William of Villehardouin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William II |
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Denier coin made when William II was prince
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| Prince of Achaea | |
| Reign | 1246–1278 |
| Predecessor | Geoffrey II |
| Successor | Charles I |
| Born | c. 1211 Kalamata, Achaea |
| Died | 1 May 1278 |
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| House | Villehardouin |
| Father | Geoffrey I of Villehardouin |
| Mother | Elisabeth |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
William of Villehardouin (born around 1211 in Kalamata – died May 1, 1278) was an important ruler in Frankish Greece. He was the fourth prince of Achaea from 1246 to 1278. Achaea was a state set up by Western European knights in southern Greece.
William was the younger son of Prince Geoffrey I. He inherited the Barony of Kalamata. When his older brother, Geoffrey II, was away fighting, William helped rule Achaea. He became prince in 1246 after his brother died without children.
William used conflicts between two Greek states, Nicaea and Epirus, to expand his lands. He captured Monemvasia and built three new castles. He also made two local tribes, the Tzakones and Melingoi, accept his rule. William even joined a big military trip to Egypt led by Louis IX of France. As a reward, he was allowed to make his own coins, similar to French ones.
By the early 1250s, William was very powerful in Frankish Greece. Many nearby rulers looked up to him. But in 1255, he tried to take control of part of Negroponte island. This led to a war, the War of the Euboeote Succession. William won a major battle in 1258.
Later, William joined forces with the ruler of Epirus against Nicaea. But their armies did not work well together. In 1259, William's army was badly defeated at the Battle of Pelagonia. He was captured and sent to Nicaea as a prisoner. He was still in prison when Nicaean troops took Constantinople in 1261. The new Byzantine emperor, Michael VIII Palaiologos, freed William. In return, William had to give up three important castles in southern Greece.
Giving up these castles helped the Byzantines expand their power. William then sought help from Charles I, the king of Sicily. In 1267, William agreed that Charles and his family would inherit Achaea after him. With Charles's help, William fought off Byzantine attacks until he died in 1278.
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William II: Prince of Achaea
William ruled the Principality of Achaea from 1246 to 1278. Achaea was a state created in southern Greece after the Fourth Crusade in 1204. William's father, Geoffrey I of Villehardouin, started conquering the area in 1204. He got help from a local Greek noble.
Geoffrey then teamed up with Boniface I, Marquis of Montferrat, who ruled the Kingdom of Thessalonica. Boniface sent William of Champlitte to help. They gathered 500 knights and foot soldiers. They captured cities like Patras and made Greek nobles accept their rule. William of Champlitte became the first Prince of Achaea in 1205. However, the Franks could not capture Monemvasia or control the mountainous areas.
William's father, Geoffrey, was given the Barony of Kalamata. When William of Champlitte died in 1208, Geoffrey became the new Prince of Achaea. He swore loyalty to the Latin Emperor of Constantinople, Henry, in 1209. Henry confirmed Geoffrey as prince. The city of Venice also claimed parts of Achaea, but they did not actively try to take control.
Two new Greek states, Epirus and Nicaea, grew strong on the borders of the old Byzantine Empire. Epirus began taking back lands in the 1210s. They captured Thessalonica in 1224. But their expansion stopped when they lost a big battle to the Bulgarians in 1230. Nicaea also attacked the Latin Empire from the east. By 1235, they had taken back lands in Anatolia. The princes of Achaea were supposed to be loyal to the Latin Emperors. But in reality, the Emperor needed Achaea's help to defend Constantinople.
Early Life and Family
William was the second son of Geoffrey I of Villehardouin and his wife Elisabeth. Elisabeth came to Achaea with their older son, Geoffrey, after her husband's rule was stable. William was born in Kalamata around 1211. He grew up speaking Greek like a native. He felt comfortable with both Franks and Greeks.
As the younger son, William received the Barony of Kalamata. His older brother, Geoffrey, became prince around 1229. William married a daughter of Narjot de Toucy, an important official in the Latin Empire. William helped manage Achaea when his brother was away fighting to defend Constantinople.
Becoming Prince
William became Prince of Achaea in the summer of 1246. His brother, Geoffrey II, had died without children. At this time, the Greek states of Epirus and Nicaea were not getting along. In December 1246, Nicaean troops captured Thessalonica. William used this conflict to finish conquering southeastern Greece.
Expanding His Lands
William began to besiege Monemvasia. He had help from a Venetian fleet and other Frankish rulers. These included Guy I de la Roche, the Lord of Athens, and Angelo Sanudo, the Duke of the Archipelago. The people defending Monemvasia suffered from hunger. They finally gave up in 1248. William promised to respect their property and freedom. He gave land to the town's leaders and freed them from some duties.
After taking Monemvasia, William forced the Tzakones people from nearby Mount Parnon to accept his rule. To keep control, William built new castles. In 1248 and 1249, he oversaw the building of Mistra near Mount Taygetus. Then, the castle of Grand Magne was built on the Laconian Gulf. A third castle, Beaufort, was built on the Messenian Gulf. These castles helped the Franks control Mount Taygetus. They also made the local Slavic tribe, the Melingoi, accept William as their ruler. In return, their freedom was confirmed.
Joining a Crusade
Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy spent the winter of 1248–49 in Achaea. He was on his way to Cyprus. Many people were gathering there for Louis IX of France's crusade against Egypt. William decided to join. He gathered 400 knights and prepared 24 ships. He left for Cyprus with Hugh in May 1249. On the way, he sent 100 knights to Rhodes to help defend it. Rhodes had recently been taken by the Genoese from the Nicaeans.
From Cyprus, William went with Louis to Egypt. He stayed with him until the military campaign ended. It was not successful. As a reward, King Louis gave William the right to make coins. These coins were similar to the French denier tournois. William returned to Achaea in May 1250. For the next five years, Achaea was the strongest power in Frankish Greece. Most smaller Frankish rulers accepted William as their leader.
The War for Negroponte
Carintana dalle Carceri was one of the rulers of Negroponte island. She shared control of Oreus and the northern part of the island. When she died in 1255, William wanted to take her land. But another ruler, Grapella of Verona, also claimed it. The rulers of Negroponte were loyal to both Achaea and Venice. Grapella used an old rule from 1216. It said that if a co-ruler died without children, the other co-ruler could take their share.
The other two rulers of Negroponte, Guglielmo I da Verona and Narzotto dalle Carceri, supported Grapella. Some stories say William put Guglielmo and Narzotto in prison. Their wives then convinced the Venetian governor of Negroponte, Paolo Gradenigo, to step in. He seized the island's main city, Chalcis. If they were imprisoned, it was only for a few months. William sent his nephew Geoffrey of Briel with an army to Negroponte. The Achaean troops damaged the island and drove out the Venetians.
The leader of Venice, Reniero Zeno, sent Marco Gradenigo as the new governor. Gradenigo got help from William's vassal, William de la Roche, and his brother, Guy I of Athens. Guglielmo of Verona and Narzotto dalle Carceri met Gradenigo in Thebes on June 14, 1256. At this meeting, the two rulers rejected William's authority. They swore loyalty to Venice for their lands. Two other Frankish lords joined the group against William. William, however, got support from Othon de Cicon and the Genoese. Gradenigo attacked Chalcis. The Venetian foot soldiers defeated the Achaean cavalry near the city.
The war quickly spread to mainland Greece. William was planning to invade Attica. But Geoffrey of Briel, who was Guy of Athens' son-in-law, left William's side. Soon, Chalcis surrendered to the Venetians. William gathered his army and invaded Athens in the spring of 1258. Guy I of Athens and his allies tried to stop him. But William won a big victory over them in May 1258. Guy and his allies ran away to Thebes. William then raided Attica and Boeotia. William attacked Thebes, but the city's archbishop convinced him to stop.
A Big Battle and Peace
Guy promised he would never fight William again. He agreed to accept the decision of the High Court of Achaea for his disloyalty. The Achaean nobles at the High Court decided they could not judge Guy. This was because Guy was loyal to William only for his lands in Morea, not for Athens. Instead of taking Guy's lands, the High Court sent his case to King Louis IX of France. Guy accepted this decision. Peace was made between the two Frankish rulers. King Louis IX met Guy in Paris in June 1259. The King and French nobles decided Guy had been punished enough by making the long trip to France.
Captured by Enemies
The Venetian leader, Ranieri Zeno, told his new governor, Andrea Barozzi, to make peace with William in early 1259. But William got involved in a new fight between Epirus and Nicaea before talks began. The Nicaean emperor, Theodore II Laskaris, died in August 1258. His young son, John IV Lascaris, became emperor. But a powerful Nicaean noble, Michael VIII Palaiologos, took over as co-emperor.
The ruler of Epirus, Michael II Komnenos Doukas, wanted to use Nicaea's problems to his advantage. He formed a large group against Nicaea. He offered his daughters, Helena and Anna, to Manfred of Sicily and William. He promised William a large dowry: 80,000 gold coins, the castle of Liconia, and nearby lands. William quickly accepted. He married Anna in Patras in late summer 1258. Before the year ended, he and his father-in-law met and made a formal alliance. Some stories say Michael agreed that William could claim a new Kingdom of Thessalonica.
