In this episode, we trace the final, desperate days of the Byzantine Empire through the eyes of its last emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, and his formidable rival, Sultan Mehmet II.

As the walls of Constantinople trembled under the relentless bombardment of Ottoman cannons, two vastly different leaders prepared for war—Constantine, a resolute ruler defending his crumbling empire, and Mehmet, a young, ambitious conqueror determined to carve his name into history.

Both men knew the battle was inevitable.

In Constantinople, fear hung heavy in the air as the people clung to fading hopes of Western aid. In Edirne, Mehmet’s forges thundered, casting the largest cannon ever built.

Ancient prophecies foretold the city's fall, but history also warned of disaster for any Muslim ruler who dared to seize it.

The last battle of the great Christian empire was at hand—and both sides knew it would be a fight to the death.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices