Abstract
This chapter examines the sack of Constantinople (1453) in the wider context of concepts of human rights and just war. The outraged response, particularly among humanists, to reports of Ottoman atrocities against a civilian population was arguably the first time in modern history that commentators took so strong and unified a stance on the unnecessary abuses of war. To assess the impact of this moment, this chapter asks how 1453 and responses to it compared to earlier and contemporary attacks on non-combatants in wartime in both Europe and the crusades. It also asks what impact this collective outcry may have had upon early concepts of restraint in war and human rights, with a focus on the works of Erasmus.
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