Constantine XI Dragaš Palaeologus (1404–1453)
Constantine XI Dragaš Palaeologus (1404–1453) captures the poignant final moments of Constantine XI as he stood before the walls of Constantinople in 1453, forever bestowing upon him a heroic status. This book offers a more balanced portrait of an intriguing individual: the last emperor of Constantinople.
The last of the Greek Caesars was a fascinating figure, not due to his prowess as a great statesman, for he was not, nor for his military skills, as he was neither a notable tactician nor a soldier of exceptional merit.
Despite formulating grandiose plans, his hopes and ambitions were ultimately doomed because he failed to inspire his subjects, who did not rally to his cause. Constantine lacked the skills to create, restore, or maintain harmony within his troubled realm.
He was also ineffective on the diplomatic front, unable to incite Latin Christendom to mount an expedition to aid south-eastern Orthodox Europe. Yet, despite his numerous shortcomings, military defeats, and the various disappointments during his reign, posterity still fondly remembers the last Constantine.
Constantine XI Dragaš Palaeologus (1404–1453) captures the poignant final moments of Constantine XI as he stood before the walls of Constantinople in 1453, forever bestowing upon him a heroic status. This book offers a more balanced portrait of an intriguing individual: the last emperor of Constantinople.
The last of the Greek Caesars was a fascinating figure, not due to his prowess as a great statesman, for he was not, nor for his military skills, as he was neither a notable tactician nor a soldier of exceptional merit.
Despite formulating grandiose plans, his hopes and ambitions were ultimately doomed because he failed to inspire his subjects, who did not rally to his cause. Constantine lacked the skills to create, restore, or maintain harmony within his troubled realm.
He was also ineffective on the diplomatic front, unable to incite Latin Christendom to mount an expedition to aid south-eastern Orthodox Europe. Yet, despite his numerous shortcomings, military defeats, and the various disappointments during his reign, posterity still fondly remembers the last Constantine.
Description
Constantine XI Dragaš Palaeologus (1404–1453) captures the poignant final moments of Constantine XI as he stood before the walls of Constantinople in 1453, forever bestowing upon him a heroic status. This book offers a more balanced portrait of an intriguing individual: the last emperor of Constantinople.
The last of the Greek Caesars was a fascinating figure, not due to his prowess as a great statesman, for he was not, nor for his military skills, as he was neither a notable tactician nor a soldier of exceptional merit.
Despite formulating grandiose plans, his hopes and ambitions were ultimately doomed because he failed to inspire his subjects, who did not rally to his cause. Constantine lacked the skills to create, restore, or maintain harmony within his troubled realm.
He was also ineffective on the diplomatic front, unable to incite Latin Christendom to mount an expedition to aid south-eastern Orthodox Europe. Yet, despite his numerous shortcomings, military defeats, and the various disappointments during his reign, posterity still fondly remembers the last Constantine.
