Episode 339 - What Happened Next?

Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, Episode 339. What happened next? Around 4am on 29 May 1453 the final Ottoman attack began. The janissaries swarmed around the 5th military gate, piling pressure on the exhausted defenders.

At some point in the next hour, an arrow, or bullet, managed to penetrate the armor of Giovanni Justiniani, Longo. The genuys captain was fighting in the front line, and when he realised he couldn't go on any longer, he was helped to the back of the mass of Christian bodies.

He passed through the 5th military gate and made his way towards the Golden Horn to seek medical attention. Confusion now spread amongst his mercenary company, was their general dying, or was he coming back? Uncertainty caused panic, and as some of the genoies began to withdraw, the allied line collapsed. One after another, Roman and Italian fled towards the gate, and soon a crush of

bodies piled into the opening. Stabbing at their backs, with the ecstatic genocereys, who could And finally glimpsed the city through the walls which had kept them at bay for the past 53 days. The Turks poured through the breach, hacking and slashing at anything that moved.

The Roman reserved troops were suddenly thrust into the midst of desperate hand-hand fighting, as were some of the civilians who had been bringing them water and supplies. As more and more Turks made their way through the breach, their superior numbers began to overwhelm the Christian forces.

Janus series who could step back from the fray ordered their comrades to rush along the walls and open some of the other gates. Once a few had been smashed in, the Ottoman forces outside the walls rapidly entered the city. Through the smoke and early morning gloom, Mehmet and his office realized what was happening, and gave the signal for a general attack to begin. Reserve troops rushed forward, eager to join the fray, while those who had already been beaten back earlier in the night, cautiously strapped their armour back on, and approached the walls, where so many of their friends lay dead.

By 6am, Allied resistance around that portion of the walls had been extinguished, several thousand people lay dead, and many Ottoman soldiers stood in confusion, waiting for more defenders to appear. Having been thrown back from the walls for weeks now, many had assumed that Constantinople was defended by a much larger garrison. It was becoming clear that the Christians had held them off with a skeleton force, and

the city lay at their mercy. The sun had now risen, and said the janitories ordered that Banners be hoisted on top of the inner walls to indicate to any stragglers in their camp that the battlements were secure.

troops had already begun to split up and head into different parts of the city. One of the churches closest to the walls was that of the Holy Savior in Korra. It was here that the famous icon of the mother of God, the Haudi Githriah, was kept during the siege. According to Christian sources, Turkish troops stormed the complex, hacking the icon to pieces to gain access

to its golden frame. Their more disciplined comrades much north to attack the allied defenders who still held the vlachiranise section. As they arrived the Romans and Italians fled, they knew that a breakthrough had taken place to the south but had no idea how bad things were. Once they were gone, the Ottomans broke down several

post-Engates, storming through the corridors of the vlachiranise palace and out into the streets beyond. At some point in the next hour, both Giorolimo Minoto, the leader of the Venetian community in the city and Lucas noter us, the Byzantine Prime Minister, were captured. It was now gone 7am and Ottoman troops were pouring through the walls and spreading further

into the city. Bloodied Byzantines began appearing in great enumbers in the forum of the Adosius, which had become a central point for information distribution during the siege. Terrified Romans, some who don't just woke up were now coming to terms with the news

reaching them. Those who could think straight had three options. One was just to go home, barricade the doors and hope for the best. Two was to head to the Ahia Sophia, a crowd had gathered there and were praying for deliverance. Option three was to rush for the golden horn and try to

get aboard one of the ships in the harbour. Down at the dock the wounded Justiniani sounded a bugle to alert his men to his position. He was soon rode out to one of the Genoese vessels which barbed nervously in the water near the Great Chain. Thousands of people soon congregated on the keyside. The Allied fleet did not want to expose

themselves to attack or to be overwhelmed by refugees, so they did not move from their position. Rowing boats were hastily commandeered by the crowds who anxiously approached the large of vessels. Obviously the Italians prioritised their own, but we know that rich which Byzantines had already made deals with various Latin captains.

On a genuise manifest which survived, we see that five people bearing the name Paliologos, two Cantacusinoi, two notarads, and two lascarids made it safely to the west that day. Others just jumped into the horn and swam out to the boat's hoping to be brought aboard. Gabriela Trevisan, who had been sent by the Venetians to assess the situation, and had

fought on the sea walls, made his way back to his ship, and prepared his men for whatever was about to happen. While our historian, Nicolobarbaro, followed his captain into Galata, where they consulted the Genoa's Podestar about what they should do. After all, if the Ottoman fleet now descended on the Golden Horn, the Italians would not be able to fend them off.

off. With no support coming from the city, they would soon be overwhelmed by the vastly superior Turkish numbers. So Barbaros captain was pleading with the Genoese to let them into Galata and offer them shelter. The Podistar, Angelo Lomelino, could not offer them any help, though.