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201 CHAPTEE IX ACCESSION OF CONSTANTINE DEAGASES * PATEIAECH GEE- GOEY DEPOSED J EENEWED ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN AID EEOM THE WEST; EMPEEOE MEETS WITH LITTLE SUCCESS ; AEEIVAL OF CAEDINAL ISIDOEE ; EECONCILIA- TION SEEVICE DECEMBEE 12, 1452, IN HAGIA SOPHIA ; DISSENSIONS EEGAEDING IT. The emperor John left no son, and the succession had there- fore to pass to one of his three brothers, Constantine, Demetrius, and Thomas. Constantine, the eldest, was at the time of the emperor's death at Sparta, but Demetrius claimed that as his elder brother was not born in the purple, while he had inherited that honour, the crown ought to be placed on his head. The dowager empress, the widow of Manuel, the clergy, senate, the troops and people generally, declared in favour of Constantine. 1 While the matter was still under debate, Thomas, who had learned at Gallipoli the death of his brother, arrived in the capital and immediately supported the nomination of Constantine. An embassy was sent to the Morea and on January 6, 1449, placed the crown on the head of Constan- tine Dragases, the last Christian emperor of Constantinople. 2 On March 12, he arrived in the capital and his brother Thomas, who had been appointed despot, went after some 1 Constantine is usually called the Eleventh. Gibbon, however, counts the son of Komanus the First as Constantine the Eighth, and thus makes the last Emperor Constantine the Twelfth. He is often spoken of as Constantine Dragases, because his mother, Irene, belonged to a family of that name. She was a South Serbian princess. 2 Phrantzes, p. 205, represents Constantine as crowned. Apparently this ceremony was not regarded as a definite coronation, and hence Ducas calls John the last Emperor.