Battles, intrigue, good vs evil, romance, history and betrayal…. Welcome to the year 1453.
1453 is told as a story by the emperor’s secretary, George Sphrantzes, which includes a number of ‘first person’ accounts and flashbacks to other eras that impacted the Byzantine Empire. While this is based mostly on facts and stories that took place in 1453, it also includes drama, with the occasional sense of humour and romance added in.
This is the fifth book from Billy Cotsis, whose previous efforts include the acclaimed Many Faces of Hellenic Culture and Once upon a time in Crystal Palace. The latter is set to be turned into a film if finance is secured.
Neos Kosmos asked Mr Cotsis why he has decided to write the book.
“I was writing this as a screenplay years ago in London, but never finished it. Then last year, I had the urge to find a way to showcase what this city means to Hellenes; I wrote this during the early COVID-19 period, and coincidentally, it arrived after the furor of Hagia Sofia [and its reconversion from a museum to a mosque]. I wanted people to know the city was once Greek. I want people to know the history and the stories of this incredible siege, and how it went from a Greek Orthodox city to one belonging to a young, and astute Sultan,” he said.
Constantinople/Byzantium, one of the greatest cities in Greek history, became a shadow of its former self, due to civil wars and the betrayal of the Crusaders of 1204. Against the backdrop of a controversial ‘union’ of churches with the Vatican, the emperor must find a way to save his city, with just 8,000 soldiers, meagre resources and a sultan who could bring 120,000 fighters and his musical trumpets to the gates of Constantinople. Those gates and walls were bombarded and attacked over six weeks, with twists and turns in the fortunes of both leaders throughout.
“The book is essentially about the brilliance of Emperor Constantine Paleologos, against the genius of Sultan Mehmet, two leaders who would define the fortunes of two significant empires; the millennium old Byzantine Empire and the growing Ottoman entity,” he said.
“Add to the mix, the betrayal by some of the emperor’s allies, a life of successes and disasters including heartbreak in the arena of love, Constantine was steeled enough to handle a siege. Could the young sultan hold his resolve too? Was he ready to take on the experience of the emperor and the walls of Constantinople?”
The reader will also get the flavour that both the emperor and sultan were amazing leaders, both extremely competent and hungry to win.
“This is more than a tale of a siege. 1453, allows the reader to delve into some of the problems confronting the defenders, their bravery and their personalities. The charismatic Giustiniani and his soldiers from Chios and Genoa, the Venetians who stayed in the city, Orhan the Turkish prince and his followers who fought for the city, Grant the Scot who stood out with his unique appearance and humour, and a mysterious band of Cretans who simply had no idea how to lose.”
This is far more than a Greeks vs Turks siege. It is about two empires representing multi-ethnicities, contrasting leaders who knew how to inspire their followers and a sub text of politics that was played out in Venice and the Vatican.
READ MORE: Turkish prayer and ‘fiesta’ at Hagia Sophia on anniversary of Fall of Constantinople
“I hope that I was able to humanise some of the characters/people involved in the siege. It is a fiction based on facts, though I had to create the female characters, as there is very little information on the women in this era. I have told the tale through a main narrator, some flashbacks to golden moments of the empire and of course, the lead up to 29 May, 1453.
To add some intrigue, there is also an alternative ending, a ‘what-if’ scenario. 1453: Constantinople and the Immortal Rulers, is available on Amazon at the end of the month and the Greek Bilingual Bookshop week 2 of September https://bilingualbookshop.com.au/ and wherever a good book may, or may not be sold.
Billy Cotsis is a writer, documentary filmmaker, ethnic journalist, supporter of peace. His next project is a documentary series called Magna Graecia, which takes us to the Greek villages of Calabria and Apulia in Italy.