Hist. Const. become prince of Achaia. He fell into the hands of A. D. 1259. Pachy. Michael Palæologus, the Greek emperor, who return- lib. 1. 3, 5. ed to Constantinople in August, 1261. To regain his Ducange. liberty, William ceded to Michael the places which he lib. 5. possessed in the Morea, and which he had conquered from the Venetians and the petty princes who alternately started up and disappeared. These places were Monembasia, Maina, Hierace, and Misitra. Pachymeres writes without reflection, without astonishment, and almost without thought; as if this Misitra, the insignificant lordship of a French gentleman were not the heir of the renowned Lacedæmon. We have not long since seen Lacedæmon making its appearance under its ancient name, when it was governed by Leo Chamaretus. Misitra must therefore have been for sometime contemporary with Lacedæmon. William ceded Anaplion and Argos also to the emperor Michael: but the country of Ciusterne remained an object of dispute. William is the same prince of the Morea mentioned by the Sire de Joinville: Lorst vint: Avec mainte armure dorée, Joinv. Hist. de St. Louis Duchange. An not. Celui qui prince est de la Morée. Diedo calls him William Ville, thus retrenching half Died. Stor. his name. del. Rep. de. Ven. lib. 6. Pachymeres mentions about this period, a certain Pachym.lib.2. Theodosius, a monk of Morea, "sprung from the race of the princes of that country." We also find that one of the sisters of John, heir apparent to the throne of Constantinople, married Matthew de Valincourt “a Frenchman from the Morea." Michael equipped a fleet, and retook the islands of A. D. 1263. Pachym. 1. 3. Naxos, Paros, Ceos, Carystes, and Oreo; at the same time he reduced Lacedæmon, a distinct place of course from Misitra, ceded to the emperor as part of the ransom of the prince of Achaia. We find the Lacedæmonians serving in Michael's fleet; they had, ac Pachym. 1. 3. cording to the historians, been transferred from their own country to Constantinople in consideration of their valour. A. D. 1269. A. D. 1275. The emperor then made war on John Ducas Sebas tocrator, who had rebelled against him. This John Ducas was the natural son of Michael, despot of the West. The emperor besieged him in the town of Durazzo. John found means to escape to Thebes, where reigned a prince, Sire John, styled by Pachy. meres grand-signior of Thebes, and who was perhaps descended from Otho de la Roche. This Sire John caused his brother William to marry the daughter of John Ducas. Six years after this, a prince "of the illustrious Pachym. 1. 5. family of the princes of the Morea" was engaged in a contest with Veceus for the patriarchate of Constantinople. A. D. 1293. John, prince of Thebes, died, and left his brother William his heir. In right of his wife, grand-daughter to the despot of the West, William also became prince of part of the Morea; for the despot of the West, had, in spite of the Venetians and the prince of Achaia, made himself master of that fine province. Andronicus, on the death of his father Michael, Pachym. 1. 9. asscended the throne of the East. Nicephorus, despot of the West, and son of that Michael, the despot who had conquered the Morea, followed the emperor Michael to the tomb, leaving a son and heir, Thomas, and a daughter, named Itamar. The latter married Philip, grandson of Charles, king of Naples: she brought him for her portion, several towns and a considerable extent of country. It is therefore probable, that the Sicilians had then some possessions in the Morea. A. D. 1800. About this time I find a princess of Achaia, a Pachym. 1. 11. widow, and very far advanced in years, to whom Andronicus was desirous of marrying his son John, the despot. This princess was perhaps the daughter, or even the relict of William, prince of Achaia, who, as we have seen, was at war with Michael, the father of Andronicus. Some years afterwards an earthquake shook Modon A. D. 1305. and other towns of the Morea. Pachym. 1. 11. Athens then witnessed the arrival of new masters A. D. 1312. from the West. A body of Catalans, seeking their Pachym. 