1453: The Catastrophe That Ended Rome
Summary
Professor Anthony Kaldellis discusses his book 1453, challenging romantic myths about Constantinople’s fall and arguing the Eastern Roman Empire was a bounded state, not a universal empire. He clarifies that the "Byzantines" were Romans who maintained a distinct national identity despite speaking Greek. The episode also explores the complex, interdependent relationship between Romans, Italians, and Ottomans in the 15th century.
Topics discussed
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Introduction to Professor Kaldellis and the book
Correcting misconceptions about the fall of Constantinople
Biases in primary sources and the 10-year gap
The role of cannons and other siege technologies
Defender confidence and the 1422 precedent
Defining the Roman Empire and 'Universal Empire'
The term 'Ecumenical' and modern parallels
Institutions, law, and the bounded state
Roman identity and the concept of 'Romans'
Germanic rulers and the divergence of Italy
Language, Latin, and cultural continuity
The geopolitical landscape in 1453
Italian trade dominance and Ottoman structure
Janissaries, slave armies, and assimilation
Mehmed II's strategic and psychological motives
The choice to defend and the fate of civilians
Enslavement, population loss, and survival of culture
Religious bias in history and modern resonances
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