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The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans
Constantine XI Palaiologos was the last Christian Emperor of Constantinople and Byzantium. In 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, he was last seen fighting at the city walls, but the actual circumstances of his death have remained surrounded in myth. In the years that followed it was said that he was not dead but sleeping - the 'immortal emperor' turned to marble, who would one day be awakened by an angel and drive the Turks out of his city and empire. Donald Nicol's book tells the gripping story of Constantine's life and death, and ends with an intriguing account of claims by reputed descendants of his family - some remarkably recent - to be heirs to the Byzantine throne.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 1992
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About the author
Donald M. Nicol
17 books21 followersDonald MacGillivray Nicol was an English Byzantinist.
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June 15, 2016
This slim volume is the first biography of Constantine XI since the late 1800's and is a fascinating read. Not much is known about his early life; we follow him as Despot [=Governor?] of the Morea [medieval name of the Peloponnese] along with 2 of his brothers, then as [technically uncrowned=not in a formal Orthodox ceremony] Emperor. He knows the new Sultan, Mehmet II, will be trying to conquer Constantinople and frantically appeals to the west for help. Only highlights of its Fall are given since it has been covered extensively elsewhere. There are interesting sections on his death and the legends that have grown up around him. One states he is only sleeping and one day will awake and take back Constantinople. To me, the main story was told, but the author did have an extra chapter on later Palaiologi; the line became extinct with his brother Thomas's family. And it covered various pretenders. Any Palaeologi left in the world are probably from distant branches of the family. I felt this last chapter was just fluff to pad out the book and not really intrinsic.
Constantine is presented as a tragic though heroic figure. It seems he was dogged by bad luck all through his life in many aspects. His two marriages did not last long with the early death of each wife and he died a widower without issue. Any help from the west was too little, too late.
Very highly recommended.
Constantine is presented as a tragic though heroic figure. It seems he was dogged by bad luck all through his life in many aspects. His two marriages did not last long with the early death of each wife and he died a widower without issue. Any help from the west was too little, too late.
Very highly recommended.
October 13, 2017
♣ Eser bir biyografi olduğu için Bizans'ın son yılları, Bizans'ın yıkılışı, Osmanlı-Bizans ilişkileri gibi konular hakkında bilgi sahibi olmak için okunulacak bir eser değil. XI.Konstantinosun hikayesi bu.Ancak son imparatorun hayatı, imparatorluğun da yıkılışı ile paralel olduğu için o dönem onun kim olduğundan ziyade imparatorluğun nasıl yıkıldığı hakkında daha çok konuşulan bir konu olmuştur. Böyle olunca, ortaya olayların gölgesinde bir imparator hikayesi çıkıyor.
♥Burada Nicol belli ki epey mesai harcayarak, imparatoru ön plana alıp olayları arka plana çekerek bir eser yaratmış. Fakat iki saattir anlattığım gibi bu dönem siyasi olayların yoğun olması ve çeşitli sebeplerle ona düşman olan insanların da eli kalem tutanlarının anlatımında bu nefretin etkili olması ortaya fantastik bir varlığın çıkmasına, yazılan herşeye 1.el kaynaktır diye atlamamaya sebep oluyor.
♣ Nicol'ün üslubu ise oldukça nötr. Daha çok,belge ve bilgiler bunlar diye masaya serip birbiriyle tutarlı gözükenlerin gerçekliğine yoğunlaşıp, gerçek olmadığına kanaat getirdiklerini izahıyla paylaşmış. Netice itibariyle olan eden, yazılan çizilen bu imasıyla bilgi ve okur arasına girmeden eteğindeki taşları dökmüş. Zor bir işe cesaret etmiş.
♦Çevirisi ise çok başarısız olmuş. ilk aklıma gelen,Türkçeye "Aya" diye yerleşmiş αγιος (-α, -ον) sıfatı inatla ayia, ayios diye yazılmış olması. Bir de eserin bir yerinde uygulanan sansür.
eseri üç ♥ ♥ ♥ ile uğurluyoruz. çünkü iyi.
