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ARMENIA AND THE NEAR EAST
40
med II and an army of 165,000 in April 1453 ; and to this
force the courageous emperor Constantine XI could oppose
no more than 7,000 men. The Turks, moreover, had artillery ;
fourteen batteries and twelve large pieces bombarded the
town night and day with stone cannon-balls weighing up to
500 lb., and it was difficult to close the breaches they made
in the strong walls. It was a desperate struggle ; and the
bravest and most indefatigable combatant was the emperor
himself.
Then came the final tragic battle on Tuesday, May 29,
1453. The emperor took his last ride round the defences
on the evening before the great Turkish attack, and spoke
words of encouragement to his troops. Then, after attending
service in St. Sophia, and håving said farewell to the members
of his household and begged the forgiveness of any whom he
might have wronged, he took up his position in the great
breach where the main attack was expected.
At two o’clock the storm broke out, and when the young
victor, Muhammed 11, rode into the town next morning he
passed close to the emperor’s dead body, buried beneath a
heap of his faithful followers. He had fought to the last.
A Turk found the blood-stained corpse, and cutting off the
head, brought it to Muhammed, who in the flush of victory
directed it to be placed on the top of Justinian’s metal column.
Afterwards it was sent round to be exhibited to the governors
of the Asiatic provinces. The Byzantine empire was no
more.
Our steamer was gliding steadily onwards through the
curious, narrow strait. Its Greek nåme, Bosporos, might
possibly mean " a place where oxen wade "—equivalent to
Oxford. 1 Although this is very uncertain, it is not at all
impossible that the men of the past crossed over here with
their cattle. The strait is like a large winding river, which
has cut its channel with steep sides through the comparatively
low, rocky land which connects Asia and Europe. How can
a channel like this have been formed ? In several places
1 Mr. Emil Smith informs me, however, that one would expect a Greek
word with this meaning to have the form Buporos, or Boosporos (from the gen.
sing. boos).
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