Constantinos Greitzas Palaiologos was one of the most heroic, but relatively unknown figures of the early late Byzantine period. He came from the imperial family of the Paleologues and had repeatedly shown his courage and bravery. In 1458 he was stationed as a guard on the Acropolis of Athens and fought the Turks with fanaticism.
In 1461 the Turks, taking advantage of the endemic disputes between the despots Thomas and Demetrius Palaiologos, invaded the Peloponnese once again. Slaughtering and looting, they advanced to Mystras, where the despot Dimitrios surrendered the castle without a fight, receiving the thirty pieces of silver for his betrayal, (certain annuities) which, however, were later taken from him as well. The other despot, Thomas, left the Peloponnese and fled to Italy.
The last defender of the Peloponnese was Gryatzas Paleologos , who faced the Turks at Salmeniko in Aegialia. Salmeniko was a large, by the standards of the time, city with 6,000 inhabitants and had a strong fortress. The Turks, thousands of Turks, attacked the city. The Turks also had powerful artillery. After a heroic resistance of a week the city was forced to surrender, after the Turks destroyed the aqueduct and the inhabitants suffered from thirst.
But Griatzas was not disappointed. Together with his most spirited men he fled to the castle and continued the resistance. The Turks immediately attacked, but the brave defenders fought heroically. In the first attack, dozens of Turks literally melted alive from the hot oil thrown at them from the ramparts by the warriors of Grija. Nevertheless the attacks continued, but again they were fruitless. Having prepared well, Gryzas and his men performed miracles.
For more than 10 months the Turks tried to occupy the castle without success and constantly suffering serious losses. In one case they even suggested that Grytza surrender and go free with his men and his belongings. The brave sentinel, however, understood the ruse and, opening the gates, sent out of the castle Turkish captives dressed in Greek clothes and some dying women loaded with stones. Immediately the Turks who rushed for plunder, revealing their true intentions.
Grytzas was waiting for them, and from the ramparts the shuttles and lead balls of the early rifles began to whistle. Dozens of Turkish bodies littered the ground around the impregnable castle. In the end, it took the intervention of Mohammed II himself, who publicly vowed to allow the evacuation of the fortress, to convince Greitzas to leave Salmeniko. Muhammad, who had easily conquered the Peloponnese, did not hide his admiration for Gryza, whom he described as "the only man I met in the Morea".
Gryatzas and his heroes left the fortress which they had so magnificently and passionately defended, their flags flying proudly in the air, among the arrayed and silent Turks. They fled to the then Venetian-occupied Nafpaktos, where the Venetians gladly enlisted them in their service. Griatzas was even appointed head of the cavalry.