Loukas Notaras

Biography

Loukas Notaras was the Megaduke — the highest official of the Byzantine Empire — and one of the most powerful men in Constantinople. His famous remark 'Better the Sultan's turban in Constantinople than the cardinal's hat' — expressing preference for Ottoman rule over submission to the Roman Catholic church — has made him one of history's most controversial figures: was he a pragmatist, a traitor, or simply a man who understood that the West's help had conditions attached to it that Byzantium could not accept? Notaras commanded the Byzantine naval forces during the siege, managing the chain across the Golden Horn and organizing seaborne defense. His relations with Giustiniani were reportedly poor — there was tension between the Genoese mercenary commander and the senior Byzantine official about authority and strategy. Some later chroniclers blamed Notaras for withholding resources or information from Giustiniani, though the evidence is thin. After the fall, Notaras was captured alive and initially treated with consideration by Mehmed, who seemed to find his intelligence useful. Three days later, Mehmed executed him along with his sons — the motive is debated: some sources say Mehmed demanded his young son for the palace harem and Notaras refused; others that it was simple elimination of a potentially dangerous political figure. He died a week after the empire he had served all his life.

Key Battles