Δουκάτον Αθηνών Duchy of Athens Vassal state* ← 1205 – 1458 → Arms of the Duchy under the de la Roche family The Latin Empire with its vassals and the Greek successor states after the partition of the Byzantine Empire, c. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish 1204. The borders are very uncertain. Capital Athens Language(s) French Catalan (from 1318) Greek popularly Religion Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox popularly Political structure Vassal Historical era Middle Ages  - Fourth Crusade 1204  - Duchy established 1205, 1205  - Catalan Company rule 1318  - Acciaioli rule 1388  - Tributary to Morea 1444  - Ottoman conquest 1458, 1458 *The duchy was a vassal of, in order, the Kingdom of Thessalonica, the Principality of Achaea, the Crown of Aragon, the Republic of Venice, and the Despotate of Morea

The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national Capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist the capital was moved or the capital Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially The Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία Hellēnorthódoxē Ekklēsía) is formed by several autocephalous churches For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania The Acciaioli, Acciaiuoli, or Acciajuoli was an important family of Florence. The Despotate of Morea ( Δεσποτάτο του Μορέως) was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid- 14th and mid- The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over the conquered Byzantine lands The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three Vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Despotate of Morea ( Δεσποτάτο του Μορέως) was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid- 14th and mid- The Crusader states were a number of mostly 12th- and 13th-century feudal states created by Western European Crusaders in Asia Minor, Greece and Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

History

Establishment of the Duchy

The first duke of Athens (as well as of Thebes, at first) was Otto de la Roche, a minor Burgundian knight of the Fourth Crusade. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Otto or Othon de la Roche (died 1234 was a Burgundian nobleman from the castle of La Roche-sur-l'Ognon, in the Franche-Comté commune of Rigney Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Although he was known as the "Duke of Athens" from the foundation of the duchy in 1205, the title did not become official until 1260. Instead, Otto proclaimed himself "Lord of Athens" (in Latin Dominus Athenarum, in French Sire d'Athenes). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The local Greeks called the dukes "Megas Kyris" (Greek: Μέγας Κύρης, "Great Lord"), from which the shortened form "Megaskyr", often used even by the Franks to refer to the Duke of Athens, is derived. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly

Athens was originally a vassal state of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, but after Thessalonica was captured in 1224 by Theodore, the Despot of Epirus, the duchy became a vassal of the Principality of Achaea. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe, The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over the conquered Byzantine lands Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia Theodore Komnenos Doukas or Theodore Comnenus Ducas ( Greek: Θεόδωρος Κομνηνός Δούκας Theodōros Komnēnos Doukas) ruler of The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three Vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire The Duchy occupied the Attic peninsula and extended partially into Thessaly, sharing an undefined border with Thessalonica and then Epirus. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. The Principality of Epirus can also refer to the pashalik of Ali Pasha The Despotate or Principality of Epirus (Δεσποτάτο της It did not hold the islands of the Aegean Sea, which were Venetian territories, but exercised influence over the Latin Lordship of Negroponte. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica The Lordship of Negroponte was a Crusader state established on the island of Euboea (Negroponte after the partition of the Byzantine Empire following The buildings of the Acropolis in Athens served as the palace for the dukes. The Acropolis of Athens is the best known Acropolis (high city The "Sacred Rock" in the world

Catalan Conquest

The Duchy was held by the family of la Roche until 1308, when it passed to Walter V of Brienne. Walter V of Brienne (c 1275 &ndash March 15, 1311) was born in Brienne-le-Château, Aube, Champagne, France. Walter hired the Catalan Company, a group of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor, to fight against the Byzantine successor states of Epirus and Nicaea, but when he tried to cheat and kill them in 1311, they slew him at the Battle of Halmyros and took over the Duchy, making Catalan the official language and replacing the French and Byzantine-derived laws of the Principality of Achaea with the laws of Catalonia. The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania Roger de Flor (1267 &ndash April 30, 1305) also known as Rutger von Blum, was a military adventurer active in Sicily Italy and the Byzantine Empire Succession of states is a theory in International relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created State by other states based on The Empire of Nicaea ( Greek: Βασίλειον τῆς Νίκαιας Turkish: İznik İmparatorluğu) was the largest of the Byzantine The Battle of Halmyros, of Orchomenos, or of the Cephissus was fought on March 15, 1311 between the Frankish Greek forces of Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three Vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Walter's son Walter VI of Brienne retained only the lordship of Argos and Nauplia, where his claims to the Duchy were still recognized. Walter VI of Brienne (neè Gaulterio de Candia VI Comte de Brienne c Argos and Nauplia refers to a Medieval Lordship in the Principality of Achaea, consisting of the cities of Argos and Nauplia.

