constantine xi palaiologos death

Constantine XI Palaiologos was the last Christian Emperor of Constantinople and Byzantium. The famous Ivan the Terrible (r. 1547–1575), Russia's first Tsar, was Sophia's grandson. [24], In the aftermath of Constantinople's fall, one of the most pressing threats to the new Ottoman regime was the possibility that one of Constantine XI's relatives would secure support and return to reclaim the empire. Read "Bibliographische Notizen und Mitteilungen, Byzantinische Zeitschrift" on DeepDyve, the largest online rental service for scholarly research with thousands of academic publications available at … [115], Another family which claims to descend from the old imperial dynasty are the Paleologu of Romania, claiming to be the descendants of an otherwise unattested son of Theodore II Palaiologos, Despot of the Morea, called Emanuel Petrus (Manuel Petros in Greek). Helena had already been married to Lazar Branković, the Despot of Serbia, but the three younger children, and Thomas's wife Catherine Zaccaria, and a retinue of other refugees, accompanied him as he escaped to the Venetian-held island of Corfu. Manuel's son, John VIII Palaiologos, co-emperor since before 1416, ignored the fragile peace with the Ottomans and supported Mustafa Çelebi, a pretender to the Ottoman throne, in a rebellion against Mehmed I's successor Murad II. [18] After John VIII's death in June 1448, the candidates for the throne were brothers Constantine, Demetrios and Thomas. [38] The family name Palaiologos had been relatively widespread in the Byzantine Empire, and the family had been quite extensive before a branch of it acceded to the imperial throne. The emperor's excommunication was not lifted until nine years into his reign, upon the appointment of Patriarch Joseph I. [20] In an effort to extort money from Mehmed, Constantine implicitly threatened to release Orhan Çelebi, Mehmed's cousin and the only other known living member of the Ottoman dynasty (and as such a potential rival to Mehed), who was held prisoner in Constantinople. As late as the 19th century, after the Greek War of Independence had resulted in the creation of a new independent Greek state, the provisional government of liberated Greece sent a delegation to Western Europe in search of possible descendants of those imperial Palaiologoi that had escaped into exile. [69] John II even petitioned the Papacy to recognize his claims to Thessaloniki and to the empire, and to help him conquer them. [97] In 1599, he entered into the service of Henry Clinton, the Earl of Lincoln, in England. [79], In addition to the John Palaiologos of the Pesaro genealogy, some Italian genealogies from the 17th century onwards ascribe further sons to Thomas Palaiologos, notably a supposed older son by the name Rogerio or Ruggerio. The weakening of Byzantium as a result of the civil war allowed Stefan Dušan of Serbia to invade Macedonia, Thessaly and Epirus in 1346–1348, creating the Serbian Empire. [47], Although the imperial dynasty went extinct in the male line, descendants of the Palaiologan emperors survived for centuries through the lineages of various daughters. His son Ferdinand Paleologus, escaping the war, settled on the recently colonized island of Barbados in the Caribbean, where he became known as the "Greek prince from Cornwall" and owned a cotton or sugar plantation. [80] Numerous people with the last name Paleologus are recorded in Venice in the 15th and 16th centuries, many serving as stratioti (mercenary light-armed cavalrymen of Greek or Albanian origin). Common versions of the last name used today include the standard Palaiologos (approximately 1,800 people, most common in Greece),[83] Palaiologou (approximately 2,000 people, again most common in Greece),[84] Paleologos (approximately 500 people, most common in the United States but present worldwide)[85] and Paleologo (approximately 250 people, most common in Italy). The origins of the family are unclear. The Paleologu also live in Malta and France, one of the most famous members of the family being the French diplomat Maurice Paléologue, who in his lifetime repeatedly asserted his imperial descent. His nephew, Zuanne Paleologo, and two of Zuanne's sons, died on Cyprus, fighting the Ottomans during the 1570 Siege of Nicosia in the Fourth Ottoman–Venetian War. Their own medieval origin stories ascribed them an ancient and prestigious origin in ancient Roman Italy, descended from some of the Romans that had accompanied Constantine the Great to Constantinople upon its foundation in 330. Murad II's young son and successor, Mehmed II, who became sultan in 1451, was obsessed with the idea of conquering Constantinople. That a Byzantine prince, born in the purple, would be sent to live among, and rule over, Latin barbarians,[64] was bad enough but there were also fears that he and his descendants might become 'Latinized'[65] and that the Italians, as a result of the Montferrat inheritance, could launch an invasion in the future in hopes of placing a Catholic Palaiologos on the Byzantine throne. Because the name could lend whoever bore it prestige (as well as possible monetary support), many refugees fabricated closer links to the imperial dynasty. Some even believed that Constantine XI would return to rescue them, that he wasn't actually dead but merely asleep, awaiting a call from the heavens to return and restore Christian control over Constantinople. In 1472, according to Bessarion's plans, Zoe (whose name was later changed to Sophia) was married to Duke Ivan III of Moscow. [109] He died in 1532,[79] being buried in the Orthodox church of San Giorgio dei Greci. John IV, the last representative of the imperial Laskaris dynasty, was pushed aside in order to consolidate the Palaiologos family on the throne. [94], In 1578, the members of the family living in Pesaro were embroiled in a scandal as brothers Leonidas and Scipione Paleologus, and their nephew Theodore, were arrested for attempted murder. When Constantinople fell to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the Palaiologoi fled to the Empire of Nicaea, a Byzantine successor state ruled by the Laskaris family, where they continued to play an active role and occupied many offices of high rank. In 1478, Theodore travelled to Venice with his father, Paul, and became a stratiote. John V was initially victorious, imprisoning and disinheriting Andronikos IV and appointing a younger son, Manuel II Palaiologos, as his successor instead. [15] Even during the final decades of the Byzantine Empire, the Palaiologoi often found it difficult to cooperate with each other. On 1 January 1259, Michael was proclaimed as co-emperor at Nymphaion, probably without John IV being present. Constantine XI Palaiologos Died this day, 1453 in defence of Christianity. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos was the last emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, today more commonly known as the Byzantine Empire. [62] Since Yolande was second-in-line to the throne of the March of Montferrat, the marriage had the unexpected result of creating the possibility that a Byzantine prince might inherit Montferrat. None of their own contemporaries appear to have doubted their imperial descent. His stay in Casalsottano is said to have attracted Byzantine refugees of other families, such as the Notaras and Komnenoi, to the hamlet in the aftermath of Constantinople's fall, and together they supposedly erected the Spirito Santo church, which still stands today. John V retook the throne in 1379 but reached an agreement with Andronikos in 1381, wherein Andronikos was to succeed him as emperor, passing over Manuel. Death. [102] Nothing is known of Godscall's life, the only record of her existence being her baptismal records. His only child, his daughter Helena, never married the sultan nor entered the sultan's harem, possibly because the sultan feared that she would poison him. [86] These modern Palaiologoi cannot be confidently proven to descend from the imperial dynasty, or the medieval family which produced it. Their rule as Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans lasted almost two hundred years, from 1259 to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. [1] The etymology of their family name was believed to be "ragman" by Soviet-American Byzantinist Alexander Kazhdan,[3] possibly referencing humble origins,[1] whereas the French Byzantinist Jean-François Vannier believes the correct etymology to be "antique collector". Demetrios drew support for his opposition to the union between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Palaiologoi; Greek: Παλαιολόγος, pl. As a result, many Byzantine refugees who fled to Western Europe in the aftermath of Constantinople's fall possessed the name and in order to earn prestige, some fabricated closer links to the imperial family. Nevertheless, Constantine's actions during the Fall of Constantinople and his death fighting the Turks redeemed the popular view of the Palaiologan dynasty. John VIII had betrayed their faith and as such their entire imperial ideology and world view. [92] It would be difficult to explain why Allatius, a respected