Fall

Over time, the Byzantine Empire became smaller and weaker. Wars and attacks, especially during the Crusades, damaged the empire and left Constantinople poor and struggling to defend itself.

In 1453, the Ottoman leader Mehmed II attacked Constantinople with a powerful new weapon: giant cannons. These cannons were enormous, some over 25 feet long and able to fire stone balls that weighed more than 1,000 pounds. When the cannons fired, they shook the ground and smashed into the city’s famous walls.

The cannons were so large that they overheated after firing. Soldiers had to cool them down with olive oil and water before they could be used again. Even the strong Theodosian Walls, which had protected the city for hundreds of years, began to crack.

Mehmed II also used a clever trick. A heavy iron chain blocked ships from entering the harbor, so he had his men roll ships over land on logs to get behind the city. Constantinople was attacked from all sides. The Byzantines fought back using Greek fire, which burned even on water, but they could not stop the attack.

After weeks of fighting, Constantinople finally fell. This marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the end of the Roman Empire, about 1,500 years after it began.