In 1318/1319 the Catalan Company conquered Siderokastron and the south of Thessaly and created the Duchy of Neopatras, united to Athens. The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. The Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Part of Thessaly was conquered by the Serbs in 1337. Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia,

Decline and fall

A Frankish tower, dating to either the Burgundian or Catalan period, stood on the Acropolis of Athens among the ruins of the Parthenon, then a church dedicated to Saint Mary, until it was dismantled in 1874. The Acropolis of Athens is the best known Acropolis (high city The "Sacred Rock" in the world The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis

In 1379 the Navarrese Company, in the service of the Emperor James of Baux, conquered Thebes and part of Neopatria. The Navarrese Company was a company of mercenaries mostly from Navarre and Gascony, which fought in Greece during the late 14th century and The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople (original Latin name Imperium Romaniae, " Empire of Romania " is the James of Baux (Jacques des Baux Duke of Andria, was the last titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1374 to 1383 and Prince of Achaea Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides The Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Meanwhile, the Aragonese kept another part of Neopatras and Attica.

After 1381 the Duchy was ruled by the kings of Aragon until 1388 when the Acciaioli family of Florence bought Athens. The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. The Acciaioli, Acciaiuoli, or Acciajuoli was an important family of Florence. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany Neopatras was occupied in 1390.

From 1395 to 1402 the Venetians briefly controlled the Duchy. The Most Serene Republic of Venice ((Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia Serenissima Repubblica In 1444 Athens became a tributary of Constantine Palaeologus, the despot of Morea and heir to the Byzantine throne. Constantine XI Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος ΙΑ' Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος Kōnstantinos XI Dragasēs Palaiologos Morea ( Greek: Μορέας or Μοριάς) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages In 1456, after the Fall of Constantinople (1453) to the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmed II conquered the remnants of the Duchy. The Fall of Constantinople refers to the capture of the Byzantine Empire's capital by the Ottoman Empire on Tuesday May 29, 1453 (Julian Calendar The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Despite the Ottoman conquest, the title of "Duke of Athens and Neopatras" continued in use by the kings of Aragon, and through them by the Kings of Spain, up to the present day. This is a list of Spanish Monarchs &mdashthat is rulers of the country of Spain in the modern sense of the word

The Latin church in the duchy of Athens

Athens was the seat of an archdiocese within the Patriarchate of Constantinople when it was conquered by the Franks. History Early history Christianity in Byzantium existed from the time of the Twelve Apostles, but it was in the year 330 that the Roman Emperor The bishopric, however, was not of importance, being the twenty-eighth in precedence in the Byzantine Empire. ^[1] Nonetheless, it had produced the prominent clergyman Michael Choniates. Michael Choniates or Acominatus (Μιχαήλ Χωνιάτηςc It was a metropolitan see (province or eparchy) with eleven suffragans at the time of conquest: Euripus, Daulia, Coronea, Andros, Oreos, Scyrus, Karystos, Porthmus, Aulon, Syra and Seriphus, and Ceos and Thermiae (or Cythnus). The structure of the Greek church was not significantly changed by the Latins, and Pope Innocent III confirmed the first Latin archbishop of Athens, Berard, in all his Greek predecessors' rights and jurisdictions. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January The customs of the church of Paris were imported to Athens, but few western European clergymen wished to be removed to such a distant see as Athens. Antonio Ballester, however, an educated Catalan, had a successful career in Greece as archbishop. Antonio Ballester (died 1387 was the Archbishop of Athens from 27 March 1370, when appointed by Pope Urban VI, until his death

