Armenians blamed for fall of Byzantium

When Byzantium fell to the Ottomans because of internal feuds, decay and the elite’s unwillingness to fight the invaders, some Greeks blamed the Armenians for the decline of the empire. They claimed Armenians had “Easternized” the empire, ignoring that for a thousand years Armenian-born emperors and generals were some of the most successful leaders of the empire.

When Byzantium fell to the Ottomans because of internal feuds, decay and the elite’s unwillingness to fight the invaders, some Greeks blamed the Armenians for the decline of the empire. They claimed Armenians had “Easternized” the empire, ignoring that for a thousand years Armenian-born emperors and generals were some of the most successful leaders of the empire.