium.I prefer Constantinople.
So much so that during the Ottoman Empire it was mostly called Constantinople.
The name of Istanbul, Turkey comes from the Medieval Greek phrase eis tin Polin (εἰς τὴν πόλιν), which literally means "to the city". The name was used in colloquial Turkish during the Ottoman rule, and became the official name of the city in 1930.
It seems it was called Konstantiniye in official records but people used Istanbul more in daily life. Another name I really like is Dersaadet (gate of happiness)
2:01 541 Plague
3:15 Column of Constantine
3:54 inagine Hagia Sophia jn 1453
4:26 many of surrounding buildings were in pretty bad shape
Thanks!
And thank you Sir, for your kind donation, I really appreciate it.
Do "if you had walked through the roman bath houses what would you have seen?" next.
Naked people. That's what 😂
A lotta sausage
So, im thinking, if Ottomans stayed in their own lane and never conquered the ERE, nothing would have triggered the will to travel further, so maybe the arrival to america would have been delayed? but yes, roman world proved to be very very resilient and long lasting, their concepts so influential that they shaped our western world, definitely its the flagship empire of entire earths history
Great video. I bet, the civil wars of Palaiologos era and the Black Death contributed to the desolation.
Today Istanbul is the largest city of Europe by population 😉
Moscow is the largest city in Europe.
@@bruceparr1678 Moscow metro area 2024 - 12,712,000, might be over 13,000,000. Istanbul metro area 2024 - 16,047,000.
@@someoneno-one7672 According to Wiki, Moscow has 21.5 million in its metropolitan area.
@@bruceparr1678 Ok, that’s might be right. In that case, Istanbul would be the second, following, I assume, by London, Paris and St Petersburg 😁
I think this was a great video with your format because you focus more on things toward the end of the empire. What say that you can’t focus on things for toward the end of both empires? There are plenty of small stories of the near the end of the east empires just like there was for the west.
So by this time, Rome would have been more impressive, and even London would have had a bigger population.
Great work
Why was it that when Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453 they came to stay, rebuild, improve and make it their capital, whereas when it fell to the Venetians in 1204 they came to loot, pillage, destroy and leave? Why didn't the Venetians see the same opportunity as the Ottomans?
I suspect the Ottomans thought of themselves as Romans.
@@bruceparr1678 They did not. The Sultan was just a Byzaboo. He loved Graeco-Roman history and wanted to emulate them.
@@D19DMO128D I think that is what I said.
@@bruceparr1678 "Thought themselves as Romans". You did not
Because we already had Balkans and Anatolia under our rule so Constantinople would be only natural capital while Italians had nothing except a few colonies.
Glad to see Castiel is doing well.
Congratulations for the video! Nature also teaches us that when an organism is already worn out by old age and disease, new organisms begin to proliferate and develop, because the immune system can no longer do anything.
The Great Ottomans ruled the world for 600 years
Some dunes and under developed countries in the balkans
@@zaranski1889 Really ? What about Algeria and Egypt ?
@@nesrintercan1220 no difference
they ruled a good chunk of it yeah.
This is so cool! Do you have any book recommendations about this topic?
Constantinople never recovered from the sack by the 4th Crusaders in 1204, as well as the endless intrigue of the Royals. The disruption of trade routes by the Seljuks contributed to the economic decline of the Byzantines. The Empire lasted nearly 1000 years, but time caught up with it.
50k people in 1453 now 16 million can you imagine how empty and green was istanbul (Constantinople) now you hardly find a tree in there by the way just saw on the map Galata Tower still exist amazing view was 15 euro in 2014 also Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) and some monuments
Detroit....
Am I crazy or is there a noticeable beeping in the backgroud through a large part of the video?
Yes, I thought that was my microwave owen. Your comment has put a stop to that thought.
