Gennadius was an Orthodox monk living in Constantinople when it fell (1453). He wasn't just an average monk, though. He was a leader in the Aristotelian school of theology and had successfully led the opposition against Gemistus Pletho's proposed hybrid between Christianity and Zoroastrianism. At one point, Gennadius had argued forcefully in favor of reunification with the Church in Rome but later he was persuaded that unity would be bad and argued against unity with equal force.
Back to the conquest. Mehmed II (he's the one with the turban) arrested and imprisoned Gennadius along with all the other Christian clergy. Then he got thinking about the wisdom of such a repressive policy -- another Crusade, anyone? Mehmed figured the best way to prevent such a thing would be to identify an anti-Roman priest to be the Patriarch of Constantinople. He might not be pro-Turkish, but at least being anti-Western might prevent invasion.
Only three days after the fall of the city, Mehmed publicly greeted Gennadius and invested him with the bishop's crozier and mantle. This became a pattern for all subsequent patriarchs (in Constantinople) and sultans.
Gennadius didn't like the job very much. He resigned in protest over the treatment of Christians by the new government (which frankly was not as harsh as might have been expected). But folks leaned on him to take the job again. Then he quit again, and again they persuaded him to come back. The third time he quit stuck. He retired to a monastery where he continued to write books. He was considered the greatest of the old school Eastern polemicists, learned, brilliant, and prolific.
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