At the dawn of 29th May 1453 the Constantinople’s defense collapsed. The emperor was at the gate of Romanos hearing the Turks coming closer. "If you can save yourselves then do it and if you are ready to come across death then follow me", said he to those who were surrounding him. His cousin Theophilus Palaeologus answered without a second thought: "I'd rather die than live". When the emperor saw a group of Turkish soldiers running in one side of the wall, he went against them with his horse in order to repel them. Don Francisco, the heroic Spanish, and Demetrius Katakouzinos were riding beside him and Ivan Dalmaton behind him. Theophilus Palaeologus was killed first, then Don Francisco and the others, leaving the king alone, fought in despair. When a soldier among the enemies injured him in the face, Constantine screamed: "Isn't there any Christian to take my head?". A few seconds later, a black soldier from the Ottomans, who was right behind him, cut his head with his sword. This soldier wasn’t aware that he had killed the Greek king nor that he marked the end of a glorious empire with this action, an empire that lasted for 1,123 years and 18 days. Just like Leonidas from Sparta, Constantine Palaeologus died in the battlefield like a simple soldier, knowing in advance that he would have a horrible death.