Battle of Demetrias

Last updated
Battle of Demetrias
Part of the Byzantine-Latin Wars
Greece in 1278.svg
Map of the Byzantine Empire and the Latin states in southern Greece c. 1278
Date1272/1273 or 1274/1275
Location
Demetrias (modern Volos, Greece)
39°21′0″N22°56′30″E / 39.35000°N 22.94167°E / 39.35000; 22.94167
Result Byzantine victory
Belligerents
Byzantine Empire Lordship of Negroponte
Venetian Crete
Commanders and leaders
Alexios Philanthropenos
John Palaiologos 		Guglielmo da Verona   †
Fillippo Sanudo   White flag icon.svg
Strength
50–80 ships 30–62 ships
Casualties and losses
heavy very heavy

The Battle of Demetrias was a sea engagement fought at Volos in Greece in the early 1270s between a Byzantine fleet and the assembled forces of the Latin barons of Euboea (Negroponte) and Crete. The battle was fierce, and initially in favour of the Latins, but the timely arrival of Byzantine reinforcements tipped the scale, resulting in a crushing Byzantine victory.

Contents

Background

In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade and the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire in 1204, the Aegean Sea, once Byzantium's naval heartland, was dominated by a hodgepodge of Latin principalities, protected by the naval might of the Republic of Venice. Following the recapture of Constantinople and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261, one of the chief priorities of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282) was the defence of his capital from a Venetian attack. Consequently, he sought an alliance with Venice's major antagonist, the Republic of Genoa, while he began building up his own navy. [1]

With the aid of his newly constructed fleet, in 1263 Palaiologos sent an expedition to the Morea, against the Principality of Achaia. At the verge of victory, the Byzantine land forces were surprised and defeated, while the joint Byzantine-Genoese fleet was dealt a severe blow by a numerically inferior Venetian fleet at the Battle of Settepozzi. [2] This led to the abandonment of the Genoese alliance by Michael, who initiated a rapprochement with Venice, leading to a five-year peace treaty in 1268. [3] With the neutralisation of the Republic of Venice, the major threat to imperial interests in the Aegean were the Lombard corsairs based at Negroponte. The island was repeatedly attacked by the Byzantine fleet under Alexios Philanthropenos, but no permanent gains were achieved. Only from 1273, with the aid of the Latin renegade Licario, did Byzantine forces make headway, capturing a number of fortresses on the island. [4]

In the early 1270s (the exact date is uncertain, most recent scholars favour 1272/3 or 1274/5), [a] Michael VIII Palaiologos launched a major campaign against John I Doukas, ruler of Thessaly. It was to be headed by his own brother, the despotes John Palaiologos. To prevent any aid coming to him from the Latin principalities, he also dispatched a fleet of 73 ships, led by Philanthropenos, to harass their coasts. [5] The Byzantine army, however, was defeated at the Battle of Neopatras with the aid of troops from the Duchy of Athens. At the news of this, the Latin lords took heart, and resolved to attack the Byzantine navy, anchored at the port of Demetrias. [6]

The battle

The opposing fleets' numbers are unclear. For the Byzantines, Nikephoros Gregoras writes of "over 50" vessels, while the Italian Marino Sanudo mentions 80 imperial ships. The joint Latin fleet, composed of Lombard and Venetian vessels from Negroponte and Venetian-held Crete, is variously given at 30 (Gregoras) to 62 (Sanudo) ships. At any rate, all sources confirm that the Latin fleet was numerically inferior by about a third. [7] Pursuant to their truce with the Byzantines, the Venetians of Negroponte themselves maintained an officially neutral stance, although some of their number did join the Latin fleet as individuals. [8]

The Latin fleet caught the Byzantines by surprise, and their initial attack was so violent that they made good progress. Their ships, on which high wooden towers had been erected, had the advantage, and many Byzantine seamen and soldiers were killed or drowned. [9] Just as victory seemed within the Latins' grasp, however, reinforcements arrived led by the despotes John Palaiologos. While retreating from Neopatras, the despotes had learned of the impending battle. Gathering whatever men he could, he rowed forty miles in one night and reached Demetrias just as the Byzantine fleet was beginning to waver. [8]

His arrival boosted the Byzantines' morale, and Palaiologos's men, ferried on board the ships by small boats, began to replenish their casualties and turn the tide. The battle continued all day, but by nightfall, all but two Latin ships had been captured. The Latin casualties were heavy, and included the triarch of Negroponte Guglielmo II da Verona. Many other nobles were captured, including the Venetian Fillippo Sanudo, who was probably the fleet's overall commander. [8]

