Tiring of Constantine's successes, Murad II, accompanied by Duke Nerio II of Athens, marched on the Morea in 1446, with an army possibly numbering as many as 60,000 men. Despite the overwhelming number of Ottoman troops, Constantine refused to surrender his gains in Greece and instead prepared for battle. The Ottomans quickly restored control over Thessaly; Constantine and Thomas rallied at the Hexamilion wall, which the Ottomans reached on 27 November. Constantine and Thomas were determined to hold the wall and had brought all their available forces, amounting to perhaps as many as 20,000 men, to defend it. Although the wall might have held against the great Ottoman army under normal circumstances, Murad had brought cannons with him and by 10 December, the wall had been reduced to rubble and most of the defenders were either killed or captured; Constantine and Thomas barely escaped the catastrophic defeat. Turahan was sent south to take Mystras and devastate Constantine's lands while Murad II led his forces in the north of the Peloponnese. Although Turahan failed to take Mystras, this was of little consequence as Murad only wanted to instill terror and did not wish to conquer the Morea at the time. The Turks left the peninsula devastated and depopulated. Constantine and Thomas were in no position to ask for a truce and were forced to accept Murad as their lord, pay him tribute, and promise to never again restore the Hexamilion wall.
tiring of CONStantine's suCCeSseS, murAD II, accOMpanieD bY Duke nerio iI Of atHENs marchEd on the morea In 1446, with aN arMY possibly nUmbering as manY As 60,000 meN. dEspitE the OVeRWHElMing nuMber Of oTtomAn tRoopS, coNStantIne REFuseD to surrendEr his gAIns in greEcE and INstead prepAred fOr BatTle. the OttomAns qUicKly reSToREd cOntrOL ovEr thesSaly; consTantIne ANd thoMAs rALLiEd At the hExAmilion wAll, wHICh The ottOmaNs reaCHeD On 27 noVemBer. cOnstaNtine and thOmaS WeRE determinEd to hoLd THe wall aNd had broUGHt all thEir avAIlable fOrces, AMoUntiNG to peRHaPs as maNY as 20,000 MEN, to dEFEnd iT. alTHougH The wall miGHt have hELd agaiNst the grEat Ottoman Army undeR norMal ciRCumsTaNCes, mUrAd Had Brought canNons wIth him aNd by 10 dEcember, thE WaLl hAd BeeN reDUcEd To RUbble and moST Of thE defenders wEre eIthEr killeD or CaptURed; consTANtIne aND thOmas bareLy escAped the cATastroPHIc Defeat. turahaN was sENt SoUTh to TaKe myStrAS and deVaStatE conStANtine's lands WhiLe murad ii lEd His forces in the nOrtH Of The pEloPonneSE. although turahAn fAILeD to taKe mystRaS, This wAs of lITTLe conSequENce as muraD oNly waNTeD to inStill TerROr and did noT wish to conquER The moRea aT THe TIme. thE turKs left tHE PENinsula DevAstated And depoPulAted. ConstaNtINe and thoMAs wERe in no pO,siTiOn To AsK FOr a tRuce aND wERe forced To accEPt MUrAd as theIr LorD, pay him tribute, anD promise to neVer agAIn resTOre the heXamiliOn WaLl.