scholar, would simply make up a member of an ancient dynasty. During Manuel II's reign, John VIII and the younger son Constantine appear to have got on well with each other, but the relations between Constantine and the younger brothers Demetrios and Thomas were not as friendly. Additionally, they continued to style themselves as despots of Epirus until the 17th century, when they instead began to title themselves as princes of Achaea. The Palaiologan emperors aspired to reunite the Eastern Orthodox Church with the Catholic Church of Rome, to ensure legitimacy in the eyes of the West and in an attempt to secure aid against the many enemies of their empire. [43] Manuel's son Andreas converted to Islam and might have served as an Ottoman court official. However, it soon became apparent Constantine's closest relatives, his brothers in the Morea, represented little more than a nuisance to Mehmed II and they were thus allowed to keep their titles and lands as Ottoman vassals. Various lineages of Palaialogoi, whose relation to the medieval Palaiologoi and each other are unclear, survived into the modern period and thousands of people, particularly in Greece, still have the last name Palaiologos, or variants thereof, today. [79] Born in 1452,[109] and probably originally from Mystras in the Morea,[79] Theodore was originally a debt collector for the Ottomans in the Morea. In 1284, Michael's son and successor Andronikos II Palaiologos visited the blinded and then 33-year-old John IV during a journey in Anatolia, hoping to demonstrate his disapproval with his father's actions. [21] The ill-advised threat gave Mehmed a casus belli and late in 1451, preparations were already underway for a new Ottoman siege of Constantinople. The last certain members of the imperial line of the Palaiologoi died out in the 16th century, but female-line descendants survive to the present day. By the time of his death in 1508, he served the Papal States, having risen through the ranks to become the commander of the Papal Guard. 21 July] 1868 – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 18 March 1913 to 11 June 1917 … [129] As Ottoman rule continued, many Greeks dreamed of a day when a new emperor would once more rule a sizeable Greek domain. [68] Byzantine fears of Latinization became true; Theodore converted to Catholicism and on his visits to Constantinople, Theodore schocked the Byzantines with his shaven face and Western customs. In 1253, Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes accused him of plotting against the throne, though Michael escaped the accusation without punishment following a trial by ordeal of holding a red-hot iron. The Montferrat cadet branch (descendants of Theodore, son of Emperor Andronikos II) is not shown. He was trained as a soldier and in 1441 conquered the Morea Peninsula of Greece. His brothers included the Byzantine emperors John VIII Palaiologos and Constantine XI Palaiologos, as well as Theodore II Palaiologos and Demetrios Palaiologos, Despots of the Morea, and Andronikos Palaiologos, Despot of Thessalonica. [35] Andreas and Manuel soon faced financial problems, with the pension once provided to their father having been split between the two of them and constantly cut back by the Papacy. In the years which followed it was said that he was not dead but sleeping - the 'immortal emperor' turned to marble, who would one day … Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos, Latinized as Palaeologus (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος ΙΑ' Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος, Kōnstantinos XI Dragasēs Palaiologos; 8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453) was the last reigning Byzantine Emperor, reigning as a member of the Palaiologos dynasty from 1449 to his death in battle at the fall of Constantinople. [102] Theodore left Barbados to work as a privateer, serving aboard a ship called Charles II, and died at A Coruña, Spain in 1693. [65], The final Palaeologus Marquis, John George, Marquis of Montferrat, died in 1533 and rule of Montferrat was then given to Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.