♥Burada Nicol belli ki epey mesai harcayarak, imparatoru ön plana alıp olayları arka plana çekerek bir eser yaratmış. Fakat iki saattir anlattığım gibi bu dönem siyasi olayların yoğun olması ve çeşitli sebeplerle ona düşman olan insanların da eli kalem tutanlarının anlatımında bu nefretin etkili olması ortaya fantastik bir varlığın çıkmasına, yazılan herşeye 1.el kaynaktır diye atlamamaya sebep oluyor.
♣ Nicol'ün üslubu ise oldukça nötr. Daha çok,belge ve bilgiler bunlar diye masaya serip birbiriyle tutarlı gözükenlerin gerçekliğine yoğunlaşıp, gerçek olmadığına kanaat getirdiklerini izahıyla paylaşmış. Netice itibariyle olan eden, yazılan çizilen bu imasıyla bilgi ve okur arasına girmeden eteğindeki taşları dökmüş. Zor bir işe cesaret etmiş.
♦Çevirisi ise çok başarısız olmuş. ilk aklıma gelen,Türkçeye "Aya" diye yerleşmiş αγιος (-α, -ον) sıfatı inatla ayia, ayios diye yazılmış olması. Bir de eserin bir yerinde uygulanan sansür.
eseri üç ♥ ♥ ♥ ile uğurluyoruz. çünkü iyi.
October 16, 2022
The best part about this book was the prophecies and myths that were created after the fall of the city. Things like god converted Constantine 11 into a marble statue so that one day he will have his revenge, the Turks were so spooked by this that they walled up the golden gate😅. And there are many other fascinating stories and myths in this small book. Apart from this, the book sucked, the buildup to the fall of the city felt dull(Runciman in his book made the tension palpable ) and the final chapter just tracked the ancestry of the remaining Palaiologus. The book shines in the middle, for a few chapters at least.
July 19, 2017
Страхотно книжле! Със скромните си 180 стр. освен, че се чете за един ден, е и доста информативно. Обхваща целия живот на Константин Драгаш като 2/3 от книгата са отделени на митовете и легендите, които поражда изчезването му при защитата на Константинопол и претенциите на "Палеолозите" през вековете към несъществуващият вече византийски трон.
August 25, 2019
İstanbul’un fethi ile ilgili okumalarımı yaparken, Fatih Sultan Mehmet’in hayatından sonra, Roma hükümdarının hayatını da okumak, karşı taraftan olayların nasıl gözlemlendiğini ve yazıldığını okumak istedim. Bunun için en doğru kaynaklardan biri olarak bu eseri söyleyebilirim. Son Roma imparatoru Paleologos’un son zamanlarını ve kendisinden sonra gelen kehanetleri güzel bir biçimde ele almış.
March 24, 2020
1453 İstanbul'un fethi'nin "diğer tarafı" İmparator Konstantin olarak bildiğimiz Konstantinos Paleologos'un hayat hikâyesi.
Kısa, çok sıkmayan, hoş bir biyografi. İyi bildiğimiz bir olaya bakışımızda yeni bir pencere açıyor oluşuyla değerli buldum. Tabi kısa olması, Paleologos'un öyle uzun uzun hükmetmiş, büyük işlere imza atmış birisi olmamasından kaynaklanıyor. Çok sıra dışı bir şahsiyet okumayacaksınız. Hatta maalesef kendisine biraz acıyacaksınız zira İmparator hakkında bir resim bile olmamasına rağmen, hatta nasıl öldüğü bile net bilinmemesine rağmen, onun insanlarının ya da Hristiyan toplumlarının nasıl bir "kahraman" yaratmaya çalıştıklarının göstergesi olan kaynaklara rastlayacaksınız. Bizim tarihimizdeki gibi bir Lider beklemeyin fakat elinden geleni yapmış, muhtemelen de şehrini savunurken ölmüş, ülkesini seven bir insanı az da olsa tanımış oldum.
En büyük şanssızlıklarından birisi de sanırım doğduğu dönem ve uğraştığı düşmanı olmuş. Karşısında normal bir insan yoktu zira. Büyük Türk Sultan Fatih'in tarih sahnesinden silip yok ettiği, mütevazi bir hayat Paleologos'unki. Elimizde fazla bir bilgisi olmamasına rağmen, kısıtlı kaynaklardan olabildiğince kapsamlı bir çalışma oluşturulmaya çalışılmış.
