Palasologus Constantine XIII., the last emperor of the East, born in 1394, killed at the taking of Constantinople, May 29, 1453. He was the son of Manuel and brother of John Palseologus, emperors of Constantinople. He succeeded his brother as emperor in 1448, his succession being however disputed by his younger brother Demetrius, who claimed that, having been born in the purple, he was the legitimate heir. The sultan Amurath II. had made large conquests in the Byzantine empire, and now held his court in Adrianople; and by his assent the crown was given to Constan-tine, who was then in Greece. But Mohammed II., the son of Amurath, resolved to complete the conquest of the Byzantine empire by the capture of Constantinople. Constantine's appeals for aid to the princes of Christendom met with little response. The siege was formally opened April 6, 1453. The defence was obstinate, and for weeks it appeared that the siege would be unsuccessful. Mohammed offered favorable terms, which were refused by Constantine, who declared that he would find a throne or a grave under the walls of Constantinople. The decisive assault was fixed for the 29th of May, the sultan promising double pay to his soldiers, and that the man who first mounted the walls should be rewarded by the government of the richest province of his empire.

While the action Jiung in even scales, an arrow or bullet pierced the armor of Giovanni Giustiniani, the commander of the Genoese auxiliaries, who had borne the bravest part in the defence. In spite of the remonstrances of Constantine, the Genoese troops fled through a breach which the Turks had effected, and were followed by the other auxiliaries. The walls were then stormed, and Constantine, who fought to the last, was killed by an unknown hand. His body, recognized by the golden eagles embroidered on the shoes, was discovered under a heap of slain; the head was cut off and brought to Mohammed, who however gave the body an honorable burial. It is said, though Gibbon doubts the truth of the story, that the head was sent around Persia and Arabia as a trophy.