@RedStickHistorian

What I find amazing is how long the walls did their job, if not for gunpowder they might have held even longer.

@FelixIakhos

I had no idea that this siege was so closely contested, despite the odds. I always thought the cannons blasted the theodosian walls to kingdom and that was that. Another enlightening video, thank you.

@kev-la-kill9673

Here I go thinking about the Roman Empire again.

@baltai3123

I have passed through the Roman walls thousands of times. Actually, when you think about it, it is literally a 1000-year-old Roman wall, but no one think about that. The walls are completely part of the city and intertwined with daily life.

@kvxmgshredder94

"The spider weaves the curtains in the palace of the Caesars" That's amazing.

@Wirybird88

Constantine XI was such a badass. One of the few to actually lead his troops to the very end in defense of their city

@michaelporzio7384

Great video!  Rome went down bravely, led by a heroic emperor.  This video has helped me talk to my dog about the fall of Constantinople.  He was very depressed.

@constantinexi6489

I like how you can visualize the history of the empire with the main entry of the Golden Gate - it gets bricked over and shrinks through the centuries until it is no bigger than a normal door.

@robdenini6972

The Golden Gate is sealed due to a Greek myth. It is said that a Greek king will reconquer Constantinople and restore the empire, and he will enter the city in triumph by the golden gate as the emperors of old. The Ottomans were superstitious so they sealed that gate.
There's also the Marble Emperor myth, according to which Constantine XI's body was recovered by the Angel Michael and was buried underneath the golden gate.

@quantumhype9839

Fridays become just a little more sweet when ToldInStone releases a new video 😊

@jonathanyes112

“Athena herself could scarcely have built these walls in so short a time” 💀

Has that dude ever read a Greek tragedy

@elizabethlee2136

I was just watching a biography on Mehmed the second. Fought dracula,huge roman history fanboy, his favorite historical character was Alexander the great. He also made it legal for a king to murder his brother to preserve the nation. Intense guy.

@charlessalvia7176

In my experience, the American public education system barely emphasizes Constantinople. Our sense of the Middle Ages centers more around Western Europe, focusing on the British and French monarchies. But really the major centers of civilization were in the East, like Constantinople, the Middle Eastern Caliphates (Baghdad, etc.), and of course, China.

@chrisball3778

I visited Istanbul this year. I don't know the city well, and it was difficult to get to the walls. I got off the tram a stop too late, and it was extremely hard to get back to them on foot because the area was dominated by busy roads with poor pedestrian access. There's a '1453 Panorama' museum near where the fighting took place that gives a very patriotic Turkish interpretation of the siege, but is still very interesting and entertaining. Yet the walls themselves are mostly in a fairly run-down series of parks, which aren't well served by public transit. I'm sure more people would visit the spectacular ruins and that part of the city if it was made easier and more inviting, and the Istanbul local authorities should look into it.

N/A

This sounds like an event that should be made into a movie.

@glencarragher5859

It was amazingy to see these walls still standing today on my recent holiday.turkey really is an amazing place for history both Ancient and medieval.....Im great full toldinstone for his videos and books for preparing me for my Mediterranean trip though turkey,greece,Italy

@pelicanus4154

I've read extensively about the siege so was interested to see how you handled it. This was the best & most concise intro to the subject. Always enjoy your videos.

@wolfbane8290

This was a great retelling of the history of Constantinople's last great defense. The footage you took really provided some great context and I had to pause a few times to enjoy some of the  illustrations.

@Another_opinion_

Great video. So nice to see actual footage. Well done

@v.g.r.l.4072

The finsl quotation of Dr. Ryan confirms his sensibility and the greatness of the final fall of the Roman civilisation. The video reminded me of the beautiful pages that Gibbon devotes to the event. Thanks as always.