Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Historical continuity


480 BC "μολών λαβέ" = "come and get them" Leonidas I, King of Sparta

When King Xerxes demanded from Leonidas to surrender his arms.


1453 AD "Το δε την Πόλιν σοι δούναι ούτ' εμόν εστίν, ούτε άλλου των οικούντων εν αυτή. Κοινή γαρ γνώμη πάντες αυτοπροαιρέτως αποθανούμεν και ου φεισόμεθα της ζωής ημών" =
"Surrendering the City to you is not my right, nor the right of anyone else, for we have all decided to die and we shall not spare our lives" Constantine XI Paleologos, Last Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

When Sultan Mehmet II demanded from Constantine to surrended Constantinople.


PS: those two statues are less that 10 kilometers away, one in the city of Sparta and the other in Mistras, both great men of Lakonian-Hellenic stock, sacrificied their lives for a common cause: FREEDOM

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://kratylos.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-post_28.html

3:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am pretty sure that knowing the Spartans, the King wore a transverse horse hair crest. The regular Spartan wore it one way and all dyed red and the officers and the Kings of the Spartan army wore transverse horsehair dyed white. I would think that the officers may have worn one that was plaid; i.e white and red.

Distinctions of rank were very important to the Spartans and each rank would have a specific mark. In battle it would be very important to know who was an officer, who was the king etc.

Furthermore, you mentioned that Constantine XI was of "Lakonian" stock. Huh? I would think only Cretans can be sure of Doric Stock, but Constantine XI?

Even though they spoke Greek, they called themselves "Romani", interesting.

What I learned is that Constantine XI caused the defeat, when he just walked away, and the defenders of that wall, not knowing, followed him and left the walls also.

Sad. But all good things must come to an end.

3:50 AM  
Blogger vetdino said...

Hello Lindsay!

You are right (as far as I know) about the Spartans and their rankings.

About Constantine Paleologos, he was the Despot of Mistras (the Medeval citadel very close to Sparta), born and raised at the late years of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantinium if you want), at that time there was a philosophical movement lead by George Gemistus Plethon, a neo-platonic philosopher and scholar who contributed not only to a mini renaissance in the Byzantine world but also to the great renaissance which was on its way in Europe (Italy).

During this mine renaissance the Eastern Romans (the term Byzantine was not used by themselves) re-defined themselves in the limits of a greek-speaking and ethnically greek state. The term "Hellen" which in the past had been a synomym of Pagan was being re-used and now considered an honour. George Gemistus considered the residents of the Peloponeese as the most pure Greeks!! Just for the record, the residents of the peninsula of Mani (or Maina) remained pagans and were sacrificing to the ancient Gods until as late as the 10 century (according to the record of Emperor Constantine Porfirogenitus)!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gemistus_Plethon

About his Doric stock, it's kind of tricky to find genetic purity after some 2000 years, especially since so many barbaric invasions occured. But it's not only the blood, but the culture, the mentality and the sense of a common past.

Constantine XI in his last speech to the people of Constantinople addressed them as Greeks as well as Roman and mentioned to classical antiquity as part of their heritage.

I don't know who ever said that Constantine run away, but the contrary, he had the opportunity offered by the Sultan, exactly like Xerxes and Leonidas, to convert to Islam and become a highly ranked noble, ruler of the Peloponeese, but he refused!!

Justiniany, the mercenary from Genoa was the one who got wounded and left the city just before the fall.

Constantine was fought to the bitter end, it is said that when the Turks enterd the City, and doom was beyond doubt, he cried: "The City is lost and I am alive!! Is there is no Christian to take my head?", he removed his imperial destinctions and he charged on his horse to the Turkish hordes!! His body was only recognised by the golden eagles on his boots.

His death was as heroic as the death of Leonidas.

10:44 AM  
Blogger vetdino said...

also check this link out http://www.agiasofia.com/emperors/conpaleo.html

10:57 AM  
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5:00 PM  

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