Kısa, çok sıkmayan, hoş bir biyografi. İyi bildiğimiz bir olaya bakışımızda yeni bir pencere açıyor oluşuyla değerli buldum. Tabi kısa olması, Paleologos'un öyle uzun uzun hükmetmiş, büyük işlere imza atmış birisi olmamasından kaynaklanıyor. Çok sıra dışı bir şahsiyet okumayacaksınız. Hatta maalesef kendisine biraz acıyacaksınız zira İmparator hakkında bir resim bile olmamasına rağmen, hatta nasıl öldüğü bile net bilinmemesine rağmen, onun insanlarının ya da Hristiyan toplumlarının nasıl bir "kahraman" yaratmaya çalıştıklarının göstergesi olan kaynaklara rastlayacaksınız. Bizim tarihimizdeki gibi bir Lider beklemeyin fakat elinden geleni yapmış, muhtemelen de şehrini savunurken ölmüş, ülkesini seven bir insanı az da olsa tanımış oldum.
En büyük şanssızlıklarından birisi de sanırım doğduğu dönem ve uğraştığı düşmanı olmuş. Karşısında normal bir insan yoktu zira. Büyük Türk Sultan Fatih'in tarih sahnesinden silip yok ettiği, mütevazi bir hayat Paleologos'unki. Elimizde fazla bir bilgisi olmamasına rağmen, kısıtlı kaynaklardan olabildiğince kapsamlı bir çalışma oluşturulmaya çalışılmış.
July 26, 2022
It may be a rather thin book, but Nicol does the last Emperor of the Romans justice by discussing not only his life, but also the way in which contemporaries and later generations of Catholics and Orthodox Christians viewed the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the story of Constantine XI's death. He aptly demonstrates that Constantine was much more famous in death than during his entire life, though this is not undeserved for a person who, unlike his brothers Thomas and Demetrios, did what he thought was the best for the Byzantine Empire.
At the end of the book, a decent chunk was dedicated to discussing the plethora of different stories about Constantine's death that emerged after 1453, be they Greek, Turkish, Serbian or Western Christian. Nicol also debunks the claims put forward by individuals with the surname Palaiologos living after the 15th century of being descended from Constantine and concludes that these people might have instead been related to non-imperial branches of the Palaiologos family.
Anyone mostly interested in the politics that Constantine was engaged in will do just fine by skipping this book and instead reading the parts about Constantine in Nicol's "The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453". I am giving the book 4 stars because while Nicol probably did all he could with the limited source material available to write an engaging book on all things surrounding Constantine XI Palaiologos, the fact that much of what is written in the book can also be found in the aforementioned work cannot be ignored. An attempt to further expand the work beyond the confines of narrative history would have been welcome.
At the end of the book, a decent chunk was dedicated to discussing the plethora of different stories about Constantine's death that emerged after 1453, be they Greek, Turkish, Serbian or Western Christian. Nicol also debunks the claims put forward by individuals with the surname Palaiologos living after the 15th century of being descended from Constantine and concludes that these people might have instead been related to non-imperial branches of the Palaiologos family.
Anyone mostly interested in the politics that Constantine was engaged in will do just fine by skipping this book and instead reading the parts about Constantine in Nicol's "The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453". I am giving the book 4 stars because while Nicol probably did all he could with the limited source material available to write an engaging book on all things surrounding Constantine XI Palaiologos, the fact that much of what is written in the book can also be found in the aforementioned work cannot be ignored. An attempt to further expand the work beyond the confines of narrative history would have been welcome.
December 3, 2017
One of the most well written books I've ever read, it is obvious that Donald M. Nicol was a highly educated person and researcher. He had devoted and worked in Greece several years, in many academic institutions, a hard working man and this is reflected on this book.
January 16, 2026
The best and most thorough account of Constantine XI that shall likely be compiled. Excellent, succinct, and compelling.
December 6, 2015
This book is a good account of the times of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Roman Emperor (r. 1448-1453) and his misfortunes (despite his competence and bravery). It explains well the events around him, but I must warn that the details on the siege of Constantinople are relatively succint. That's acceptable bacause this isn't a book on the siege of Constantinople. It also gives a very good light on the transformations of his image after his death and the use of profecies around him to bolster the Megali Idea and the Russian ideology of "The Third Rome".
Despite Nicol's clear competence (by the way his style of writing is very readable), I have 4 small issues.
