The pope’s visit to visit to Turkey provides Christians the opportunity to pay homage to the Byzantine Empire. In some ways, Byzantium seems to be a forgotten or lost period of time. Rarely is the Eastern Roman Empire discussed anymore, outside of stuffy history books. Part of this reticence may have something to do with how the empire expired; its jugular finally slit by the scimitar’s blade, wielded by the soldiers of Islam and Memhet II. Fortunately, the ancient civilization of Byzantium is receiving some much-deserved and belated attention as a result of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit.
Although Orthodoxy was the de facto religion of Byzantium after the schism of 1054, Catholics too can take pride in the accomplishments of this magnificent civilization. In fact, the very last liturgy celebrated in the renowned Hagia Sophia, before being converted into a mosque by the conquering Turks, was a Catholic Mass. Constantine XI Dragases, the last Roman Emperor, was desperate for military assistance from the West and signed an agreement of unity between the two bickering sides of Christendom. He attended the last Divine Liturgy; the Patriarch was notably absent. The beating heart of this vibrant empire was the city of Constantinople, inaugurated by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. For over one thousand years, this “nova roma,” also known as Vasileousa Polis or the Queen of Cities, remained the source of a golden age in culture until 1453 when it collapsed. In terms of the arts, learning, culture and engineering, few cities could rival her accomplishments and triumphs. “Old Rome” herself seemed to pale in comparison to her younger, imperial sister and rival. As barbarian hordes overran Rome, Western Europe was carved up into an array of competing tribes, as warring kings squabbled over territorial boundaries. Throughout this time, Constantinople and Byzantium flourished, shining as a beautiful gem in the East. Unfortunately, fraternal friction emerged between East and West that at times bordered on unbridled hatred. With more than a little condescension, the haughty Greeks disregarded the Latin West as a barbarian melting pot of uncivilized philistines and the source of all religious heresies. Returning the favor, Western Europeans, the Franks in particular, saw the Greeks as effete, prissy and sanctimonious. Looking beyond the lamentable cultural, political and most importantly, religious fault lines that cleaved the two pillars of Christianity, it could safely be argued that Constantinople was, at the height of her splendor, a city unrivaled in Europe and the world. Accounts from Western travelers who passed through Constantinople remain. They express astonishment at the city’s unparalleled wealth and beauty. Hagia Sophia, the greatest church in Christendom, was so beautiful that it seemed to gracefully elude words that attempted to form a description of it. Stephen of Novgorod, a 14th-century Russian passerby in Constantinople had this to say about the renowned Church of Holy Wisdom, “As for St. Sophia, the human mind can neither tell it nor make description of it!” The city was teeming with exquisite churches, monasteries and convents, all harboring suburb works of Christian art. Byzantium gave the world another august age and a proved herself a worthy successor to Athens and Rome.
All of this came to an abrupt end however in the year 1453. The Byzantine Empire, hobbled and exhausted from relentless onslaughts by the advancing Ottoman fury, finally capitulated and was conquered. Emperor Constantine XI died gloriously in battle, futilely rallying the brave defenders who remained behind, mostly Greeks, with some Venetians and a handful of Spaniards. According to eyewitness accounts, he was last seen on his horse with his sword drawn, right before throwing himself into an advancing Turkish hoard. Just before doing so, he tore off his purple cloak, the imperial regalia and the last outward vestige of his link to the glory days of Rome. “The city is taken but I am still alive!” were his last words to his beleaguered comrades. Soon, both city and emperor were gone forever. The enormous and glittering statue of the Emperor Justinian dating from the sixth century, which had stood for the ages as a symbol of Byzantine might, promise and glory was ripped down from its massive pedestal. Janissaries, the elite fighting force of the sultan, poured into the now defenseless city, mercilessly cutting down soldiers and citizens, women and children alike. No distinctions were made as a generous portion of the population was killed. Those who survived the horrific conquest and sack of Constantinople were rounded up like cattle, divided up again as spoils for the victors and sold into slavery or deported. Every church in the city was desecrated, convents and monasteries were ransacked, relics and sacred images shamelessly defiled. The Janissaries marched through the streets bearing a large crucifix chanting, “Behold the god of the Christians!” This ancient Christian capital of Constantine was immediately transferred into hands of a twenty-one year old Ottoman sultan. The triumphant Memhet II waited until order was restored before he majestically entered his newly acquired prize on horseback. His first appointment was at Hagia Sophia, now emptied of its Christian worshippers. He immediately ordered it converted to a mosque and within seconds, an imam issued the first call to prayer from within the apse of the gutted temple. According to legend, to add a final exclamation point to his stunning victory and to forever seal the fate of the Christian line of Constantine, the sultan had the slain emperor’s straw-stuffed head sent throughout the capitals of Arabia as proof of his astonishing feat. He viewed himself as heir to the Caesars of Rome and was eager to demonstrate his claim with a morbid trophy. His claim as successor to Caesar is dubious however, since in the West, a Holy Roman Emperor was already firmly established and he, being Christian and reared in European culture, would certainly have had more legitimacy to claim himself heir to the Caesars and, more importantly, to the civilization Rome breathed forth.
Constantine XI
Regardless, the fall of Constantinople marked the end of an age. It is considered by historians as point of departure to signal the end of the Middle Ages. For their part, the Ottoman Turks continued on a remarkable and seemingly unstoppable march toward conquering “Old Rome” herself, and thus closing the circle of their conquests. Even before the Ottomans could dream of capturing Constantinople, Muslim armies were accustomed to psyching themselves for battle against Christians with the rallying cry, “roma, roma, roma!” With the arrival of the ferociously militant Ottoman Turks, their goal was not all together so unrealistic. European kings and the pope looked on with terror as the Ottoman armies swallowed up huge tracts of territory in their march west, coming within striking distance of Europe’s heart: the Eternal City. Only with the decisive defeat of the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna could Europe breath a collective sigh of relief as Ottoman expansion finally, miraculously stopped.
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