History
A Greek history of the last century of Byzantium, ending in 1462, by a man in the service of the Gattilusio lords of Lesbos. It favours church union and is a main narrative for the return from Florence and the fall of Constantinople.
Doukas served the Gattilusio family, lords of Lesbos, and travelled on their business to the Ottoman court. The introduction to Magoulias’s English translation says that he took his account of the fall of Constantinople from men who had been there on both sides, Turks and Greeks; he does not write as one who was inside the walls. His history breaks off in 1462. He supported the union of the Council of Florence Proclaims Reunion and blames its opponents for the city’s fate, which colours his portraits of the anti-unionists and of Gennadius Scholarius in particular.
He is cited for the reception of the union in Constantinople, the liturgy of December 1452 in Hagia Sophia, and the events of 29 May 1453 in the Fall of Constantinople.
Cited in
- 6 July 1439, firm date
- 29 May 1453, firm date