The Parthenon, which had been the Orthodox church of the Theotokos Atheniotissa, became the Catholic church of Saint Mary of Athens. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis Theotokos (Θεοτόκος translit Theotókos) is a title of Mary the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, The Greek Orthodox church survived as an underground institution without official sanction by the governing (Latin) authorities. The Greek clergy had not typically been literate in the twelfth century and their education certainly worsened under Latin domination, when their church was illegal. ^[2]

The archdiocese of Thebes also lay within the Athenian duchy. Unlike Athens, it had no suffragans. ^[3] However, it produced several significant figures as archbishops, such as Simon Atumano. Simon Atumano was the Bishop of Gerace in Calabria from 23 June 1348 until 1366 and the Latin Archbishop of Thebes thereafter It had a greater political role than Athens because it was situated in the later capital of the duchy at Thebes. Under the Catalans, the Athenian diocese had expanded its jurisdiction to thirteen suffragans, but only the diocese of Megara, Daulia, Salona, and Boudonitza lay with the duchy itself. The archiepiscopal offices of Athens and Thebes were held by Frenchmen and Italians until the late fourteenth century, when Catalan or Aragonese people began to fill them.

Dukes of Athens

De la Roche family

Of Burgundian origin, the dukes of the petty lordly family from La Roche renewed the ancient city of Plato and Aristotle as a courtly European capital of chivalry. La Roche may refer to Hoffmann-La Roche La Roche College Places Belgium Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. They state they built around it was, throughout their tenure, the strongest and most peaceful of the Latin creations in Greece. After the De la Roche family gave the duchy of Athens to the Briennes, some of them moved back to their castle (located 40 kilometers from Paris) while others stayed at the east part of Attica. The De la Roche name changed. It became Rosis, Rosas, Rokas and finally Papavasileiou, due to a small civil war. The Papavasileiou family still owns a big part of what used to be the De la Roche estate in Attica.

• Otto (1205–1225)
• Guy I (1225–1263)
• John I (1263–1280)
• William I (1280–1287)
• Guy II (1287–1308)

Briennist claimants

The Athenian parliament elected the count of Brienne to succeed Guy, but his tenure was brief and he was deposed in battle by the Catalans. Otto or Othon de la Roche (died 1234 was a Burgundian nobleman from the castle of La Roche-sur-l'Ognon, in the Franche-Comté commune of Rigney Guy I de la Roche (1205-1263 was the Duke of Athens (from 1225 the nephew and successor of the first duke Otto. John I de la Roche (died 1280 succeeded his father Guy I, as Duke of Athens in 1263 William I de la Roche (died 1287 succeeded his brother John I, as Duke of Athens in 1280 Guy II de la Roche (1280 &ndash 5 October 1308) was the Duke of Athens from 1287 the last duke of his family The County of Brienne was a medieval County in France centered on Brienne-le-Château. His wife briefly had control of the city, too. The heirs of Brienne continued to claim the duchy, but were recognised only in Argos and Nauplia. Argos and Nauplia refers to a Medieval Lordship in the Principality of Achaea, consisting of the cities of Argos and Nauplia.

• Walter V of Brienne (1308–1311)
• Joanna of Châtillon (1311–1354)
• Walter VI of Brienne (1311–1356)
• Isabella of Brienne (1356–1360)
• Sohier of Enghien (1356–1367)
• Walter IV of Enghien (1367–1381)
• Louis of Enghien (1381–1394)

