It is evening of May 28, 1453.
Once finished the thanksgiving before the icon of Our Lady of Odigitria made by the Apostle Luke, after all sang - oime! - For the last time the Akathist Hymn, depart to the ramparts where they would defend the walls that have protected Theophylact 1000 years for the City of Constantine. All received the Eucharist, communion in the Porphyrogennetos Justiniana God's Wisdom of the Great Church the heart of world Christianity! The symbol of medieval Hellenism! They asked for forgiveness from each other thousands of people both Orthodox and Catholic priests was celebrating Mass in the Cathedral.
The emperor was seen only for a few minutes.....the burden of responsibility to save a nation, one price, one thousand year old history, the memory of Constantine, the Greek culture, all with the puzzle of defending the city and plan to solve the ultimate defense load the emperor with thorns'' Stephen'' similar to that of Christ ...
There are no words to describe the emotions of this proud people who hope to God to prevent the horrific thoughts of what will follow! Silence reigns in City .. One deathly silence that freezes the blood of all those within them begins a race that will turn into death throes ...
The Emperor having fled from Hagia Sophia goes to the palace of Blachernae on the horse. No time to lose. His head is going to break the terrible thought. '' It's God's will be the City Torkey?'' ... After reaching the palace, there gathers his family and all who faithfully served his home. With paternal affection, hugging them one by one and asks them to forgive him. After the salute deeply touched everyone for the last time he leaves with his horse and go efspefsmena on the ramparts at the last inspection of defensive positions. It's late at night. The watchful eyes of goals see him smile. Believe there is still hope. God, the Emperor, the people, the law is with them!
Midnight, frantically beat the bells of the churches of Constantinople, St. Sophia, the Holy Apostles, heard all of the churches along the road of Eptaskalou. Who does such a moment would sleep when thick black clouds have made the night, the last, dark hell with horrible vultures to wander over the proud City?
The Ottoman attack starts after midnight. It is now May 29, 1453. Waves of Janissaries who one after the other to attack war cries, sounds, drums, trumpets, bagpipes, filled with the noise of the air in the dark veil of night. Mehmet's army (as he wanted to call him the Greek) is more or less 250 000 managed by Zaganos Pasha.Male with experience of war and deep knowledge of Byzantine arms, relative, brother-in-law of Mehmet. In the army of mercenaries that are scum European Christians, Genoese, 25 000 Greeks in Thrace where Mehmet office and gave them gold and all sorts limariki soul for food, for drink, for rape and murder ... Attracted by the large prey were the great capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, katholoklirian GREEK! All these together with murderers adventurers irregulars attacked the fortified line of hard sidirofrakton professionals who were under the command of John Giustiniani (Genoese nobleman from Chios, the faithful ally of the emperor and Philhellene) all and all nothing to one hundredth, no more. All the defenders of the city that could hold a gun were 5 000 souls come on with the auxiliary 7 000. All great in age and all new enemies just over twenty. The battle lasted two hours to three at night ... The body of irregulars fell into complete dissolution pressing each other'''' Tourlos bougdou, leaving many dead and wounded.
Without a pause comes the order to attack the army of Anatolia (Anadoulu Askeran) under Ishaq Pasha.They try to tear down the Palisades. They fight fiercely determined to break the line of defenders. The weakening of the attackers has helped the defenders. With their sabers and kefalothrafstes easily hack their enemy and shoot missiles at numerous mass without even aiming. A group of warriors Ishaq Pasha thrown into a crack of the walls and currently seems to invade the city. But the emperor and his men the rush and quickly slaughtered. The second Turkish attack also failed.
Then come the Janissaries. It is ironic that they were born Greek Orthodox. Were disciplined, professional, fierce warriors, perfectly trained and ready to die for the Sultan. Before the outbreak of hostilities, the last day for the City, Mehmet asked his army,'' Today I do not want to fight for me. I want to die for me''! The Janissaries rushed with fury from the opening track stivagmena dead bodies of Christians and Muslims in epitithontas exhausted defenders of the city. With great effort the Greeks, the Venetians, the Genoese and other Italian allies repulsed by sending back the enemy.
Then a group of enemies unexpectedly entered the city from a small unguarded gateway (he had opened the previous evening by traitors who had corrupted Mehmet). The gate was known as'' backdoor'' was on the walls of Blachernae. Battle melee erupted in this small gate.
The Pasha Karatzas and European mercenaries surround the outer wall of the City of the Golden Horn (Golden Horn) on the water's edge. More Janissaries approaching the walls of Blachernae. The remains of the Venetian encircled by soldiers from Anatolia who attack from the outside wall and those who are already Parateichion''''. A deadly shrapnel from Ottoman cannon accurately beats the Byzantine Greeks and cut in half while the Chians, Rhodians and the remnants of the Venetians have both dissolved. The Byzantine fire breaks currently two units aftandres Ottoman janissaries Vlachernon the walls, preventing them to enter the city. The Greeks under the command of the Venetian Filippo Kontarini the Papal unit of Cardinal Isidore and John Genoese Giustiniani, together attack and dissolve the janissary in the New Imperial Palace but they can repel them out. The Janissaries of the wall Vlachernon repelled by the remaining Chian-rhodium, but the Greeks pushed back and a unit Janissaries invaded the city. Numerous swarms of Anatolia pushing the Venetians to go out of Parateichion'''' and get locked into one of the towers of the City. Theophilus Palaeologus killed, leaving only the head Trevizano Venetian ...
Shortly before it prepares the day, an arrow pierces the iron chest of Justinian and chest wounds.Staggered by the trauma and physical exhausted the combative mood collapsed ... Despite the entreaties of the Emperor not to leave his post, Justinian gave orders to his soldiers to take him off the battlefield.The other soldiers who fought in the area watching the quarterback to transfer wounded, ypopteftikan that had broken the line of defense and and they rush the gate to leave with him. The Emperor and the Greeks are left alone. Then the Ottoman commanders seeing this thousand janissaries order to attack the now weakened that defense. The janissaries rush and break the fences strimochnontas Greeks in the wall.
Meanwhile intrude more on backdoor, where the defenders were unable to neutralize the first invaders. Soon the first enemy flags fluttering in the walls. The Emperor and his commanders are desperately trying to rally the troops and push back the enemy. In vain, it was too late. Waves of Janissaries, followed by other regular units of the Ottoman army returned to the open gates of the city full of terrified defenders running to save heaps of dead and slaughtered Christian soldiers.
Then realizing that the emperor has lost everything from strips of the imperial and as an ordinary soldier with blood and sweat flowing river from the forehead and his body followed by his cousin Theophilus Palaeologus, the ruler, the Castilian ( Spanish) Don Francisco de Toledo, the Katakouzinos, Matthew and John Sgouromali Dalmatia - and by keeping seven swords - to attack enemies, in an ultimate act of heroic courage.
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