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Graitzas Palaiologos
Konstantinos Graitzas Palaiologos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Γραίτζας Παλαιολόγος) was the commander of the Byzantine garrison at Salmeniko Castle near Patras during the invasion of the Despotate of Morea by the forces of Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1460. Graitzas descended from an obscure branch of the Palaiologos family, but showed far more valor than his distant relatives, namely the siblings and co-ruling Despotes Thomas Palaiologos and Demetrios Palaiologos. Whereas Thomas fled to Modon, Corfu, and finally to Rome as a refugee, his brother Demetrios surrendered outright to the Sultan. Meanwhile, Graitzas maintained his position, holding his redoubt until July 1461, nearly 8 years after the Fall of Constantinople. Mehmed the Conqueror personally oversaw the attack. The elite Janissaries managed to subdue the town by cutting off its water supply. Its remaining residents (approximately 6000) were sold into slavery, with 900 children chosen for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire remained the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. The terms "Byzantine Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire" were coined after the end of the realm; its citizens continued to refer to their empire as the Roman Empire, and to themselves as Romans—a term which Greeks continued to use for themselves into Ottoman times. Although the Roman state continued and its traditions were maintained, modern historians prefer to differentiate the Byzantine Empire from Ancient Rome a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
