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 462 DESTRUCTION OF THE GEEEK EMPIEE Turkish fleet in the Bosporus, 233 ; Greeks break down bridges leading across the foss, and close the city- gates, 235; gradual approach of Turkish army, 236 ; emperor's reply to Mahomet's formal offer of peace, 236 ; paucity of the imperial forces, 246 sq.; positions occupied by his troops, 248 sqq. ; his cannon were few and of little value, 250 ; equip- ment and arms of the forces, 251 Constantine XI. — The Siege : the city beleaguered (April 7, 1453), 254; first bombardment, 255 ; defeats of enemy's attempts, 256 ; a naval battle : defeat of Baltoglu, 257 sqq.; fruitless appeals for further aid, 268 ; more destructive bombard- ment, 269 ; transport of Turkish vessels overland, 269 sqq. ; Con- stantine alleged to have sued for peace, 277 ; the sultan's reply, ib. ; the statement is hardly probable, 278 ; the emperor sends a vessel to search for the expected Venetian fleet, 285 ; his reply to proposal that he should leave the city, 286 sq. ; pacifies quarrel of Venetians and Genoese, 288; strange phe- nomena seen in city (May 22-26, 1453), 296 sqq. ; great alarm of emperor and people, 298 Constantine XL — Last days of Empire : comparison of conditions of besieged and besiegers, 313 ; difference of character in their final preparations, 314 ; some food for hope for the Greeks, ib.; Ismail of Sinope brings suggestion of Greek surrender, on terms, 317 ; emperor's reply, 318; religious preparations for the coming struggle : the last religious procession in the city, 327 ; Constantine 's ' funeral oration of the Empire,' 328; spirit of the speech, 329 ; his last view of the city, 332 ; his attempt to rally de- fenders at the stockade, 347 ; took the post of Justiniani after the latter's departure, 348 ; death of Constantine, 350 ; variant accounts as to the manner of his death, 353 sqq. ; his character, 355 ; his burial- place unknown, 357 Constantinople — Latin Empire, 1204- 61 : the city never recovered the blow inflicted by the Fourth Crusade, 1 ; Baldwin, the first Latin emperor : the parcelling out of the empire and division of the spoil, 2 sq. : dissen- sions, 3; conflict with Bulgarians, ib. ; disputes among leaders, 4 ; opposition of Greek population : empire of Nicaea, 5 sq. ; Baldwin's death : succeeded by Henry (1205), 7 ; Henry's policy of conciliation, 8 ; mysterious death of his successor, Peter of Courtenay, ib. ; fate of Peter's successor, Bobert, 9 ; in 1222 there were four persons claiming to be emperors, ib. : Bobert's successor, John de Brienne (1228) : troubles of his reign, 10 ; Baldwin II. suc- ceeded (1237) : his visit to the West to beg for help in men and money, ib. ; intense distress and want of food in the city, 11 ; decay of the empire, 12 ; sacred relics and other valuables sold to raise money, ib. ; decay of the city, 13 ; lawlessness of Crusaders, 13 sq. ; events after Baldwin's return : more degradation, 15 sq.; fruitless negotiations with Emperor Michael (of Nicaea), 16 ; the capture of Constantinople (1261), 17 sqq. ; ignominious flight of Bald- win, 19 ; the Latin empire had done irreparable mischief and no com- pensatory good, 20 Constantinople — Beconstructing the Empire : a city of desolation : de- struction and plunder of treasures of art and civilisation, 22 ; its old com- merce ruined, 23 ; desolation in the city reproduced in the provinces, 24; Michael VIII. 's difficulties: anarchy within his dominions and hostility from without, 25 ; hatred of Orthodox towards Boman Church, ib. ; from Michael's own usurpation, 26 ; from attempts by Latins to re- cover the Empire, 29 ; strife about Union of Churches, 31 sqq. ; Union apparently effected (Lyons, 1274), but rejected at Constantinople, 34; further desperate papal efforts, 35 ; death of Michael : his son, Andro- nicus II., succeeded (1282), 36 sq. ; popes still favour re-establishment of Latin empire, 38 : various projects in that direction, 38 sqq.; Andro- nicus calls in the aid of the Catalan Grand Company, 40 ; ill effects thereof, 41 sqq.; outrages upon subjects of the empire, 43 sq., 46 ; emperor's effort to buy them off, 47 ; disastrous results from attempts to restore Latin empire, 49 sqq. Constantinople — Dynastic Struggles : attack of Sultan Othman on im-