The face of Thomas Palaeologos

This portrait of Thomas Palaeologos is part of a large fresco painted by Pinturicchio on the walls of the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. It shows the arrival of Pope Pius II and his retinue at Ancona in 1464. The Pope was trying to organise a crusade to take back Constantinople and the last of the Byzantine Empire from the Ottomans, who had conquered the city in 1453, and the remaining corners of the empire over subsequent years. Thomas tried to hold the Peloponnese against the Sultan's forces but eventually had to flee to Italy, taking with him an important relic, the head of Saint Andrew in a silver reliquary, which he presented to the Pope in the hopes of persuading him to call a crusade. Pius was in favour of this but unfortunately he died in August 1464, and the new Pope Paul II had other priorities. Thomas apparently lost heart and died in Rome the following year. My historical novels ‘The Mulberry Tree’ and 'Constantine' are the first two books of a trilogy telling the story of Thomas’ life. There were very good reasons why he looked so melancholy.