Octavius

Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Constantine XI, later given the name Octavius (8 February 1405 – 20 August 1479) by the mercenary captain Lucius, was an accomplished Roman general and pretender to the throne from 1472 to 1479, ending in his death and apparent execution at the Battle of the Pyramids.

In the years before the Battle of Constantinople, Constantine demonstrated considerable skill as a general and as an administrator, gaining the favor of his older brother, John VIII, and becoming heir apparent to the Roman Empire. After the siege, Constantine allowed his brother to be tried and executed by Lucius, and — being John's favored heir and holding the respect of the people — subsequently became one of Lucius' top officers. Together, they would drive the Turks from Hellas and reconquer lost Byzantine territories in the Aegean, all the while innovating new siege warfare technologies. When Lucius seized power by assuming the title of "Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans", Constantine began plotting with the Roman Synkletos to assassinate him.

Once Lucius had been murdered, Constantine moved forward with his invasion of Anatolia, resulting in the Quelling of the Turks — one of history's most infamous campaigns. In the years to come, Constantine would continue "civilizing" neighboring Islamic and Slavic kingdoms until assuming what he saw was his rightful place as Emperor in 1472, starting the Usurper Crisis. Him and pro-Synkletos forces would then clash on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt in the Battle of the Pyramids, where he would ultimately be defeated and executed by his pupil, the Maiden-General.

Octavius — a name given to Constantine by Lucius, and kept out of spite — was the last member of the Palaiologos dynasty, the last Orthodox Christian, and the last native Hellene to hold the title of Roman Emperor. His conquests in Anatolia, specifically, are almost universally regarded as acts of genocide. Despite this, many in Hellas regard Constantine as a legendary figure in Byzantine-Roman history, dubbing him the Marble Emperor — the liberator of Hellas, and the last true Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans.