On Sunday, 29 May, 1453, after a 53 day siege, Constantinople finally fell to the Ottoman Turks led by 21 year old Sultan Mehmet 11. This ended 1500 years of the Roman Empire and irrevocably changed the history of the Mediterranean. Although much of ancient Rome lingers to this day and influences so much of Western culture
At the time of its fall, Constantinople was an underpopulated and impoverished city with an estimated 50,000 residents and it was falling into decay. These factors most likely made its defeat inevitable by a vastly superior invader.
Once they'd entered the city, Mehmet allowed his army three days
of looting during which the streets ran red with blood as the trapped Greeks were systematically slaughtered, their homes looted and their womenfolk raped. It is estimated that 4000 Greeks committed suicide rather than endure the horrors of the looting or the possibility of enslavement.
Many took refuge in the churches but were nevertheless hunted down and slaughtered or enslaved as the churches were looted for their priceless treasures.
Meanwhile, high ranking Ottoman Turks chose the sons and daughters of the Greek nobility to serve in their seraglios and harems.
After three days, Mehmet called a halt to the looting as he consolidated and established his rule.
It is said some 30,000 Greek residents of the former Constantinople were marched into slavery and sold in the slave markets of Islam.
One would imagine the price of a Greek slave was very cheap.
Picture origin unknown and sourced from e internet. the text is mine.
Thanks, Chris, for recalling this, one of the most dramatic and serious events in the whole history of mankind …… the definitive end of the Roman Empire after 2,200 years of glory !
ReplyDeleteThe many chroniclers and historians that narrate this event ……. not only Christians but even Turkish and Arabs …… tell the innumerable atrocities committed during this conquest.
Slavery …… and in particular SEXUAL SLAVERY …….. was among all these atrocities one of the most terrible, shameful and unbearable ones.
Like many other Turkish Sultans and many most eminent noble Turkish Lords, Mehmed II kept for his sexual pleasure three Harems: two of them, often called “The Summer Harem” and the “Winter Harem” were female harems filled with the prettiest girls and young women. Besides these ones, there was also the “THIRD HAREM”, called also “THE HAREM OF PAGES” in which were jailed hundreds of the most beautiful young Christian slaves, boys, lads and young men.
After the fall of Constantinople, as the Greek historian and eye witness Georgios Sphrantzes tells with immense grief, Mehmed chose as many as 600 young girls and 600 teen youths to be added, as novel sex-slaves, to his Harems.
But the Turkish Sultan decided to start his personal celebration of that outstanding victory with a ten days sexual orgy in which he raped …… for ten days ! …….. not the most beautiful girls, but 10 of the most beautiful Greek male teenagers.
The teenage son of Georgios Sphrantze, Yoannis, was among those unlucky ten slave-youths raped by Mehmet during that endless homosexual orgy.
To read how the powerless father narrates and mourns the atrocious fate an shame of his young son, is one of the most moving passages in all the History books probably ever written.
Karel
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