The first of them is that I don't think the man behind the office wasn't represented enough (especially on the first chapters), even if that's a very tough task considering the relative scarcity of materials regarding the imperial private life (if there was one) and the fact an Emperor was almost always represented in a stylized way. That's the case of his surviving seals where it's more the office and not so much the person is being depicted, as the imperial crown appears on the top of Constantine's head (he was never crowned). This is important because Nicol's work is supposedly partly a biography. At least that attempt wasn't completely unsucessful.
The second one is his romantic assertion on page 89: "[..] On the whole it is perhaps best to accept one or other version of what the last Byzantine historians have to say about Constantine's death. It is certainly kinder on the memory of one who was without a doubt a courageous man of action, 'a prince worthy of immortality', as Sagundino called him." Although he backs very well his opinion that Constantine XI was at least killed and probably beheaded, it gives the idea he's being backed by very strong emotions. A historian should try to abstain from that as much as he can.
Besides that his last chapter, even if it's interesting to know about the fate of the Palaiologoi (namely those who went to England) and all its associated impostors, was a bit out of the subject of the title.
Finally, I felt much of his material on Constantine's life and the setting he lived in (especially on the former chapter) was reused material from his other book The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453, which was constantly referred to on the footnotes. I hate when this happens.
Even if it has its flaws, this book is recommended for all those who want to learn more about Constantine XI.
P.S.- The pun the author made with Constantine, The Last Emperor Of The Greeks (the only other monograph on the Emperor in English, published in 1892 by Chedomil Mijatovich) is fun.
Despite Nicol's clear competence (by the way his style of writing is very readable), I have 4 small issues.
The first of them is that I don't think the man behind the office wasn't represented enough (especially on the first chapters), even if that's a very tough task considering the relative scarcity of materials regarding the imperial private life (if there was one) and the fact an Emperor was almost always represented in a stylized way. That's the case of his surviving seals where it's more the office and not so much the person is being depicted, as the imperial crown appears on the top of Constantine's head (he was never crowned). This is important because Nicol's work is supposedly partly a biography. At least that attempt wasn't completely unsucessful.
The second one is his romantic assertion on page 89: "[..] On the whole it is perhaps best to accept one or other version of what the last Byzantine historians have to say about Constantine's death. It is certainly kinder on the memory of one who was without a doubt a courageous man of action, 'a prince worthy of immortality', as Sagundino called him." Although he backs very well his opinion that Constantine XI was at least killed and probably beheaded, it gives the idea he's being backed by very strong emotions. A historian should try to abstain from that as much as he can.
Besides that his last chapter, even if it's interesting to know about the fate of the Palaiologoi (namely those who went to England) and all its associated impostors, was a bit out of the subject of the title.
Finally, I felt much of his material on Constantine's life and the setting he lived in (especially on the former chapter) was reused material from his other book The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453, which was constantly referred to on the footnotes. I hate when this happens.
Even if it has its flaws, this book is recommended for all those who want to learn more about Constantine XI.
P.S.- The pun the author made with Constantine, The Last Emperor Of The Greeks (the only other monograph on the Emperor in English, published in 1892 by Chedomil Mijatovich) is fun.
May 1, 2008
A heroic take on the last emperor of Byzantium.
July 24, 2008
A tragic read about a man who wanted nothing more than to be a scholar, but who became emperor and died fighting the Turks as they destroyed his empire after the Latin West had abandonned him.
April 5, 2017
Well documented and enlightening book on the last emperor of the Romans, Constantine Palaiologos.
June 21, 2019
Konstantin Paleologos kitabı bitti.
Kitap beklediğimden çok daha iyiydi. Ben taraflı bir kitap bekliyordum ama yazar olabildiğince tarafsız kalmış. Kitapta çoğunlukla Rum tarihçilerden alıntı yapıldığı için taraflı bir kitap izlenimi verebilir bazılarına ama yazar olayları bu durumdan kurtarmak için çok fazla Türk kaynaktan da alıntı yapmış.