Aftermath

The victory at Demetrias went a long way to mitigating the disaster of Neopatras for the Byzantines. It also marked the beginning of a sustained offensive across the Aegean: by 1278, Licario had subdued all of Euboea except for its capital, Chalkis, and by 1280, as grand admiral ( megas doux ) of the Byzantine navy, he had retaken most of the Aegean islands for the Empire. His achievements were not to last long after his disappearance from history in c. 1280, however. In Euboea, Licario's major gain and personal fief, the Byzantine forts were gradually retaken by the Lombards, until they recovered the entire island by 1296. [10]

Notes

^  a: The date of the Battle of Neopatras, and hence also of the subsequent Battle of Demetrias, is disputed amongst scholars. Some historians (Deno J. Geanakoplos, [11] Jean Longnon  [ fr ], [12] Donald Nicol) followed the date 1275 proposed in the 19th century by Hopf interpreting the chronicle of Marino Sanudo, and placed the Thessalian campaign after the Council of Lyon. This dating is still adopted by a number of recent scholars like John Van Antwerp Fine. [13] Others adopted the date 1271 proposed by the 17th-century Jesuit scholar Pierre Poussines interpreting the chronicle of G. Pachymeres, a datation reactualized by Raymond-Joseph Loenertz in the 1960s. [14] A. Failler re-dated the events to 1272/1273, [15] a date also adopted by other scholars like Alice-Mary Talbot in the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium . [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael VIII Palaiologos</span> Byzantine emperor from 1261 to 1282

Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire of Nicaea from 1259 to 1261, and as Byzantine emperor from 1261 until his death in 1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453. He recovered Constantinople from the Latin Empire in 1261 and transformed the Empire of Nicaea into a restored Byzantine Empire. His reign saw considerable recovery of Byzantine power, including the enlargement of the Byzantine army and navy. It would also include the reconstruction of the city of Constantinople, and the increase of its population. Additionally, he re-established the University of Constantinople, which led to what is regarded as the Palaiologan Renaissance between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The Battle of Pelagonia or Battle of Kastoria took place in early summer or autumn 1259, between the Empire of Nicaea and an anti-Nicaean alliance comprising Despotate of Epirus, Kingdom of Sicily and the Principality of Achaea. It was a decisive event in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean, ensuring the eventual reconquest of Constantinople and the end of the Latin Empire in 1261.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William of Villehardouin</span> Prince of Achaea from 1246 to 1278

William of Villehardouin was the fourth prince of Achaea in Frankish Greece, from 1246 to 1278. The younger son of Prince Geoffrey I, he held the Barony of Kalamata in fief during the reign of his elder brother Geoffrey II. William ruled Achaea as regent for his brother during Geoffrey's military campaigns against the Greeks of Nicaea, who were the principal enemies of his overlord, the Latin Emperor of Constantinople Baldwin II. William succeeded his childless brother in the summer of 1246. Conflicts between Nicaea and Epirus enabled him to complete the conquest of the Morea in about three years. He captured Monemvasia and built three new fortresses, forcing two previously autonomous tribes, the Tzakones and Melingoi, into submission. He participated in the unsuccessful Egyptian crusade of Louis IX of France, who rewarded him with the right to issue currency in the style of French royal coins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Despot (court title)</span> Title for the heir-apparent of the Byzantine emperor

Despot or despotes was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent of the Byzantine emperor.

The history of Thessaly covers the history of the region of Thessaly in north-central Greece from antiquity to the present day.

John I Doukas, Latinized as Ducas, was an illegitimate son of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Despot of Epirus in c. 1230–1268. After his father's death, he became ruler of Thessaly from c. 1268 to his own death in 1289. From his father's family he is also inaccurately known as John Angelos.

Licario, called Ikarios by the Greek chroniclers, was a Byzantine admiral of Italian origin in the 13th century. At odds with the Latin barons of his native Euboea, he entered the service of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, and reconquered many of the Aegean islands for him in the 1270s. For his exploits, he was rewarded with Euboea as a fief and rose to the rank of megas konostaulos and megas doux, the first foreigner to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triarchy of Negroponte</span> Crusader state established on the island of Euboea

The Triarchy of Negroponte was a crusader state established on the island of Euboea after the partition of the Byzantine Empire following the Fourth Crusade. Partitioned into three baronies run by a few interrelated Lombard families, the island soon fell under the influence of the Republic of Venice. From circa 1390, the island became a regular Venetian colony as the Realm of Negroponte.

John Doukas Palaiologos was a Byzantine aristocrat, brother to Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, who served as the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army. He played a prominent part in his brother's military campaigns, most notably in the crucial victory at the Battle of Pelagonia, but also in repeated campaigns against Epirus and against the Turks in Asia Minor. He retired from active service after his defeat at Neopatras, and died shortly after.

Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos was a Byzantine nobleman and distinguished admiral, with the rank of protostrator and later megas doux, during the reign of Michael VIII Palaiologos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Neopatras</span> 1270s battle in Greece

The Battle of Neopatras was fought in the early 1270s between a Byzantine army besieging the city of Neopatras and the forces of John I Doukas, ruler of Thessaly. The battle was a rout for the Byzantine army, which was caught by surprise and defeated by a much smaller but more disciplined force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Berat (1280–1281)</span> Part of the Byzantine–Latin Wars

The siege of Berat in Albania by the forces of the Angevin Kingdom of Sicily against the Byzantine garrison of the city took place in 1280–1281. Berat was a strategically important fortress, whose possession would allow the Angevins access to the heartlands of the Byzantine Empire. A Byzantine relief force arrived in spring 1281, and managed to ambush and capture the Angevin commander, Hugo de Sully. Thereupon, the Angevin army panicked and fled, suffering heavy losses in killed and wounded as it was attacked by the Byzantines. This defeat ended the threat of a land invasion of the Byzantine Empire, and along with the Sicilian Vespers marked the end of the Western threat to reconquer Byzantium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Prinitza</span>

The Battle of Prinitza was fought in 1263 between the forces of the Byzantine Empire, marching to capture Andravida, the capital of the Latin Principality of Achaea, and a small Achaean force. The Achaeans launched a surprise attack on the greatly superior and overconfident Byzantine force, defeated and scattered it, saving the principality from conquest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Makryplagi</span>

The Battle of Makryplagi or Makry Plagi was fought between the forces of the Byzantine Empire, and the Latin Principality of Achaea. The Byzantines had been weakened and demoralized by the defection of their numerous Turkish mercenaries to the Achaeans. At Makryplagi, the Byzantines suffered a heavy defeat, which together with their defeat at the Battle of Prinitza the previous year ended their attempted reconquest of the Morea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Settepozzi</span> 1263 battle off the island of Settepozzi

The Battle of Settepozzi was fought in the first half of 1263 off the island of Settepozzi between a Genoese–Byzantine fleet and a smaller Venetian fleet.

Guglielmo II da Verona was a Lombard noble from the triarchy of Negroponte (Euboea), considered by earlier historians as a triarch and a marshal of the principality of Achaea in Frankish Greece.

John de lo Cavo or de Capite was a Genoese pirate captain who entered the service of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos and became lord of Anafi and Rhodes and megas doux of the Byzantine navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1268</span> Temporary peace treaty

In 1268, the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice agreed to temporarily end hostilities which had erupted after the Byzantine recovery of Constantinople by Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1261.

Jacopo Dondulo was a Venetian sailor, military commander, and politician in the 13th century. He played a distinguished role in the naval conflicts of the War of Saint Sabas against the Republic of Venice, leading the Venetian navy to a crushing victory at the Battle of Trapani in 1266. He served also several tenures as a member of the Great Council of Venice, as Bailo of Negroponte in 1277–1279, and as Duke of Candia in 1281–1283, where he faced the start of the Revolt of Alexios Kallergis.

The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 was an agreement between the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice that renegotiated and extended for two years the previous 1268 treaty between the two powers. The agreement was beneficial for both sides: Byzantine emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos kept the Venetians and their fleet from participating in the attempts of Charles of Anjou to organize an anti-Byzantine crusade, while the Venetians were able to retain their access to the Byzantine market, and even augment their trading privileges by gaining direct access to the Black Sea and the right to their own quarters in Constantinople and Thessalonica. Furthermore, they were able to stop the Byzantine reconquest of Venetian-aligned territories in the Aegean, although the treaty explicitly allowed both sides to continue fighting for control of the island of Euboea (Negroponte). Nevertheless, the agreement's short duration made clear that for both parties, it was a temporary expedient. After the treaty expired, the Venetians allied with Charles of Anjou, but their plans were thwarted by the outbreak of the War of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, forcing Venice once more to renew the peace with the Byzantines in 1285.

References

  1. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 125–127.
  2. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 153–154, 158–159; Nicol 1993 , p. 47.
  3. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 154, 161–164, 214–215.
  4. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 235–237; Fine 1994 , p. 190.
  5. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , p. 282.
  6. ↑ Fine 1994 , p. 190; Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 283–284.
  7. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , p. 283, Note #27.
  8. 1 2 3 Geanakoplos 1959 , p. 284.
  9. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 283–284.
  10. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959 , pp. 284–285, 295–298; Fine 1994 , pp. 190–191, 243–244; Nicol 1993 , pp. 59–60.
  11. ↑ Geanakoplos 1959, pp. 279, 282.
  12. ↑ Longnon 1969, p. 257.
  13. ↑ Fine 1994, p. 188
  14. ↑ Setton 1976, p. 423.
  15. ↑ Failler 1981, pp. 189–192.
  16. ↑ ODB, "John I Doukas" (A. M. Talbot), pp. 1044–1045.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.