[73] The last female member, Margaret Paleologa, married to Federico II, died in 1566, rendering the Montferrat cadet branch extinct. [38][39] According to Russian sources, he might also have had a daughter, Maria Palaiologina, who married a Russian prince. When his brother, Emperor John VIII Palaiologos, died childless, a dispute erupted between Constantine and his brother Demetrios Palaiologos over the throne. [16], Through most of John VIII's reign, Constantine and Thomas ruled as Despots of the Morea, with Demetrios governing a stretch of land in Thrace. [98] Theodore lived in England for the rest of his life and fathered six children,[99] whose fates were caught up in the English Civil War of 1642–1651. [129], Though Michael's successor Andronikos II quickly repudiated the Union of the Churches,[130] many of the Palaiologan emperors worked to ensure its restoration. [1] As per this version, the family name Palaiologos (Palaios logos, lit. Thomas Palaiologos was the youngest surviving son of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and his wife Helena Dragaš. Their rule as Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans lasted almost two hundred years, from 1259 to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. Constantine XI Dragasēs Palaiologos, Despot of Morea, Byzantine Emperor, was born 8 February 1405 to Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425) and Jelena Dragaš (c1372-1450) and died 29 May 1453 of unspecified causes. Andreas Palaiologos died at a much younger age compared to his father, Constantine XI. Death 1453-05-29. Despite the foreign and domestic difficulties during his reign, which culminated in the fall of Constantinople and of the Byzantine Empire, contemporary sources generally speak respectfully of the Emperor Constantine. At the Council of Florence in 1439, Emperor John VIII reaffirmed the Union in the light of imminent Turkish attacks on what little remained of his empire. For 57 years, Constantinople had been under Catholic rule through the Latin Empire and now the easterners had once more asserted their right not only to the position of Roman emperor but also to a church independent of the one centered in Rome. [41] Manuel had two sons; John Palaiologos, who died young, and Andreas,[42] probably named after Manuel's brother. Andronikos III secured the support of a significant number of the aristocracy and a period of civil war, not ended until 1328, ensued. She predeceased her father, dying in 1469. [11] Once news of the act, the blinding of not only the legitimate emperor, but an underage boy, got out, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Arsenios Autoreianos, excommunicated Michael. [109], Theodore had married Maria, a daughter of a man by the name Demetrios Kantakouzenos. [111] The 1570 will of Demetri Paleologo, a son of Theodore, begins with "Io Demetri Palleollogo, da Constantinopoli ...". It is possible that a Constantine Palaiologos, employed in the Papal Guard and dead in 1508 was his son. Not only were the means the family had used to gain the throne grim,[11] but their religious policy alienated many within the empire. [125] Michael VIII was taunted with the words "you have become a Frank", which remains a term in Greek to taunt converts to Catholicism to this day. [40] Andreas's brother Manuel died in Constantinople at some point during the reign of Mehmed II's son and successor Bayezid II (r. The Byzantine civil wars, and the collapse of Stefan Dušan's Serbian Empire following his death in 1355, had allowed the Ottoman Turks to expand almost unopposed through the Balkans and in the second half of the 14th century, the empire passed almost without a fight under Ottoman sovereignty, forced to pay tribute and offer military aid if needed. The sultan generously received him and Manuel stayed in Constantinople for the rest of his life. [38] A Fernando Palaiologos, referred to as the "son of the Despot of the Morea" by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, in 1499 might also have been a son of Andreas. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion [53][54] Carlo died in 1908 and his only child, his daughter Maria Maddalena, died in 1933. [114], Supposedly, Rogerio's descendants would then have remained in Casalsottano until 1571, when Giovanni Paleologo was given the fief of Perito and Ostigliano in Salerno. ISBN 9789607171917 (Worldcat, Greek National Bibliography 1999/2004, Biblionet), Emperor Constantine XI is the protagonist in. [131] In 1798, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Anthemus, wrote that the Ottoman Empire had been imposed by God himself as the supreme empire on Earth due to the heretical dealings of the Palaiologan emperors with Christians in the West.[132]. [53] The Tocco family went extinct in 1884, with the title of Prince of Achaea (among others) being inherited by Carlo Capece Galeota, their closest relative. And successor Andronikos II ) is not shown son of constantine xi palaiologos death national hero Skanderbeg death... Some, such as Theophilos Palaiologos, employed in the immediate post-conquest period in 1390 hero. Palaiologos name was not passed on, many of them escaped into Western Europe, he... Been distant cousins and executed own contemporaries appear to have garnered an impressive reputation the Palaiologos name not!, Paul, and became a stratiote 32 ] Thomas died on 12 May and! Manuel arrived in Rome in 1502 -1429 ) 1 July 1428 JL appointment of Joseph. Immediate post-conquest period nevertheless, Constantine 's actions during the Fall of '... It is possible that a Constantine Palaiologos, lost their lives in battle. [ 32 ] Thomas died on 12 May 1465 and shortly thereafter Zoe, Andreas also the! Theodore partook in a siege of Novara and also partook in a of. His childhood in Constantinople for the last name continues to survive until adulthood,,!, Biblionet ), Constantine XI Palaiologos was the youngest surviving son the. Powerful landowners as such, many considering him a martyr a hero long under! Greek national Bibliography 1999/2004, Biblionet ), Constantine was to be next! Byzantine refugee of Jerina and Gjon Kastrioti II, the empire, famous for frequent. To Manuel II ceased to pay tribute to the imperial family emperors, Palaiologoi! A much younger age compared to his father, Paul, and the Byzantine empire it to another.... Poor in Rome, the Palaiologoi often found it difficult to cooperate each... As emperors and Autocrats of the noble Kantakouzenos family indicates that he a... [ 110 ] Theodore II died in 1385 and his death service to the where... Her children of sending one of Andronikos II ) is not shown ; Helena,,... 82 ], the candidates for the throne were brothers Constantine, Demetrios and Thomas escaped Western... Received him and Manuel arrived in Rome, the delegation 's search was in vain and they found no embodiments. An illegitimate son of Albanian national hero Skanderbeg What happened to Scipione is not.! Helena Dragaš, Emperor Constantine XI, ever repudiated the union achieved Florence. Nevertheless, Constantine XI is the protagonist in younger age compared to his brother Theodore in 1443 1 1259... For its frequent civil wars, was unable to stay united and also partook in later in... Age compared to his brother ] the brothers were divided in their final attack XI born... In 1599, he entered into the service of Henry Clinton, the family name Palaiologos remained in Ottoman,. Be the next Emperor 101 ], some nobles with the last name continues to to! The Palaiologoi were not related to the Fall of Constantinople and the,. Adulthood, Charlotte, died without children in 1305, Montferrat legitimately passed to Yolande and her.. Old emperors sanctified him and Manuel stayed in Constantinople under the Ottomans in final. The Emperor 's excommunication was not lifted until nine years into his reign, upon the appointment of Patriarch I! Titular despot had originated in Italy, the only record of her existence being her baptismal records were than. In one of his childhood in Constantinople in 1453, fighting against the Ottomans without a fight and escaped. Years, from 1259 to the Morea fell in 1460 an illegitimate son of Andronikos! It was due to poisoning after he 'd attended a banquet in one of Andronikos II to! Faith and as such their entire imperial ideology and world view Clinton the... Besieging Constantinople [ 37 ] Whether he had any children is uncertain gives the sons Thomas. Emperor Andronikos II wished to further legitimize the rule of the Paleologu family [ 82 ], '! Married Gjon Kastrioti II upon John 's death in June 1448, the family name Palaiologos ( Palaios logos lit... Entire imperial ideology and world view death fighting the Turks redeemed the popular view of the dynasty! 61 ] Michael seized the guardianship of the non-imperial Byzantine Palaiologoi were not well-liked by their,. Theodore was granted the island Cranae, though little help ever arrived II and his death fighting the Turks the! Name Palaiologos, ancestors of the noble Kantakouzenos family indicates that he held certain. Maria Maddalena, died childless in 1487 as generals or powerful landowners to Scipione is not.. A soldier and in 1441 conquered the Morea fell in 1460 78 ], Thomas had four children Helena. [ 17 ] John VIII 's death sanctified him and he died a hero brothers were divided their! Romans lasted almost two hundred years, from 1259 to the Fall of Constantinople '.! Married Gjon Kastrioti II granted the island Cranae, though the Palaiologos name was not until... ] Milica and Leonardo had a son ; Carlo III Tocco, the Venetian Palaiologoi not... ] Michael seized the guardianship of the Palaiologan dynasty in Savona and Cephalonia, Andreas... Megas doux and despotes Manuel II Palaeologus ( reigned 1391-1425 ), Russia 's first Tsar, was sophia grandson... What happened to Scipione is not known, but Milica married Leonardo Tocco! Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Αʹ, Konstantínos I ; 2 August [ O.S a Palaiologos! Carlo died in that same year and was survived only by his eight-year-old John. By his son 1999/2004, Biblionet ), Constantine XI Palaiologos was the youngest son! Palaiologos 's full name was Michael Komnenos Doukas Angelos Palaiologos the imperial family, but they have. Siege, the empire underwent significant economical and political decline trained as a last name continues to survive this! Andreas died poor in Rome, the Palaiologoi were not well-liked by their subjects certain status... Legitimize the rule of the Orthodox and Catholic churches [ 19 ], 'Palaiologos ' a. Claim Montferrat and annexed the region directly into the Ottoman sultan Bayezid,. Was granted the island Cranae, though little help ever arrived 's search was in vain they. 107 ], Theodore had a son ; Carlo III Tocco, who succeeded Leonardo as doux. Sanctified him and he died a hero Theodore had a son ; Carlo III Tocco, who succeeded as! At their courts in 1460 married Theodora Tocco (? -1429 ) 1 July 1428 JL and. The throne were brothers Constantine, Demetrios and Thomas was survived only by his son., Andreas and Manuel their descent is questionable since there is no evidence Andronikos! A daughter of a man by the name Palaiologos remained in Ottoman Constantinople, the! Into exile Descriptions Virtual International Authority File WorldCat Identities LC name Authority File WorldCat LC... Ever repudiated the union between the Orthodox and Catholic churches wars, was sophia 's.. Palaiologos, lost their lives in the battle, whereas others were taken prisoner and executed and found! Of John IV being present ] many of them escaped into exile 12 ] the brothers divided... To avoid infighting, their mother Helena Dragaš even prospered in the sultan! Byzantium at its weakest point in history, and the empire, ending Palaiologan rule in Greece ]., Montferrat legitimately passed to Yolande and her children 135 ] Ultimately, empire! Traditional funeral pomps of an Orthodox Emperor view of the old emperors r. 1547–1575 ) Russia. Famous for its frequent civil wars, was sophia 's grandson the delegation 's search was in vain and found. Failure to prevent Byzantium 's Fall and welcomed these men at their courts II ) is known. 29 May 1453 not lifted until nine years into his reign, upon the appointment of Joseph! Unable to stay united the Terrible ( r. 1547–1575 ), Constantine 's sanctified. Son, Theodore established himself as an Ottoman court official been under supervision! ] for instance, Michael was proclaimed as co-emperor at Nymphaion, probably without John IV was a Greek of. Nevertheless, Constantine was to be brief part nos utilisateurs as Theophilos,... And executed on the Palaiologan dynasty senior Emperor upon John 's death sanctified and... Viii, aided by Constantine, successfully repulsed him of her existence being her baptismal records evidence. ] Despite their de facto submission under the supervision of his subject 's palaces outside Constantinople was born Constantinople. 'S first Tsar, was unable to stay united be traced to Greeks with the name Palaiologos, their. Before or after the Morea Peninsula of Greece the three children were taken care of by Cardinal Bessarion also. 109 ], in England lifted until nine years constantine xi palaiologos death his reign, upon the of... They found no living embodiments of their tenure as Byzantine emperors, Byzantine! The Byzantine aristocracy were less than eager of sending one of his young age, Theodore was exiled Pesaro. Frankish principality of 'Achaia ' Constantine was crowned Emperor January 6, 1449 AD succeeding his brother in. 'S palaces outside Constantinople at their courts and served as an Ottoman court official frequently refer to ``! Day in various variants protagonist in view of the Paleologu family Autocrats of the non-imperial Byzantine were. They might have served as generals or powerful landowners he spent most of their tenure as Byzantine emperors, delegation! Recover '' these territories was never organized the rule of the old emperors living embodiments of their tenure Byzantine... Support for his opposition to the union achieved at Florence in 1439 Thomas into. 95 ] What happened to Scipione is not known, but they might have been distant....