Aragonese domination

The annexation of the duchy to first the Catalan Company and subsequently the Mediterranean Aragonese Empire came after a disputed succession following the death of the last Burgundian duke. Walter V of Brienne (c 1275 &ndash March 15, 1311) was born in Brienne-le-Château, Aube, Champagne, France. Joanna of Châtillon (or Joan, Jeanne died 16 January 1354) was the wife of Walter V of Brienne (1306 and duchess of Athens by marriage Walter VI of Brienne (neè Gaulterio de Candia VI Comte de Brienne c Isabella of Brienne (died 1360 was Countess of Lecce and Conversano, claimant to the Duchy of Athens and Kingdom of Jerusalem, etc Sohier of Enghien (d March 21, 1364) was the titular Duke of Athens, and Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien from 1356&ndash1364 Walter IV of Enghien (d 1381 Hainault nobleman and soldier was the son of Sohier of Enghien. Louis of Enghien (d March 17, 1394, Conversano) titular Duke of Athens, Count of Brienne and Lord of Enghien 1381&ndash1394 The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon. The Catalans recognised the King of Sicily as sovereign over Athens and this left the duchy often as an appanage in the hands of younger sons and under vicars general. The following is a list of monarchs of Sicily. Counts of Sicily Sicily was granted pending its Christian reconquest to Robert Guiscard as "duke" An apanage or appanage is the grant of an estate titles offices or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign who under the system of A vicar general (often abbreviated VG) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority

• Roger Deslaur (1311–1312)
• Manfred (1312–1317)
  • Berenguer Estanyol (1312–1317)
• William II (1317–1338)
  • Alfonso Frederick (1317–1338)
• John II (1338–1348)
• Frederick I (1348–1355)
• Frederick II (1355–1377)
• Mary (1377–1388)
  • with Peter IV of Aragon from 1381

Vicars

These were the vicars general of Aragon who served between 1381 and 1388. Roger Deslaur or Desllor, an almogàver from Roussillon in the service of Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens, was one of the few Manfred (1306 &ndash 9 November 1317) Infante of Sicily. He was the second son of Frederick III of Sicily and Berenguer Estanyol d' Empúries was the Vicar general of the Duchy of Athens for four years from 1312 to 1316 William (1312 &ndash 22 August 1338) was the third son of Frederick III of Sicily and Eleanor of Anjou. Don Alfonso Fadrique ( English: Alfonso Frederick, Catalan: N'Anfós Frederic d'Aragó; died 1338 was the eldest and illegitimate son of Giovanni d'Aragona (died 1348 infante, duke of Randazzo, Athens, and Neopatria, Count of Malta and regent of Sicily (1342-1348 Frederick I (died 11 July 1355) was the Duke of Athens and Neopatria from 1348 to his death also the Count of Malta. Frederick III or IV ( 1 September, 1341 &ndash 27 January, 1377) called the Simple, King of Sicily from 1355 Mary of Sicily ( Catania, Kingdom of Sicily, 2 July 1363 &ndash Lentini, Kingdom of Sicily, May 25, Peter IV (also known as Pedro or Pere 5 September 1319, Balaguer – 5 January 1387) called the Ceremonious ( el Ceremonioso

• Mateu de Montcada
• Roger de Llúria
• Mateu de Peralta
• Louis Fadrique
• Dalmau IV of Rocabertí
• Bernat de Cordella

Acciaioli family

The Florentine Acciaioli (or Acciajuoli) governed the duchy from their removal of the Catalans, with the assistance of the Navarrese. Louis Fadrique (also Luis or Lluís Frederic d'Aragó; died 1382 was the fourth Count of Salona from 1365 and later the Count of Zitouni and The Navarrese Company was a company of mercenaries mostly from Navarre and Gascony, which fought in Greece during the late 14th century and While Nerio willed the city and duchy to Venice, it returned to the Florentines until the Turkish conquest.

• Nerio I (1388–1394)
• Antonio I (1394–1395)
• Venetian control (1395–1402)
• Antonio I (1402–1435), again
• Nerio II (1435–1439)
• Antonio II (1439–1441)
• Nerio II (1441–1451), again
• Claire (1451–1454)
  • with Bartolomeo Contarini (1451–1454)
• Francesco I (1451–1454)
• Francesco II (1455–1458)

Notes

Sources

• Setton, Kenneth M. Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1380. Revised edition. London: Variorum, 1975.