Geoffrey II of Villehardouin
| Geoffrey II Geoffroi II | |
|---|---|
William II | |
| Born | c. 1195 Unknown |
| Died | after May 6, 1246 Unknown |
| Burial | Church of St James, Andravida |
| Spouse | Agnes of Courtenay |
| Issue | None |
| Dynasty | Villehardouin |
| Father | Geoffrey I |
| Mother | Elisabeth of Chappes |
Geoffrey II of Villehardouin (
Early years
Geoffrey was born as the eldest son of
The new prince summoned his wife from Champagne during the early period of his residence in the Peloponnese.[6] She came with their young son, Geoffrey and the family took up its residence in the castles of La Crémonie (now Sparta, Greece) and Kalamata.[7]
In 1217 the young Geoffrey married Agnes, the daughter of Emperor Peter I of Constantinople (1217).[1][3]
His reign
Geoffrey II succeeded his father at the age of about 35.[1] He lived in a noble style, keeping always at his court 80 knights with golden spurs, supported on his bounty.[1]
He began his reign during a very critical period in the history of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, because the fall of the Kingdom of Thessalonica in 1224 had interposed formidable enemies between the capital of the empire on the one hand and the crusaders' states in the Peloponnese on the other.[2][8] But the defeat of Emperor Theodore Komnenos Doukas of Thessalonica (c. 1225-1230) by Tzar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria (1218–1241) at Klokotnitza in April, 1230 freed them from the dangers inherent in the great concentration of power in the hand of Theodore Komnenos Doukas.[2][9]
Living on good terms with his Greek neighbors, Geoffrey II assured the peace and prosperity of his principality.[4][10] He frequently sent investigators to the courts of the barons to inform him of their way of life and of the manner in which they treated their vassals.[4]
His resources permitted him to send financial aid to his liege lord Emperor
In 1238, uniting his ships with those of Venice, he again came to the rescue of Constantinople, once more besieged by the
In 1243, upon the false rumor of the death of his brother-in-law, Emperor
Geoffrey II died in 1246 and was buried in his capital, Andravida, in the church of the monastery of St. Jacob.
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g Longnon 1969, p. 242.
- ^ a b c Setton 1976, p. 56.
- ^ a b c d Fine 1994, p. 614.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Longnon 1969, p. 243.
- ^ Fine 1994, pp. 69-72.
- ^ Setton 1976, p. 49.
- ^ Setton 1976, p. 49-50.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 119.
- ^ Fine 1994, pp. 120., 614., 616.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 122.
- ^ Fine 1994, p. 613.
- ^ Longnon 1969, pp. 243., 846-847.
- ^ Setton 1976, p. 63.
See also
- Principality of Achaea
- Chronicle of Morea
References
- Bon, Antoine (1969). La Morée franque. Recherches historiques, topographiques et archéologiques sur la principauté d'Achaïe [The Frankish Morea. Historical, Topographic and Archaeological Studies on the Principality of Achaea] (in French). Paris: De Boccard. OCLC 869621129.
- ISBN 0-472-08260-4.
- Longnon, Jean (1969) [1962]. "The Frankish States in Greece, 1204–1311". In ISBN 0-299-04844-6.
- ISBN 0-87169-114-0.