Latin Empire The
Latin Empire (1204–1261), centered in
Constantinople and encompassing
Thrace and
Bithynia, was created as the successor of the Byzantine Empire after the Fourth Crusade, while also exercising nominal suzerainty over the other Crusader principalities. Its territories were gradually reduced to little more than the capital, which was eventually
captured by the
Empire of Nicaea under the rule of
Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1261. • The
Kingdom of Thessalonica (1205–1224), encompassing
Macedonia and
Thessaly. The brief existence of the Kingdom was almost continuously troubled by warfare with the
Second Bulgarian Empire; eventually, it was conquered by the
Despotate of Epirus. • The
Principality of Achaea (1205–1432), encompassing the
Morea or
Peloponnese peninsula. It quickly emerged as the strongest state and prospered even after the demise of the Latin Empire. Its main rival was the Byzantine
Despotate of the Morea, which eventually succeeded in conquering the Principality. It also exercised suzerainty over the
Lordship of Argos and Nauplia (1205–1388), and most of the other Latin states. In the 1380s, it fell under the control of
Navarrese Company and they ended their vassalage to the Angevin kings of Naples in 1404. • The
Duchy of Athens (1205–1458), with its two capitals
Thebes and
Athens, and encompassing
Attica,
Boeotia, and parts of southern
Thessaly. In 1311, the Duchy was
conquered by the
Catalan Company and became part of the
Crown of Aragon. In 1388, it passed into the hands of the
Florentine Acciaiuoli family, which kept it until the Ottoman conquest in 1456. • The
Duchy of the Archipelago (1207–1579), founded by the
Sanudo family, it encompassed most of the
Cyclades. In 1383, it passed under the control of the
Crispo family. In 1418, Naxos became officially a vassal of Venice. The Duchy became an Ottoman vassal in 1537 and was finally annexed to the Ottoman Empire in 1579. •
Duchy of Philippopolis (1204 – after 1230), a fief of the
Latin Empire in northern Thrace, until its capture by the
Bulgarians. • The
Marquisate of Bodonitsa (1204–1414), like Salona, was originally created as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Thessalonica but later came under the influence of Achaea. In 1335, the Venetian Giorgi family took control and ruled until the Ottoman conquest in 1414. • The
County of Salona (1205–1410), centred at Salona (modern
Amfissa), like Bodonitsa, was formed as a vassal state of the Kingdom of Thessalonica and later came under the influence of Achaea. It came under Catalan (thus became part of the Aragonese realm) and later Navarrese rule in the 14th century, before being sold to the
Knights Hospitaller in 1403. It was finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1410. • The
Triarchy of Negroponte (1205–1470), encompassing the island of Negroponte (
Euboea), originally a vassal of Thessalonica, then of Achaea. It was fragmented into three baronies (
terzi or "triarchies") run each by two barons (the
sestieri). This fragmentation enabled
Venice to gain influence by acting as mediators. By 1390 Venice had established direct control of the entire island, which remained in Venetian hands until 1470, when it was
captured by the Ottomans. •
Lemnos formed a fief of the Latin Empire under the Venetian Navigajoso family from 1207 until conquered by the Byzantines in 1278. Its rulers bore the title of
megadux ("grand duke") of the Latin Empire. •
Kingdom of Albania (1271–1383) was established after the fall of Constantinople but ruled by likewise
Capetian House of Anjou. Latin Emperor
Philip II held both titles 1313–1331. It was captured by
Karl Thopia, a relative of the Angevins, of the
Principality of Albania in the 1360s to 1380s. It became part of
Venetian Albania in 1392, after the death of Karl's son
Gjergj Thopia.
Minor Crusader principalities • The
County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos (1185–1479). It encompassed the
Ionian Islands of
Cephalonia,
Zakynthos,
Ithaca, and, from around 1300, also
Lefkas (Santa Maura). Created as a vassal to the
Kingdom of Sicily, it was ruled by the
Orsini family from 1195 to 1335, and after a short interlude of
Anjou rule the county passed to the
Tocco family in 1357. The county was split between Venice and the Ottomans in 1479. • The
Duchy of Neopatras (1319–1393) centered around
Ypati was created as part of the
Kingdom of Sicily and
Crown of Aragon in 1319. Captured by the
Acciaioli family in 1390 and by the Ottomans soon after. •
Rhodes became the headquarters of the military monastic order of the
Knights Hospitaller of Saint John in 1310, and the Knights retained control of the island (and neighbouring islands of the
Dodecanese island group) until
ousted by the Ottomans in 1522.
Genoese colonies Genoese attempts to occupy Corfu and Crete in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade were thwarted by the Venetians. It was only during the 14th century, exploiting the terminal decline of the
Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty, and often in agreement with the weakened Byzantine rulers, that various Genoese nobles established domains in the northeastern Aegean: • The
Gattilusi family established a number of fiefs, under nominal Byzantine suzerainty, over the island of
Lesbos (1355–1462) and later also the islands of
Lemnos,
Thasos (1414–1462) and
Samothrace (1355–1457), as well as the
Thracian town of
Ainos (1376–1456). • The
Lordship of Chios with the port of
Phocaea. In 1304–1330 under the
Zaccaria family, and, after a Byzantine interlude, from 1346 and until the Ottoman conquest in 1566 under the
Maona di Chio e di Focea company.
Venetian colonies The
Republic of Venice accumulated several possessions in Greece, which formed part of its
Stato da Màr. Some of them survived until the
fall of the Republic itself in 1797: •
Kingdom of Candia (1211–1715),
Crete being one of the Republic's most important overseas possessions, it was retained until captured by the Ottomans in the
Cretan War. •
Corfu (1207–1214 and 1386–1797), was captured by Venice from its Genoese ruler shortly after the
Fourth Crusade. The island was soon retaken by the
Despotate of Epirus but captured in 1258 by the
Kingdom of Sicily. The island remained under Angevin rule until 1386 when Venice reimposed its control, which would last until the end of the Republic itself. •
Durazzo (1205–1213), captured by the
Despotate of Epirus in 1213. The city later became part of the Angevin
Kingdom of Albania until it was captured by
Karl Thopia and became part of the
Principality of Albania. He was succeeded by his son
Gjergj Thopia who allied himself to the Venetians and Durazzo officially fell under
Venetian control once again after his death 1392. •
Lefkas (1684–1797), originally part of the Palatine county and the Orsini-ruled Despotate of Epirus, it came under Ottoman rule in 1479, and was conquered by the Venetians in 1684, during the
Morean War. •
Zakynthos (1479–1797), originally part of the Palatine county and the Orsini-ruled Despotate of Epirus, it fell to Venice in 1479 •
Cephalonia and
Ithaca (1500–1797), originally part of the Palatine county and the Orsini-ruled Despotate of Epirus, they came under Ottoman rule in 1479 and were
conquered by the Venetians in December 1500. •
Tinos and
Mykonos, bequeathed to Venice in 1390. • Various coastal fortresses in the
Peloponnese and mainland Greece: • Modon (
Methoni) and Coron (
Koroni), occupied in 1207, confirmed by the
Treaty of Sapienza, and held until
taken by the Ottomans in August 1500. •
Nauplia (Italian Napoli di Romania), acquired through the purchase of the lordship of
Argos and Nauplia in 1388, held until captured by the Ottomans in 1540. •
Argos, acquired through the purchase of the lordship of
Argos and Nauplia but seized by the
Despotate of the Morea and not handed over to Venice until June 1394, held until captured by the Ottomans in 1462. •
Athens, acquired in 1394 from the heirs of
Nerio I Acciaioli, but lost to the latter's bastard son
Antonio in 1402–03, a fact recognized by the Republic in a treaty in 1405. •
Parga, port town on the coast of Epirus, acquired in 1401. It was governed as a dependency of Corfu, and remained so even after the end of the Venetian Republic in 1797, finally being ceded by the British to
Ali Pasha in 1819. • Lepanto (
Naupaktos), a port in
Aetolia, briefly seized by a Venetian captain in 1390, in 1394 its inhabitants offered to hand it over to Venice, but were rebuffed. Finally sold to Venice in 1407 by its Albanian ruler,
Paul Spata, lost to the Ottomans in 1540. •
Patras, held in 1408–13 and 1417–19 in lease, for 1,000 ducats per year, from the
Latin Archbishop of Patras, who thus hoped to thwart a Turkish or Byzantine takeover of the city. • The
Northern Sporades (
Skiathos,
Skopelos, and
Alonissos), were Byzantine possessions that came under Venetian rule after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. They were captured by the Ottomans under
Hayreddin Barbarossa in 1538. •
Monemvasia (Malvasia), a Byzantine outpost left unconquered by the Ottomans in 1460, it accepted Venetian rule, until captured by the Ottomans in 1540. •
Vonitsa on the coast of Epirus, captured in 1684 and held as a mainland exclave of the Ionian Islands until the end of the Republic. •
Preveza on the coast of Epirus, occupied during the
Morean War (1684–99), recaptured in 1717 and held as a mainland exclave of the Ionian Islands until the end of the Republic. • The entirety of the Peloponnese or
Morea peninsula was conquered during the
Morean War in the 1680s and became a colony as the "
Kingdom of the Morea". It was
reconquered by the Ottomans in 1715. ==Linguistic influence==