Stephen Zaccaria facts for kids

Stephen Zaccaria was an important leader in Greece a long time ago. He was the youngest brother of Centurione II Zaccaria, who was the last Prince of Achaea. Stephen was also the Latin Archbishop of Patras from 1404 until he passed away in 1424.

Early Life and Becoming Archbishop

Stephen was the youngest of four sons. His father was Andronikos Asen Zaccaria, a powerful noble who was the Grand Constable of Achaea. He was also the Baron of Chalandritsa and Arcadia.

In 1404, Stephen was chosen to be the Latin Archbishop of Patras. This was a very important religious and political role. In the same year, his older brother Centurione II Zaccaria became the ruler of the Principality of Achaea. He took over from their aunt, Maria II Zaccaria.

Challenges and Alliances

Even though they were brothers, Stephen and Centurione didn't always agree. From 1406 to 1407, Stephen even teamed up with Carlo I Tocco and Theodore I Palaiologos. Theodore was the Byzantine ruler of the Morea, a region in Greece. They tried to remove Centurione from power, but they were not successful.

Dealing with Threats and Money Issues

In 1408, Stephen faced big problems. The Ottoman forces were raiding the Peloponnese, which is a large peninsula in Greece. Stephen also had money troubles. To solve these issues, he decided to let the Republic of Venice manage Patras for five years. In return, Venice paid him 1,000 ducats each year. This deal was good for Venice because Patras, along with Lepanto, helped them control the entrance to the Corinthian Gulf.

Later, in 1418, the Byzantines started to advance into Messenia. Stephen again asked Venice for help. He wanted Venice to send soldiers from Negroponte to protect Patras. Venice agreed, but their troops had to leave in 1419. This was because the Pope didn't want Patras, which belonged to the Church, to fall under Venice's control forever.

Seeking New Protectors

By 1422, the Byzantines were attacking again. Both Centurione and Stephen reached out to the Knights Hospitaller. They offered to give their lands to the Hospitallers for protection. However, the Hospitallers said no. They explained that they were busy fighting the Ottomans in another part of the world.

Venice then tried to step in. They wanted to buy the entire Peloponnese from the local rulers. Or, at least, they hoped to create a strong group to fight the Ottoman threat. But these talks, held in 1422 and 1423, did not lead to any agreement.

Stephen's Final Days

On January 8, 1424, Stephen was very ill and close to death. He decided to place Patras under the protection of Venice. However, the Pope still didn't want Venice to become too powerful in the area. So, the Pope chose Pandolfo Malatesta to be Stephen's successor instead of someone from Venice. Five years after Stephen's death, Patras was captured by Constantine Palaiologos, the Despot of the Morea.

Sources

• Bon, Antoine (1969) (in fr). La Morée franque. Recherches historiques, topographiques et archéologiques sur la principauté d'Achaïe. Paris: De Boccard. OCLC 869621129. http://cefael.efa.gr/detail.php?site_id=1&actionID=page&serie_id=BefarA&volume_number=213&issue_number=1.
• Topping, Peter (1975). "The Morea, 1311–1364". In Setton, Kenneth M.. A History of the Crusades, Volume III: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. Madison and London: University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 104–140. ISBN 0-299-06670-3. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&did=History.CrusThree.i0016&id=History.CrusThree&isize=M.