The Battle of Pelagonia
Michael VIII sent his brother, John Palaiologos, with new troops to Thessalonica. He sent people to Epirus, Sicily, and Achaea to talk about peace. But Michael II, Manfred, and William refused. John Palaiologos, with new mercenary troops, launched a full invasion of Epirus. Michael II asked his allies for help in spring 1259. William gathered most of the Achaean army. Some sources say he had 8,000 top soldiers and 12,000 foot soldiers.
William led the Achaean army across the Gulf of Corinth. He joined his father-in-law at Arta. They marched to southern Thessaly. Reinforcements from Athens, Salona, Negroponte, Naxos, and other islands joined them. The Frankish and Epirote leaders decided to fight a big battle. They marched into Macedonia to the plain of Pelagonia in June 1259. Their combined army was larger than the Nicaean troops. But their commanders did not work well together.
John Palaiologos avoided a direct fight. But his archers kept attacking the enemy camp. These constant attacks tired out the Franks and Epirotes. Michael II started talking with John Palaiologos's messengers. They urged him to leave his Frankish allies. One historian says the group split because Achaean knights disrespected the wife of Michael II's son, John Doukas. William supposedly refused to punish them. John Doukas was angry and went over to the Nicaeans. He convinced his father to leave the battle.
John's sudden attack from behind caused panic. The Franks' retreat quickly turned into a full flight. After running from the battlefield, William hid under a haystack. But a soldier recognized him by his large teeth. He was captured and sent to Nicaea. Other Achaean nobles were also captured. Michael VIII demanded all of Achaea for William's freedom. William refused. He said Achaea was won by fighting and belonged to the conquerors' families. He could not give away his vassals' land. During his long but comfortable captivity, Guy I of Athens ruled Achaea for him.
Life in Prison
The Nicaeans did not conquer Thessaly and Epirus after their victory at Pelagonia. But they secured their hold on Thessalonica. The Latin Empire was weak. So Michael VIII decided to take back Constantinople from the Latins. He made a deal with Genoa for naval support. But his general, Alexios Strategopoulos, captured Constantinople without Genoa's help on July 25, 1261. The Latin army was not there. Michael VIII was crowned emperor again. He quickly removed the young co-emperor, John IV.
After the Latin Empire fell, new talks began between Michael VIII and William about William's release. They agreed that William would give up Mistra, Grand Magne, and Monemvasia. These castles had been built or conquered by William. So giving them up did not break Achaean law. But he could not give up border castles without his nobles' permission. To make the transfer legal, William's wife called a meeting of the imprisoned Achaean lords' wives. This "parliament of dames" agreed to it. They wanted their husbands back. Before freeing William, Michael VIII made him swear loyalty. He also took two Achaean ladies as hostages to make sure William kept his promise. William returned to Achaea in late 1261. After the Byzantines took the three castles, the Tzakones and Melingoi tribes became loyal to Michael VIII.
Dealing with the Byzantines
Neither William nor Michael VIII believed the peace treaty would last. The Byzantines could use their new lands in Morea to expand further. William could not easily accept losing territory. Because of Byzantine expansion, William could not offer much land to Western European knights. This weakened his army. But the Byzantines avoided major invasions. Frankish cavalry could still defeat them. Instead, they attacked weakly guarded castles. They took them with help from local Greeks and Slavs.
Pope Urban IV said William did not have to keep the oath he made in Constantinople. William then started peace talks with the Venetians. In May 1262, William gave up his claim to rule parts of Negroponte directly. In return, his authority over the island was recognized. The Venetians had to destroy their fort at Chalcis. But their area in the city was made larger.
Having the port of Monemvasia allowed the Byzantines to send troops to Morea. By late 1262, they took Cape Maleas and the nearby Mani Peninsula. Pope Urban IV urged Catholic leaders in Frankish Greece to support the Achaeans against the "schismatic" Byzantines in April 1263. But he soon realized he could unite Christianity only by talking with Michael VIII.
Michael VIII sent a new army to Monemvasia in summer 1263. The Byzantines invaded Arcadia and took small castles. But the Franks defeated them near William's capital at Andravida. Another Byzantine army marched towards Kalavryta and took it with local support. The next year, the Byzantine commander John Kantakouzenos launched another invasion. But he died in a small fight near Andravida. He had not paid his Turkish soldiers. So they joined William's army. With their help, William defeated the Greeks at Nikli. He then tried to capture Mistra, but he could not.
In response to the Byzantine attacks, Pope Urban IV called for a crusade against Michael VIII. But he also sent new people to talk about uniting the churches. Manfred of Sicily wanted to help the Franks fight the Byzantines. But Pope Urban saw Manfred as an enemy. So he refused the offer. Instead of forming a group against Byzantium, the Pope's representatives helped Michael VIII and William make peace. This happened before the Pope died in October 1264.
