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Index
List of illustrations page
Preface
List of abbreviations
Genealogical table xii-xiii
i THE DWINDLING EMPIRE
2 CONSTANTINE: DESPOT AT MISTRA
3 CONSTANTINE: EMPEROR AT CONSTANTINOPLE
4 THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE
5 THE DEATH OF CONSTANTINE
6 THE IMMORTAL EMPEROR
7 THE DYING EMBERS I09
Bibliography
Index
Dedication to the future Emperor of Constantinople (frontispiece of the prophecies of Stephanitzes [
Constantine I with his mother Helena and Constantine XI with his mother Helena (miniatures from the
Constantine XI and Death (Charon) (Klontzas manuscript)
Constantine XI in his tomb (Klontzas manuscript)
Monumental brass of Theodore Paleologus in the parish church of Landulph, Cornwall
The gravestone of Ferdinand Paleologus, St John's Church, Barbados
On the night of z March 1354 the coast of Thrace to the west of Constantinople was devastated by an
When the fighting was over they refused to go home, claiming possession of the fortress by right of
It was in 1405, on 8 February, that Constantine Palaiologos was born. He was the fourth of the seven
a French Principality of Achaia in the Morea. The nationality of their rulers changed more than once
Towards the end of the thirteenth century the Empress Yolande of Montferrat had proposed to her husb
granting to each the title of Despot. Manuel II was blessed with a rich progeny of sons. One of them
Little is known about Constantine's childhood and early years. He was devoted to his mother Helena,
Constantine got on well with his elder brother and he had his way in the end. His relations with h
impressed those who met him on his travels in western Europe. No contemporary portraits of him survi
hands of his eldest son John. The outlook was dismal. The city of Thessalonica was also under siege
The Emperor John VIII felt that the time had come to look for help from the western Christian world,
He had his bedridden father, the old Emperor Manuel, at hand to advise him; and, after a few false
By all accounts Constantine discharged his duties as regent with dignity and success. His brother
ran along the Black Sea coast from the town of Mesembria in the north to Derkos in the south. It see
On his way to Venice in 14z3 John VIII had broken his journey in the Morea. There he had words with
Constantine was thus thwarted of his chance to become Despot at Mistra. After his father's death, ho
Tocco. The Tocco family were not to be trusted.''
Theodore had declined to make way for his brother at Mistra. But he was persuaded to surrender a g
500 gold coins. According to George Sphrantzes, who was with them, the main cause of their failure w
Sphrantzes, however, had got no further than the Venetian harbour of Naupaktos across the water from
More triumphs followed. Constantine's brother Thomas, whose base was at Kalavryta, brought to an ign
The cause of western colonialism in the Morea had been dying for some years. The initiative of Con
The Venetians were not enthusiastic about the revival of Greek fortunes in the Morea. They had lost
concluded. But the fact that it was even proposed is another sign of the revived initiative of the D
It remained to be seen whether the often quarrelsome sons of the family of Palaiologos could build o
Some months later, perhaps because he wished to be nearer to Mistra, Constantine came to a new arr
heir to the throne whom he could designate as co-Emperor. It was assumed that one of his brothers wo
on one of these that Constantine sailed from the Morea, embarking at Karystos in Euboia on i Septemb
The Emperor led an impressive delegation to Italy. With him were the Patriarch of Constantinople,
Constantine was the least troublesome and the most trustworthy of the Emperor's brothers. He had pro
would be on their way within fifteen days of his message, for there were ominous signs that the Sult
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