Niccolò Gattilusio

[1] In 1462, Mehmed marched from Constantinople at the head of a detachment of Janissaries across Anatolia to Assos (near the modern Behram Köy), where on 1 September he was met by a fleet containing the balance of his forces, after which he crossed over to Lesbos.

The damage these cannons caused could not be repaired, and when the Janissaries penetrated the city, Niccolò was forced to admit his defeat.

His sister Maria Gattilusio (widow of Alexander, the brother of Emperor David of Trebizond), who was said to be lovely, entered the imperial harem.

Her son Alexios became a page and as some sources relate, a favorite of the sultan, but seems to have been beheaded not long afterwards.

[3] Then Mehmed II discovered that a favorite page of his, who had fled from him some time before, had become Christian and was included among the retinue of Niccolò.

Relief at the Castle of Mytilene , showing the eagle of the Doria family (far left), the family cypher of the Palaiologoi (center left), and the Gattilusi coat of arms (center right)