Constantine XI and the Fall of the Constantinople Quiz

Answer: False

The Byzantine Empire is a modern term. The inhabitants of the former Eastern Roman Capital still considered and referred to themselves as "Roman", although their culture was more Hellenic than Latin.

Answer: Constantine Dragas

Dragas was Constantine's Serbian mother's family name. Constantine Petrovich was the first Governer General of Russian Turkestan, Constantine Prezan was a Romanian General in World War I, and Constantine Ducas was a Byzantine co-emperor during the 11th century.

Answer: Athens and Thebes

As 'Despotes' of Morea (the Peloponnese), Constantine launched attacks on the Florentine cities of Athens and Thebes, forcing their Italian duke to pay him tribute. These victories were short lived.

Answer: The Ottoman Empire

Already surrounding Constantinople on all sides, the Ottoman Empire refused to allow Byzantine power to return to all of Greece, and the Empire was again reduced to Constantinople and its surrounding area plus the Peloponnese.

Answer: 1453

By 1453 Sultan Mehmet II had large fortresses on both sides of Constantinople. He had conquered most of Greece and now felt the need to consolidate his power and conquer Constantinople, so in this year he marched 100,000 troops including 20,000 Janissaries to the Western gates of Constantinople.

Answer: They were annoyed that the Eastern Orthodox Church had not reconciled its differences with the Papacy

Ever since the schism or split the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in 1054, the Roman Catholic west had been trying to re-integrate the east. A temporary reunion came about in the 13th century, but ethnic tensions between Greeks and Italians stemming from the stranglehold the Italians had over the Byzantine economy and the sack of Constantinople in 1204 also played a significant role, and finally the Union failed, greatly annoying Pope Nicholas V and the Roman Catholic church.

Answer: 14 to 1

The Ottoman Empire attacked Constantinople with over fourteen times the number of troops under Constantine's command, the numbers being about 100,000 to 7,000 - not to mention the fact that the Ottomans had gunpowder and plenty of it.

Answer: The Byzantines forgot to lock one of the gates leading into the city

Unfortunately, one of the access doors in the great walls was left unlocked. Upon discovering this, the Ottoman army poured into the city through this door and captured it. The monster cannon, the "Basilic", could fire a huge ball nearly one mile. However, it took three hours to load and even a target as large as Constantnople proved difficult to hit.

The Ottomans DID have secret tunnels, but Byzantine forces learned of these before the attack and destroyed them. Whether guarding that one gate would have made much difference in the longer term is another matter.

Answer: He threw the Imperial Purple aside, mounted his horse and, with his loyal entourage, charged into the storm, never to be seen again

It was this act that immortalized the name of Constantine XI Palaeologos, leading some Greeks today to think of him as a saint. With no other options, Constantine threw the Imperial Purple aside and rode into the mass of Ottoman invaders and perished. With him died the Roman Empire, too.

Answer: Kayzer-i-Rum

Constantinople was all that remained of the once mighty Roman Empire. Upon its conquest, Mehmet gave himself the title of Kayzer-I-Rum, or "Emperor of Rome". That is all, I hope you have enjoyed my quiz about this often overlooked event which defined the rest of the millennium in Europe and beyond.