Gottfried II of Villehardouin

Coat of arms of the Principality of Achaia.

Gottfried II von Villehardouin (* 1195 , † 1246 ) was Prince of Achaia from 1228 to 1246. He was the eldest son of Gottfried I von Villehardouin .

Gottfried was recognized by the Latin Emperor of Constantinople Peter von Courtenay . In 1217 he married Agnes de Courtenay, a daughter of Peter von Courtenay and Jolante von Flanders . He continued his father's policies and made enemies of the Latin priests by limiting their activities and finances. For this, Gottfried II was excommunicated by the Pope . Due to the difficult situation of the Latin Empire, which needed his support, the excommunication was lifted.

From the taxes he imposed on the church, he had a fortress built in Elis , the Chlemoutsi castle (according to other sources it was Gottfried I von Villehardouin). Gottfried II von Villehardouin supported the Orthodox priests, who were exempt from taxation and military service.

He built up a strong army and fleet so that he was able to fight as John III in 1236 . Constantinople was besieged to deploy 100 knights, 800 archers and six ships to defend the city. He also supported the Latin Empire with 22,000 Hyperpyra. In recognition of his achievements, he received the Aegean Sea , Evoia and several places in Sterea Hellas from the emperor .

Gottfried died in 1246 and was buried in his capital Andravida , in the church of the St. Jakob monastery. His successor was his brother Wilhelm II von Villehardouin .

literature

Chronicle of Morea , anonymous medieval document, made in the Principality of Achaia in the early 14th century. Text here online (Greek)
John H. Finley, Jr .: Corinth in the Middle Ages , in: Speculum 7,4 (1932) 477-499, doi : 10.2307 / 2850425 .
Henry F. Tozer: The Franks in the Peloponnese , in: The Journal of Hellenic Studies 4 (1883) 165-236, doi : 10.2307 / 2850425 .

Individual evidence

^ William Miller : The Latins in the Levant. A History of Frankish Greece (1204-1566). John Murray, London 1908, ( digitized version ).
^ Ramsay Traquair: Mediaeval Fortresses. In: The Annual of the British School at Athens . Vol. 12, 1906, pp. 259-276, here pp. 272-276.
^ David J. Wallace, Thomas SR Boase : The Arts in Frankish Greece and Rhodes. In: Kenneth M. Setton (Ed.): A History of the Crusades. Volume 4: Harry W. Hazard (Ed.): The Art and Architecture of the Crusader States. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI et al. 1977, ISBN 0-299-06820-X , pp. 208-251, here p. 218.

predecessor	Office	successor
Gottfried I of Villehardouin	Prince of Achaia 1228–1246	Wilhelm II of Villehardouin

personal data
SURNAME	Gottfried II of Villehardouin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Gottfried II of Achaia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Prince of Achaia
DATE OF BIRTH	1195
DATE OF DEATH	1246

[1] William Miller : The Latins in the Levant. A History of Frankish Greece (1204-1566). John Murray, London 1908, ( digitized version ).

[2] Ramsay Traquair: Mediaeval Fortresses. In: The Annual of the British School at Athens . Vol. 12, 1906, pp. 259-276, here pp. 272-276.

[3] David J. Wallace, Thomas SR Boase : The Arts in Frankish Greece and Rhodes. In: Kenneth M. Setton (Ed.): A History of the Crusades. Volume 4: Harry W. Hazard (Ed.): The Art and Architecture of the Crusader States. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI et al. 1977, ISBN 0-299-06820-X , pp. 208-251, here p. 218.