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Saint [[Image:Constantine XI Palaiologos.jpg|right|thumb|The right-believing Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos the Ethnomartyr.]]The right-believing Emperor '''Constantine XI Palaiologos''' the [[Ethnomartyr]] (Gr: ''Κωνσταντίνος ΙΑ' Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος'', also '' '''Dragases''' ''), was the last reigning emperor of the [[Palaiologos Dynasty]] as well as the last of the Roman Emperors. Born in 1404 AD in [[Mystras]], he ruled from 1449 until his death on [[May 29]], 1453, at the [[Fall of Constantinople]].

Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholics consider Constantine XI a [[saint]], but he has not been officially recognized as such. One of the reasons for this was that in the centuries of Ottoman rule, any effort on the part of the Orthodox Church to officially glorify Constantine XI as a saint would have been seen as an act of rebellion, and hence decidedly ill-advised. After the Greek War of Independence (1821-1831), when the Greek Orthodox Church once again had freedom to act, an official act of glorification was thought to be superfluous, on account of longstanding veneration as a saint and [[martyr]], specifically, a national martyr or ethnomartyr, (Greek: Eθνομάρτυρας).  However, the erection of the statue of "''Saint Constantine XI the Ethnomartyr''" in the square in front of the [[Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens]], with the formal blessing of the Church authorities, appears to be a semi-official act of recognition. His feast falls on [[May 29|29 May]].<ref>[[w:Constantine_XI#Unofficial_saint|Constantine XI: Unofficial Saint]] at Wikipedia.</ref>.

* St. '''[[Ipomoni]]''', ''Born as'' '''Helena Dragaš''' <ref>Before becoming a [[nun ]] and assuming the name Ipomoni, Helena was was the mother of Constantine XI Palaiologos. She lived a [[monasticism|monastic ]] life for over 25 years, after entering into the habit after the death of her husband. She died 1450AD and is commemorated by the church [[May 29]]. The [[relics ]] of her skull and her icon are found at the Monastery of St. Patapios, Loutraki of Korinthos, Greece.</ref> == Further Reading ==* [[w:Donald Nicol|Donald M. Nicol]]. ''[http://books.google.ca/books?id=lnSmnmL984YC&pg=PP1&dq=The+Immortal+Emperor#PPP1,M1 The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans]''. Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN 0521894093, 9780521894098 (174 pp)