550 Years Ago Today: The Fall of Constantinople

North Park University ^ | Unknown | Unknown

[Constitution Day]

Thanks. I have never read that.

[Chi-townChief]

Every gal in Constantinople lives in Istanbul, not Constaninople.

[Wolfie]

Even Old New York, was once New Amsterdam.

[Theophilus]

Hospodi Pomilui - Lord Have Mercy!

[John H K]

Yep, it was basically French knights and Venetians responsible for the atrocity....

THE FOURTH CRUSADE - SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE

A motley collection of French knights setting out from Venice by sea to fight in the Holy Land, the crusaders appealed to the Venetians for transportation and food. Venice held extensive commercial interests in the eastern Mediterranean and wished an eastern emperor who would be compliant and supported a candidate for post. This was only carrying to its logical conclusion the policy that the crusading royalty and nobility had followed all along, to carve out for themselves domains and principalities in the East. The merchants of Venice agreed to furnish at a high price, more than the crusaders could pay, and also to contribute 50 armed warships if they could share equally in all future conquests. The Duke of Venice, the blind Enrico Dandoelo, used the indebtedness to use the crusaders to his own political ends. They were to capture for Venice, the port of Zara, who had revolted against Venice and had gone over to the king of Hungary. Venice was now quarreling with Constantinople, and the Crusaders consented to begin their expedition with an attack on their fellow Christians. There was no great Bernard to inspire enthusiasm, but a preacher of a distinctly lower type, Fulco of Neuilly, succeeded in obtaining support from a number of French nobles, who involved themselves in the unworthy obligations to blind Dandolo. So the crusade began with the sack and destruction of a Roman Catholic town, in 1202. Angrily, the pope had excommunicated the crusaders. Pope Innocent was infuriated by this bargain which had diverted them from such a noble cause and excommunicated the Crusaders...

This departure from their original design was followed by a still more remarkable deviation. Instead of proceeding to Palestine, they sailed against Constantinople, to dethrone the usurper, Alexius Angelus. The crusaders succeeded in restoring the lawful emperor, Isaac, to his Empire. The reward which they required was extravagant, and Isaac’s efforts to comply with the stipulations provoked such resentment, that he was deposed by his subjects, and put to death, together with his son. But worse was to follow. In July, 1203, the Crusaders took Constantinople by assault. The bulk of the fourth Crusade never reached the Holy Land at all. It started at Venice (1202), captured Zara, encamped at Constantinople (1203), and finally, in 1204, stormed the city. After an easy siege the gates were thrown open, and the Latins entered the city in triumph. The city was sacked. Naturally the pope protested at this second diversion of the crusading army "Ye took not the Cross to avenge the wrongs of the prince Alexius," he wrote. "Ye are under the solemn obligation to avenge the Crucified, to Whose service ye are sworn.”

They knew that Constantinople was a richer prize than all the Holy Land - and that it could be taken more easily. Constantinople had withstood Moslem armies for 5 centuries, it now fell. The imperial capital was stormed by the very men whose forefathers had promised rescue a century before. Untold treasures of gold, silver, and holy relics were plundered during the subsequent pillage and rape. Literary classics, great and wonderful works of art and treasures untold were either destroyed or carried away. Many of its priceless treasures were carried off to Europe. But the greatest prize of all were the relics. bones, heads and arms of saints. the crown of thorns, St. Thomas, the doubter's finger. The patriarch fled on an ass without a single attendant. Tombs were robbed. Women were outraged. Churches were desecrated. Horses were ridden in the sanctuary. Communion cups and sacred vessels were used as drinking cups in drunken revels. Prostitutes danced on the altar. Icons, even portraits of Christ were used as gaming tables.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

For a bunch of corrupt and inept people, they managed to hang onto things from the 4th century to midway through the 15th century - over a thousand years of continuity, not even counting that it could claim the Roman continuity as well. That makes for over 1800 years of a civil government.

[Chi-townChief]

Why they changed it, I can't say; maybe it sounded better that way.

[AGreatPer]

"That song popped into my mind"

Done by The Four Lads.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Er, I was talking of the last few years - mainly from the time of Justin going forward to the first crusade.

[Polybius]

Bronze Follis of Constantine I (307 A.D. - 337 A.D.) celebrating the founding of Constantinopolis.

[Constitution Day]

Actually, the version I was thinking of was the cover by They Might Be Giants.

[PatrickHenry]

There is great potential for name-confusion here. Originally the city was Byzantium, a Greek outpost. When the Roman emperor Constantine moved his eastern capitol there (in the early 300s, AD), it was re-named Constantinople. It became the center of the so-called Eastern Roman empire, and after the fall of Rome it was often called the Byzantine empire (a reversion to the original Greek name). After the Turks took over, per the article above, it became Istanbul. (If present and still-secret plans are successful, it may be called "George W. Bush City.")

[goldstategop]

It was always the Roman Empire. And they were always Romans down to the 15th century. By the fourth century CE, the East had the great cities of learning and culture and a central government able to ensure order and civilization. The Eastern Romans became reconciled eventually to the loss of the West after the death of Justinian but they knew the line of succession that began with Constantine continued. In many ways the Eastern Empire was melded classical antiquity with Christianity long after the Roman Empire was a distant memory in the West. Rome really lasted a millenium longer than it was supposed to thanks to Constantine's foresight in moving the capital to more secure and easily defended location.

[laredo44]

Istanbul and Constanople are the same city. Even earlier it was called Byzantium.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Justinian spent amazing amounts of money in the late 6th century trying to bring Italy, Spain and North Africa back into the Empire, while pacifying the border with Persia in the East. And this was all while he was building a splendid capital, including the huge Hagia Sophia, which stands today.

What he couldn't foresee in all his adventures was the beginning of Islam several decades after his death, which came on like a supernova, and which no one was prepared to contain. I'm not sure that it could have been withstood past the fallback lines in Asia Minor due to terrain, logistical and communications issues, but I'd like to think that Syria, Lebanon, Israel and egypt could have held longer and wound up differently (those were predominantly ethnically Greek with some local mixing at that point in time). Anyway, considering how long the line held in Asia Minor, they didn't do that badly.

[You Dirty Rats]

Actually, the city was known as Constantinople until sometime between WWI & WWII (1930?).

[Snuffington]

That's actually a very simplistic version of the events (though no wrong per se). The full story is far more interesting, and makes the motives of all involved far more understandable. The political games of the declining Byzantine Empire and the rising Republic of Venice played the Crusaders (who were hardly at the forefront in the brains category) for saps.

[TheConservator]

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

The thing is, if the internal rot hadn't overtaken it first, it is very doubtful that Byzantium would have fallen. At the time of Justinian, Islam would have been crushed rather decisively. However, the byzantine politics started with Justinian and seriously impaired Constantinople's ability to defend herself shortly after Justinian's death.

[Constitution Day]

< grins >

Now I won't be able to get that song out of my head today!