In memory of the loss of Constantinople to the Christian world
May 29th 1453

by Anestos Canelides

Prologue: Constantinople! O Constantinople!


“How lonely is the city that was full of people! How like a widow is
she, who was great among the nations! The Princess among Provinces has
become a slave!” — Lamentations 1:1
The battle raged within the gates, on the high towers; the trenches swam deep in blood.[1]

A
lone refugee, who had taken flight on a Venetian galleon wept at the
unfortunate sight of Constantinople, shrouded in flames. A reflection in
her teardrop captured the black smoke rising like the dark hand of
death over the city’s blood-drenched streets.

These Hellenized
Romans were forced to flee from their ancient capital just as during the
Trojan War the innocents of the house of Priam had fled the proud city
built by Neptune.

Smoke arose from the ruined ground while the city’s inhabitants fled in different directions [1] from the pursuing Turkish hoard.

Her
teardrop, in slow motion, gently struck the salty waters of the Marmara
Sea causing tiny ripples to form in the still water, moving towards the
four corners of the Earth. Like the ripples the refugees of the
vanquished city fled with winged feet to foreign lands. In those last
hours of the siege, the valorous right arm of the Emperor Constantine
Palaeologus XI held his sword high in defiance of the Turks, who were
swarming through the city’s broken walls.

His
very soul crushed within, and feeling abandoned, Constantine XI uttered
his final words: “Is there no Christian who will take my head?”[2]
Shortly afterwards, like brave Achilles who died by the thrust of a
poison tipped arrow, Emperor Constantine was cut down by the edge of a
Turkish sword. An enemy soldier struck him in the face and wounded him,
but in turn, like a lion, Constantine struck back. Another mortal blow
struck him down bringing a dramatic end to the life of the last Roman
Emperor.

“Her adversaries have become the master, Her enemies prosper… Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.”
— Lamentations 1:5