It all had got going with two crazy sisters and Doukas's tremblings for glory
The quality of the images has improved dramatically. I was wondering if you could specify when something is AI, when is a reconstruction and when is remainings or images of the time lik the map with the Hippodrome
I think this is what is happening to America and Britain now. That is its in decay but there was obvious evidence of its once former glory
Was there recently and felt sad it had been invaded and fell. After watching this…. I am kind of glad the decrepit crumbling shambles was destroyed.
Unfornately byzantine civilization has fallen as the same with the splendorous ancient rome including great old greece, because i like this great civilizations.but time always tells the same thing that nothing last forever,regardless how much nostalgic we are it don,t matter in reality because everything will end at one day or another day for some reason; but nevertheless it remains interesting to learn more about this past and see its beauty and highdays but also its decay and demise!
,Great! I love human history, it really gives us so much knowledge and so many lessons. None of those empires, since the beginning of history, lasts forever. It’s like a line that rises to a peak of glory, then starts to decline until it vanishes and is replaced by another power, and the cycle continues. What matters is what each of those empires leaves behind for those who come after,whether it's knowledge, culture, resources, or damage to humanity as a whole, i like your hair style btw ..
Were native Americans appreciative of the re-vitalization of North America after the arrival of the English? Same thing.
Yes, but at the same time, these were the same people who inspired the English to conquer the Americas. You could say 1453 was karma if you like, but if the Romans hadn't created an empire, I guarantee someone else would have. The same is true for what happened in North America. That brutality was simply the way of the old world. It still is in certain places actually.
Revitalized? There was nothing vital in North America before the white man showed up to create a civilization. Just stone aged savages living hand to mouth in the wilderness. They should be thankful frankly.
i born in Istanbul. Although i am Turk, i feel that i have the same Roman culture. We never been Latins. Culture is about neighbourhood, food, music, daily life. I visit nearly all world but nothing can be compared as culture and daily life in Istanbul and also Athens.
Supposedly, part of the birth of the Renaissance in Florence was due to scholars moving from Constantinople to Florence due to the fall.
Great video as always!
It was not this glorious Utopia. The rulers were murderous unprincipled rogues.
Alboin would have been proud.
Love this! But how did you instruct AI to ensure the imagery is historically accurate? There are several visual references to the Pantheon. St. Peter's in Rome was also about to fall apart around the same time. I would love to meet you at a café in Minga and discuss this and whatnot, really, but I live far away. Subscribed!
last sentence was awesome. "1453 was a birth of a new city"
Maiorianus, could you make a video about the Roman postal service? It would be great if you go for an excursus during many centuries…
At 15:30 you are correct; the Turks died in vast numbers by the hands of the gallant defenders of Constantinople. In fact, the city would never have fallen if not for three major acts of sabotage undertaken by the "alien" residents of the city. The final act was to open a secret gate (Circus Gate), into which poured 1,000s of Mehemet's heavy infantry. The Semites and Turks were in a big hurry to end the siege because they were terrified more Catholics would be arriving to help defend the city. Equally tragic, the Catholic Empire was planning a new crusade to retake the city 50 years later; but had to cancel the plans due to the catastrophe known as The Reformation.
I much appreciate your attention to and focus on the transitional eras of civilizations. The piece you did on the visit of Constans to Rome was excellent. What is remarkable about the Byzantine Empire is that it managed to survive for so long. Gibbon was wrong in denigrating it. It was much more dynamic and adaptable than scholars allow. Please continue your fine and well researched work. So much appreciated in this smallish Georgia town.
Indeed an interesting video . Can give more explanation how the city looked back in those days as you describe because it looks like you have very old pictures which is not the case that is what you are not telling . You talk about it as if you are a time traveler 😀. So if you can explain that in a next video would be great
Dude, I must confess that until I saw you, I thought you'd look a bit nerdish, but, wow, you have great looks, much in line with the beauty you describe in your videos. THANK YOU.
Ich liebe Vortrag, Erzählkunst und Profundität Deiner Videos! S.M. Maioranus hätte Dich sicher wohlwollend bemerkt: "Guter Mann"! Ich mag auch die Illustrationen der Videos - solange sie menschengemacht sind. KI-Bilder in Videos allgemein mag ich gar nicht, da schaudert es mich immer. Ich finde ihre Herstellungsweise auch "unrömisch" 😉 Ich schreibe sehr selten Kommentare, aber dieser war mir ein Anliegen. Bitte weiter so! Viele Grüße Gerd
I think it must have very much looked like Detroit - lots of ruins and lots of empty space. I have this image of Constanstine on the land walls on the last night of Constantinople, looking back over the dark, empty city. What thoughts went through his mind? He must have been mind-numbingly tired, like the city he ruled.
@majorianus have you listened to The History Of Byzantium podcast? I think you'd love it 😊
Where can I get such a great map of Constantinopole?
It was a fall in that it was last vestiges of any kind official roman state. No matter how different governments try claim themselves Roman it was doesn't make them so. Not the Ostrogoths, not the Franks, not the Swabians, not the Brittons, not the Anglo Saxons, and definitely not the Turks. Rulling over the a ethnic or cultural demographic that formerly constituted the ruling class does not make you one of them. Nobody but a Aztec, Han, or Yamato could claim to be the ruler of one of their Empires. Especially when they don't even follow the same religion, culture, or even speak the same language. To go around claiming these things as some of these groups did is laughable at best and absurd at the most.
The last vestiges were destroyed after the fall of Trebizond.
I wonder what psychological affects it has on a person knowing that one's city is a shadow of its former self? Would it give you a more pessimistic attitude towards the future , wondering if the decline would continue and make it harder to be optimistic about things getting better? And how collectively that sense of decline among the people would in itself ensure your city's continued decline?
It would be nice if you linked references in your description.
So depressing. Ironic the Turks revived Constantinople.
No its not. Constantinople's wealth came from its geography, controlling the trade routes and of being capital of a large empire (having the surrounding regions under its control at least). After 1204 and the fourth crusade, the Latins literally destroyed both of that...even if later the city was retaken by the Byzantine Greeks, the latins still controlled much of the islands in the Aegean, the trade routes and even the ports of the imperial capital. They made the empire dependent for their own benefits which was in vain as we it now...latins/catholics allowed the islamic conquest of the City and of the empire, giving the keys of the door of Europe away just because they thought they could hold Arabs and Turks with those little exclaves and having the trade routes...for their wealth and power have been so blind. These lands, the straits of Bosporus and the Dardanelles should be controlled by one powerful state, Christian one to secure the doorway of Europe...they shouldn't have been acting like this.... hurting so deeply the Eastern Roman state just allowed an islamic Caliphate to grow and eventually control Europe's door...and that error we all pay it till this day.
Some snooty academics like to insist that the European Middle Ages weren't really that bad because they had religion and culture. Yeah, tribal peoples have religion and culture too. That's pretty universal among humans. But, when you look at the state of urban collapse, the lack of civic infrastructure (maintenance or new development), endlessly changing rulership, the lack of literacy (even when it came to their own religions' scriptures), and the precariousness of life in general - it was an *awful* time to be alive if you weren't in the ruling class (and often even then).
Thanks
So all 50k were soldiers in the end?
1453 were no romans in constantinople, the inhabitants
Were greeks.
Wrong!
Greeks who were proud of their Roman inheritance.
They considered themselves Romans.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_people#Eastern_Mediterranean
@@umeahalla a Roman speaks latin, whose mothertongue is greek IS a greek.
Romaioi or Rhomaioi in other words, Romans. The Latins called them Romaei
It was a fall Maioranus.
I guess I need to update my browser. This video buffered every minute or two. They must have added some more stuff.
Does anyone know why the Muslim Turks took over the city of Constantinople? The Greeks still cry today, they felt the same spiritual pain that the Jews felt when they lost their land. It's a good thing the Greeks They had Hellas, and they almost lost Hellas too.
Very interesting. Would love to read your sources.