The treacherous Latin invasion of 1204 forever scarred Constantinople, laying waste to many magnificent edifices. But not all has been lost to the annals of time. Amid these misfortunes, one can still find an abundance of life. Taverns, shops, bustling markets, and merchants from every corner of the globe converge here, offering exotic cuisines and resplendent attire. Fora continue to be a hub for heated political debates, while magnificent churches, adorned with stunning mosaics, grace the landscape.
At the heart of this vibrant City stands Hagia Sophia, one of the most intricate religious structures known to us. Constructed by the geometers and architects Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles by the request of Justinian the Great in the 6th century, it stands tall and proud, a constant reminder of the Romans' duty to their legendary forebears.
The Pandidaktirion, perhaps Europe's earliest university, founded by Theodosius the Second, persists in its mission to educate in law, philosophy, medicine, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music, rhetoric, Greek, and Latin.
Though the grandeur of the Imperial Palace of Constantinople has waned, and the Hippodrome no longer resounds with the thundering hooves of racing steeds, and the city's streets have been stripped of their grand statues, plundered by Venetians and Franks, the Magnaura Palace or the "Great Hall," along with the Blachernae Palace, which serves as the primary residence of the Roman Emperors, continue to stand as symbols of the city's enduring legacy.
In the midst of these tumultuous times, there comes a young man known as Tiberius Metaxas. A spirited and ambitious Roman, ignorant of the ways of the world, yet eager to find out, determined to do whatever it takes to survive.
