Its Sieges and Calamities
Its Sieges and Calamities
As THAT wonderful city of Constantinople (in the old classic ages Byzantium) is even yet in peril, it may be of interest to our readers to note some of the many sieges and calamities she has passed through. This compilation may have missed some of them, but it gives most of the important items of this character. 667, the city first colonized by the Megarians. 479, Greeks conquer Byzantium. 409, Byzantium captured by Alcibiades. 357, Byzantium with Chios, Cos, and Rhodes successfully revolts against Athens. 340, unsuccessfully besieged by Philip of Macedon. 73, Vespasian, the Roman, subdues Byzantium, Lycia, Rhodes, Thrace, Cilicia, and Samos. 194, besieged by Severus. 330, Constantine dedicates Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire, styling it Second or New Rome. 365, Procopius seizes the city. 419, the great walls of Constantinople are built as a protection against the barbarians by Athemius, the general of Theodosius II. 433, fire destroys a great part of the city. 460, an earthquake of forty days’ duration destroys the greater part of the city. 527-565, Justinian I reigns. 532, Belisarius rescues Justinian from the insurrection of the Green circus faction; 30,000 Greeks are slain, the city burned, splendidly rebuilt by Justinian. 557, earthquake destroys many buildings and lives. 559, Belisarius repels the Bulgarian invaders. 610, Heraclius takes the city, and makes himself emperor. 668-675, first siege by the Saracens. 677, again besieged. Callinicus destroys their fleet with Greek fire. 717-718, second siege by the Saracens. 725, the Saracens invade the city. 746-749, desolated by the plague; 200,000 victims. 821-823, besieged by Thomas, the general of the murdered Leo. 864, unsuccessfully besieged by twenty-two Russian ships. 907-1043, repeated attacks by the Russians. 1081, sacked by the rebel army of Alexius Comnenus. 1203, May 9, taken by the Crusaders, ostensibly to restore Isaac II to his throne. 1235, Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, unsuccessfully besieges the city. 1261, July 25, captured by the revolting Greeks, and the Latin empire ends. 1347, captured by John Cantacuzenus. 1410, attacked by Musa Chelebi. 1422, unsuccessfully besieged by 200,000 Turks under Amurath II. 1425, peace is made between the Greeks and the Turks. 1453, Mohammed II captures the city. 1459-66, Servia and Albania are annexed. 1466, Epirus also; 1475, Crimea. 1453-1481, the city repopulated and rebuilt. Creation of the Turkish Stamboul. 1516, Phenicia, Syria, and Palestine are annexed; later, Egypt also. 1611, the plague destroys 200,000 lives. 1826, the Janizaries revolt, and many thousands are massacred; the organization is abolished. 1828, Austria joins with England in interference to prevent the fall of Constantinople, and in bringing about peace. 1865, August, cholera rages, and fire consumes 2,500 houses. 1868, an insurrection by the Young Turkey Party fails. 1877, the National Council rejects propositions made by a conference of the powers respecting Servia and Montenegro; the first Turkish parliament opens, with thirty senators and ninety deputies. 1881, March-April, conference of ambassadors; Turkey yields, and decides to transfer to Greece most of the territory indicated by the Berlin Conference. 1890, fire consumes property worth $5,000,000. 1912, besieged by Bulgarians.