“The City has fallen”, May 29, 1453

By Dr. Despina Afentouli*
 
For Hellenism, May 29, 1453 is linked to the painful memory of the fall of Constantinople (the City) and marks the beginning of slavery.
 
The fall of the City has been mourned more than any other fall of a city worldwide and this because, it did not cause historical consequences only to the Hellenism.
 
Constantinople spread Christianism to Europe, as well as preserved and transferred to then known world the knowledge of the ancient philosophers.
 
The Ottomans conquered Asia Minor just in 1071, whereas the history of the Hellenes of Constantinople and generally of Asia Minor began since ancient times.
 
For twelve centuries, the Eastern Roman Empire became a synonym of the orthodox christian faith, the Greek language and the Greek culture.
 
It was a commonwealth of many people and the majority of the population was Greek Orthodox christians.
 
The reasons that led to the fall were economic, political, military, religious and social. Thus, the instability, the invasions, the internal conflicts, the spiritual decline and the demographic changes due to migration also contributed to this outcome.
 
According to historians, the final countdown for Byzantium begun however, since 1204, with the fall of Constantinople under the Franks crusaders, and the final outcome was the fall of the City under the Ottomans in 1453.
 
The restricted number of the besieged with the Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos fought bravely for faith and motherland against the numerous Ottomans with Sultan Mehmed II.
 
After the fall, the City was depopulated and looted.
 
The survival of the Hellenes was identified with the continuation of the Hellenic traditions, with the main support of the Orthodox Church.
 
The conditions of survival were extremely adverse, taking into consideration that the Hellenism confronted – amongst others – the head tax, the paidomazoma (“gathering of children”) and the daily feeling of insecurity due to the arbitrariness of the occupier.
 
The memories for those who fled from Constantinople to Cyprus that was then under the Frankish rule, revived in 1571, when the Ottomans conquered the island.
 
The consequences of the Fall of Constantinople became evident soon to the rest of Europe, as the Ottomans did not stop in the Balkans, but continued to Europe. 
 
Despite the fact that the fall of areas – which were Greek since the ancient times – under the ottoman rule hindered the Renaissance of the Hellenic culture and Hellenic letters before they were established in the West, the Byzantine culture was spread to the West via the Hellenes that fled to the Greek islands that were then under the Latin rule.
 
In the context of re-establisment of the Church, two of the most basic issues that Patriarch Gennadius II was confronted with was the islamisation of a number of christians, as well as the lack of clergymen (priests), as some of them had lost their lives and others were captives. Patriarch Gennadius II bought the freedom of captive clergymen.
 
In the 18th century, Phanariotes officials of the Sublime Porte with the Orthodox ecclesiastical leadership, had reached the peak of their power, as they prospered economically and played an important role in governmental and intellectual circles.
 
For Hellenism, the desire for freedom from the Ottoman rule was also interlinked to the desire for spiritual freedom via the arts and letters.
 
Four centuries under the Ottoman rule and the Hellenism not just survived, but left as holy consignment – amongst others – the national consciousness, the Greek language and the Greek Orthodox christian faith, preserving undimmed the flame of freedom.
 
The greatest perhaps achievement of Byzantium is the fact that until nowadays, continues to inspire religiously at global level; the Byzantium is also experienced as a mystery for the believers through the liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox Church, with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as a benchmark. 
 
The more we learn about our history and the bonds we have with the unforgettable motherlands, the better we comprehend our Hellenic identity and become aware of the significance of our cultural heritage.
 
It is our duty to protect our historical memory and transmit it to the next generations.
 
  • Abstract from the speech delivered by journalist-sociologist, Dr. Despina Afentouli, as the keynote speaker of the cultural remembrance event organized by Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Jackson Heights, NY  in its Church on May 31, 2022.