The Sultan allowed his victorious troops three days and nights of plunder before he took possession of his new capital. The Ottoman Empire had now superseded the Byzantine Empire; and some Greeks, like the contemporary historian Critobulus of Imbros, recognized the logic of the change by bestowing on the Sultan all the attributes of the emperor. The material structure of the empire, which had long been crumbling, was now under the management of the sultan-basileus. But the Eastern Orthodox faith was less susceptible to change. The Sultan acknowledged the fact that the church had proved to be the most enduring element in the Byzantine world, and he gave the Patriarch of Constantinople an unprecedented measure of temporal authority by making him answerable for all Christians living under Ottoman rule.
Interior of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.© estivillml/iStock.com
The last scattered pockets of Byzantine resistance were eliminated within a decade after 1453. Athens fell to the Turks in 1456–58, and in 1460 the two despots of Morea surrendered. Thomas fled to Italy, Demetrius to the Sultan’s court. In 1461 Trebizond, capital of the last remnant of Greek empire, which had maintained its precarious independence by paying court to Turks and Mongols alike, finally succumbed; the transformation of the Byzantine world into the Ottoman world was at last complete. Donald MacGillivray Nicol The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Byzantine emperors
The table provides a chronological list of the emperors of the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine emperors* *For emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire (at Constantinople) before the fall of Rome, see Roman Republic and Empire. Zeno 474–491 Anastasius I 491–518 Justin I 518–527 Justinian I 527–565 Justin II 565–578 Tiberius II Constantine 578–582 Maurice 582–602 Phokas 602–610 Heraclius 610–641 Constantine III 641 Heraclonas 641 Constans II 641–668 Constantine IV 668–685 Justinian II 685–695 Leontius 695–698 Tiberius III 698–705 Justinian II (restored) 705–711 Philippikos Vardan 711–713 Anastasios II 713–715 Theodosios III 715–717 Leo III 717–741 Constantine V Copronymus 741–775 Leo IV 775–780 Constantine VI 780–797 Irene 797–802 Nikephoros I 802–811 Stauracius 811 Michael I Rhangabe 811–813 Leo V 813–820 Michael II 820–829 Theophilus 829–842 Michael III 842–867 Basil I 867–886 Leo VI 886–912 Alexander 912–913 Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus 913–959 Romanus I Lecapenus 920–944 Romanus II 959–963 Nicephorus II Phocas 963–969 John I Tzimisces 969–976 Basil II 976–1025 Constantine VIII 1025–28 Romanos III Argyros 1028–34 Michael IV 1034–41 Michael V 1041–42 Zoe and Theodora 1042 Constantine IX Monomachos 1042–55 Theodora 1055–56 Michael VI 1056–57 Isaac I Komnenos 1057–59 Constantine X Doukas 1059–67 Romanos IV Diogenes 1067–71 Michael VII Doukas 1071–78 Nikephoros III Botaneiates 1078–81 Alexios I Komnenos 1081–1118 John II Komnenos 1118–43 Manuel I Komnenos 1143–80 Alexios II Komnenos 1180–83 Andronikos I Komnenos 1183–85 Isaac II Angelos 1185–95 Alexios III Angelos 1195–1203 Isaac II Angelos (restored) and Alexios IV Angelos (joint ruler) 1203–04 Alexios V Murtzouphlos 1204 Latin emperors of Constantinople Baldwin I 1204–06 Henry 1206–16 Peter 1217 Yolande (empress) 1217–19 Robert 1221–28 Baldwin II 1228–61 John 1231–37 Nicaean emperors Constantine (XI) Lascaris 1204–05? Theodore I Lascaris 1205?–22 John III Ducas Vatatzes 1222–54 Theodore II Lascaris 1254–58 John IV Lascaris 1258–61 Greek emperors restored Michael VIII Palaeologus 1261–82 Andronicus II Palaeologus and Michael IX Palaeologus (joint ruler 1295–1320) 1282–1328 Andronicus III Palaeologus 1328–41 John V Palaeologus 1341–76 John VI Cantacuzenus 1347–54 Andronicus IV Palaeologus 1376–79 John V Palaeologus (restored) 1379–90 John VII Palaeologus 1390 John V Palaeologus (restored) 1390–91 Manuel II Palaeologus and John VIII Palaeologus (joint ruler 1421–25) 1391–1425 John VIII Palaeologus 1425–48 Constantine XI Palaeologus 1449–53