Kitapta İmparator’un yaşamına yer verildiği gibi yaşamından sonra İmparator üzerine yazılan eserlerden de bahsediliyor . Ayrıca yazar İmparator’dan sonra Paleologos Hanedanı’nın yaşayan fertleri üzerine de uzunca duruyor ve bununla birlikte insanları dolandırmak için kendisini Paleologos Hanedanı mensubu olarak tanıtan şarlatanlara da kitapta yer verilmiş. Daha iki hafta önce kendisinin Paleologos olduğunu iddia eden bir adamın ölümüyle ilgili haber okuyup gülüp geçmiştim, ama kitapta anlatılanlara göre bu eylemi yapan tek kişi değilmiş.
Kitabı beğendim. Kitapta ilk defa duyduğum çok fazla şey öğrendim. Bu nedenle Biyografi Serisi kitaplarının okumaya devam edeceğim.
Kitap beklediğimden çok daha iyiydi. Ben taraflı bir kitap bekliyordum ama yazar olabildiğince tarafsız kalmış. Kitapta çoğunlukla Rum tarihçilerden alıntı yapıldığı için taraflı bir kitap izlenimi verebilir bazılarına ama yazar olayları bu durumdan kurtarmak için çok fazla Türk kaynaktan da alıntı yapmış.
Kitapta İmparator’un yaşamına yer verildiği gibi yaşamından sonra İmparator üzerine yazılan eserlerden de bahsediliyor . Ayrıca yazar İmparator’dan sonra Paleologos Hanedanı’nın yaşayan fertleri üzerine de uzunca duruyor ve bununla birlikte insanları dolandırmak için kendisini Paleologos Hanedanı mensubu olarak tanıtan şarlatanlara da kitapta yer verilmiş. Daha iki hafta önce kendisinin Paleologos olduğunu iddia eden bir adamın ölümüyle ilgili haber okuyup gülüp geçmiştim, ama kitapta anlatılanlara göre bu eylemi yapan tek kişi değilmiş.
Kitabı beğendim. Kitapta ilk defa duyduğum çok fazla şey öğrendim. Bu nedenle Biyografi Serisi kitaplarının okumaya devam edeceğim.
November 27, 2018
A comprehensive look at such an important, yet virtually unknown person. I enjoyed the authors breakdown of his squabbling family, but probably could've skipped the last chapter on obvious recent pretenders to the throne.
June 13, 2022
An easy to read (also within my search the only) account on Constantine XI.
I agree with other comments this is still far from a biography, but I did learn more on the person rather than the event from this book.
I agree with other comments this is still far from a biography, but I did learn more on the person rather than the event from this book.
March 13, 2021
Just..... Respect !!!
January 11, 2015
Constantine XI was the last Byzantine emperor, the last Christian ruler of what had been the Eastern Roman Empire, killed trying to defend his city against the final, successful Ottoman attack in May 1453. (Sultan Mehmed II subsequently had his head cut off, peeled off the skin, and stuffed it with straw as a trophy.) He had succeeded his childless brother to the throne less than five years before, after a career as a provincial governor — the eighth member of his family to hold the title of emperor since Michael Palaiologos in 1253. Like Arthur in Britain and other rulers in trying times, his hero’s death led inevitably to legends that he wasn’t really dead, that he had escaped the fall of Constantinople, that he would be resurrected to restore the empire. It seems strange that no book has been published about Constantine XI since 1892, but Nicol, who is director of the Gennadius Library in Athens, goes far in rectifying that lack. Because the last emperor was very much a product of his family’s inheritance as well as of his Graeco-Roman culture, the first half of this slender volume provides considerable information on the operation of the empire as a family business, as well as on the administrative differences between East and West in the medieval period. The later chapters relate the spread of the Palaiologi as far as Cornwall and Barbados, though these may or may not be descendants of the imperial branch of the family.
April 7, 2008
The last emperor of Byzantium of often only described in his death scene against the Turks.
The reality is that without help from the West he never had a chance. The empire the Turks finished off was a shadow of itself (mostly due to the first Crusade).
The West not the Turks destroyed the Byzantines.
The reality is that without help from the West he never had a chance. The empire the Turks finished off was a shadow of itself (mostly due to the first Crusade).
The West not the Turks destroyed the Byzantines.
May 31, 2014
I knew some of this before I read. But the details, the research, the bibliography, the notes are extensive. Fully engaged in this history - something that doesn't always happen - i ended emotionally exhausted. I would have loved maps, but am so thankful for the follow through. No questions remain about "what happened to" other Palaiogoi.
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