The End of a Millennial Empire
On this day, 571 years ago, the Ottoman army, under the command of Mehmed II, managed to defeat the last defenses and storm the walls of Constantinople. With this event, an empire that had been established fifteen centuries ago by Augustus, the first emperor of Rome (27 BC), came to an end. After the division of the Roman Empire in 395, the eastern part, with its capital in Constantinople (ancient Byzantium), resisted the decline that affected the western part, maintaining its splendor until 1453.
The Culmination of a Crisis
The fall of Constantinople marked the end of a period of crisis that had begun in the 10th and 11th centuries. This empire, which in the 5th and 6th centuries had consolidated its dominance over a large part of the ancient western Roman possessions, was reduced, a thousand years later, to a tiny territory that represented barely 1% of its original extension. The last emperor, Constantine XI, perished defending the city walls during the fall.
Threats and Contractions
During its process of crisis and contraction, the Eastern Empire faced serious threats. From the crusades to the Catalan Company of the East, various situations endangered its existence. Even between 1303 and 1318, the Catalan Company of the East was on the verge of causing the fall of the Empire, which led to the acceptance of the constitution of the Catalan duchies of Athens and Neopatria.
The Importance of Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a valuable tool for summarizing and synthesizing information from multiple sources, allowing you to focus on relevant details. When paraphrasing, the ideas of other authors are reaffirmed in your own words, which facilitates understanding and originality in academic work.