Seeking New Allies
Pope Urban's successor, Pope Clement IV, gave the Kingdom of Sicily to Charles I of Anjou in 1265. Charles was King Louis IX's ambitious younger brother. Charles invaded southern Italy. Manfred died fighting Charles in the Battle of Benevento in February 1266. Charles took full control of Sicily. He then planned to form a group against the Byzantine Empire. Since talks about church unity had not worked, Pope Clement supported Charles's idea.
He called Charles, the Latin Emperor Baldwin II, and William to Viterbo in Italy. They met to discuss invading the Byzantine Empire. Charles and William reached an agreement after long talks. William swore loyalty to Charles. He promised not to give away too much land after his death. He also agreed to marry his daughter, Isabella, to Charles's younger son, Philip.
William agreed that Charles and his descendants would inherit Achaea after him. This was true even if Isabella and Philip had no children, or if William's wife Anna had a son. William only said that his son could keep one-fifth of Achaea as Charles's vassal. Historians say William's agreements show how much the principality had been weakened by Greek attacks. In return, Charles promised military help to get back the lost territory. But the details were not clear. Baldwin II confirmed the treaty on May 24, 1267. This happened in front of the Pope and many important people. In a separate treaty, Baldwin II gave all his rights over Achaea to Charles. Charles promised to help him get Constantinople back within six or seven years.
As Charles's loyal vassal, William led 400 knights to fight against Charles's enemy, Conradin, in the Battle of Tagliacozzo in August 1268. When he returned to Achaea in January 1269, William captured Valona. This gave Charles's troops a safe place on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea. The Achaean nobles officially recognized the Treaty of Viterbo in 1270. The next year, Charles appointed Dreux of Beaumont to represent him in Achaea.
Around this time, an adventurer named Licario took a strong castle near Karystos in Euboea. He made a deal with the Byzantines. With their help, he tried to conquer the whole island. William and Dreux launched a joint military campaign against Licario. They recaptured the fortress La Cuppa from him. The Byzantines launched two major invasions against Achaea between 1270 and 1275. But William was able to push them back with help from Charles's troops.
Walter of Rosières, who held the Barony of Akova in Achaea, died without children. His heir, Margaret of Passova, was still a hostage for William in Constantinople. William claimed the barony should return to him. This was because she did not claim it in the usual time. After she returned from Constantinople, Margaret claimed Akova again. She married the influential noble John of Saint Omer for his support. Saint Omer convinced William to give Margaret some compensation. He gave her back one-third of the barony in 1276.
William's son-in-law Philip died without children in early 1277. It was clear that Charles or his children would inherit Achaea from William. William died on May 1, 1278. With his death, the male line of the Villehardouin family ended. Charles became the ruler without opposition. But he never visited Achaea. Galeran of Ivry represented Charles in the principality.
William's Legacy
Historian Kenneth M. Setton calls William "the most lordly of the princes of Achaea." He says Achaea was strongest and most respected around 1250 during William's rule. Author Nicolas Cheetham writes that William was ambitious and stubborn. But his big plans often failed because he took too many risks. William is the main character in the Chronicle of Morea, a historical story.
Marino Sanudo the Elder wrote about how rich William's principality was. He said merchants could travel safely in Achaea without needing cash. He also said William's court "appeared greater than a great king's court." William was also known as a trouvère, which means he composed songs and poems. Two of his works are still around today.
Achaea never got back its full power after the Nicaean victory at Pelagonia. Even though Byzantine governors took some lands during William's last years, William kept most of the lands he inherited. After the Treaty of Viterbo, Achaea became tied to the politics of Naples. William opened a mint (coin factory) at Glarentza. This meant his principality no longer depended on Byzantine coins. The coins made in Achaea after William's rule were based on his designs.
His Family
William's first wife was the daughter of Narjot of Toucy. She was a distant cousin of King Louis IX. She likely died before William became prince. Some historians thought Carintana dalle Carceri was William's second wife. But other scholars disagree. She is mainly known because her death started the War of the Euboeote Succession.
William's next wife, Anna Komnene Doukaina, took the name Agnes when they married. Their older daughter, Isabella, could not return to Achaea after her first husband, Philip of Anjou, died. In 1289, Charles I's son, Charles II, gave her back the right to rule Achaea. He married her to his cousin Florent of Hainaut. After Florent died in 1297, she ruled Achaea alone. She then married Philip of Savoy in 1301. The Achaean nobles did not like Philip. So Charles II released them from their loyalty to the couple in 1306. Isabella died in exile in 1311.
William's younger daughter by Anna–Agnes, Margaret, received two-thirds of the Barony of Akova from her father in 1276. She first married Isnard of Sabran. Her second marriage was to Richard I Orsini, Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, in 1299. In 1311, she claimed William had left Achaea to her in a secret will. Her claim led to a civil war after she died in 1315.
