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The Destruction of the Greek Empire and the Story of the Capture of Constantinople by the Turks — John Shaqi

The Destruction of the Greek Empire and the Story of the Capture of Constantinople by the TurksPears, Edwin

History

The Destruction of the Greek Empire and the Story of the Capture of Constantinople by the Turks

Name: The Destruction of the Greek Empire and the Story of the Capture of Constantinople by the Turks
Author: Pears, Edwin

Pears, Edwin

Byzantine Empire -- History -- 1081-1453; Istanbul (Turkey) -- History -- Siege, 1453

I have sometimes abstained from discussing the trustworthiness of
my authorities, but have said once for all that their statements,
especially in regard to the numbers they represent as engaged in
battle, of victims slaughtered or captured, and the like, can rarely
be regarded as satisfactory. The means of controlling them seldom
exist. Even in the case of Sir John Maundeville, I have quoted him
without hinting that a doubt of his very existence has been uttered.
Whether he lived and was or was not a traveller, or whether his book
was, as has been suggested, a kind of mediæval Murray’s Guide, does
not in the least affect the statements which I have reproduced from
it. The work of sifting the evidence, new and old, to ascertain its
value has been long and tedious, and I must leave to other students of
the same period to say whether I have succeeded in selecting what is
of use and in rejecting only what is valueless. To have attempted a
critical examination of every important statement which I quote would
have extended my book to an inordinate length, and in regard to most of
them the reader will not find much difficulty in arriving at his own
conclusions as to their trustworthiness.

  EDWIN PEARS.

  CONSTANTINOPLE, _February 1903_.




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER I
                                                        PAGE

  The Latin empire (1204–1261) and its struggles with
  and final overthrow by the Greeks of Nicaea              1


  CHAPTER II

  Condition of and difficulties in reconstructing the
  empire: difficulties arising (_a_) from attempts by
  Latins to recover the empire, (_b_) from Catalan
  Grand Company                                           22


  CHAPTER III

  The Turks: their entry into Asia Minor: not at first
  exclusively Mahometan: their characteristics: Othman
  founds a dynasty: progress of Moslems in Europe and
  Asia Minor: capture of Brousa in 1326                   52


  CHAPTER IV

  Dynastic struggles in empire: appeals to Pope
  for aid; reigns of Andronicus the Second, John
  Cantacuzenus, and John; repeated failure of efforts
  by Popes to induce Western Powers to assist in
  checking Moslem advance                                 65


  CHAPTER V

  Reign of Orchan: struggles with empire; its
  successes and reverses; invasions of Tartars. Reign
  of Murad: defeat of Serbians and Bulgarians by
  Turks; battle of Cossovo-Pol and assassination of
  Murad                                                   97


  CHAPTER VI

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Destruction of the Greek Empire and the Story of the Capture of Constantinople by the Turks

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