1.11. fortunes under the conduct of Ximenes, Roger and Berenger offered their services to the emperor of the East; but soon growing dissatisfied with Andronieus, they turned their arms against the empire. They Pacif. Notiz. ravaged Achaia and numbered Athens among their conquests. It is now, and not before, that we see Fanel Athen. Delves, a prince of the house of Arragon upon the Spon. tom. 1. throne. History does not record whether he found Chandl. vol. 2. the heirs of Otho de la Roche in possession of Attica and Boeotia. The invasion of Amurat, son of Orcan must be placed under the same date: we know not with what success it was attended.* del. duc. d'Ath. Attic. Cant. Hist. of the Othm. Emp. lib. 2. Cantac. 1, 3, e. The emperors John Palæologus and John Cantacu- A. D. 1336. zenus determined to carry their arms into Achaia. 11. To this they were invited by the bishop of Corone and John Sidere, governor of several towns. The grand- A. D. 1342. duke Apocaucus, who had revolted against the empe- 71, ror, pillaged the Morea and laid it waste with fire and sword. Cant. lib. 3. c. Pacif. Notiz. Fannell. Reiniere Acciajuoli, a Florentine, drove the Cata- A. D. 1370. lans from Athens. He governed that city for some del. duc. time, and having no legitimate heirs, left it by his will d'Att. to the republic of Venice: but his natural son Antho- Athen. Attic. ny, whom he had established in Thebes, took Athens Mart. Crus. 2. Spon. and from the Venetians. Chandler. Anthony, prince of Attica and Boeotia, was succeed- A. D. 1390, ed by one of his relatives named Nerius, who was ex- Auc. sup. cit. pelled from his dominions by his brother Anthony II, and never returned to his principality till the death of the usurper. Some traces of this invasion are to be seen in Cantacuzequ3, ` lib. 1. e. 39. to 1400 A. D. 1390 to 1400. Hist. de Chev. Bajazet then struck terror into Europe and Asia; he threatened to invade Greece; but I no where find that he reduced Athens, as Spon and Chandler assert. They have besides confounded the order of time in making the arrival of the Catalans in Africa precede the supposed incursion of Bajazet. Be this as it may, the consternation with which this prince filled Europe, produced one of the most singular events recorded in history. Theodore Porphyrogenitus, despot of Sparta, was brother to Andronicus and Manuel, successively emperors of Constantinople. Bajazet menaced the Morea with an invasion, and Theodore thinking himself unable to defend his principality offered to sell it to the knights of Rhodes. Philibert de Naillac, prior of Aquitaine and grand-master of Rhodes, purchased in the name of his Order, the despotship of Sparta. He sent thither two French knights, Raymond de Leytoure, prior of Toulouse, and Clie du Fossé, commander of St. Maixance, to take possession of the country of Lycurgus. The treaty was broken off, because Bajazet, being obliged to return to Asia, there fell into the hands of Tamerlane. The two knights, who had already established themselves at Corinth, delivered up that city, and Theodore paid back the money which he had received as the price of Lacedæmon. A. D. 1410. Theodore's successor was another Theodore, his Mart Crus. Turco-Græc. nephew, and son of the emperor Emanuel. This Theodore II, married an Italian lady of the house of Malatesta. On account of this alliance the princes of that illustrious house assumed in the sequel, the title of dukes of Sparta. 1. 2 Guil. Laced. anc. et moderne. A: D. 1420. Hist. Oth.lib.2. Theodore left the principality of Laconia to his brother Constantine, surnamed Dragazes. This Constantine, who ascended the throne of Constantinople, was the last emperor of the East. While he was yet only prince of Lacedæmon, Amurat II, invaded the Morea, and made himself master of Athens: but that city soon returned under the dominion of Reinier Acciajuoli. A. D. 1444. Ma Cantem. The empire of the East was now no more, and the last relics of Roman greatness were swept away homet II. had entered Constantinople. Greece, though lib. i. Fane:l. threatened with impending slavery, was not yet bound Athen. Att. Pacif Notiz by those fetters which it speedily demanded of the del duc. Mussulmen. Francus, son of the second Anthony, Spon. d'Athen. summoned Mahomet II. to Athens, to dispossess the Chandl. widow of Nerius.* The sultan, who made these intestine broils subservient to the increase of his power, espoused the cause of Francus, and banished the widow of Nerius to Megara. Francus caused her to be poisoned. This unfortunate princess had a young son, who, in his turn, submitted his complaints to Mahomet. The latter, an interested avenger of guilt, took Attica from Francus, and left him nothing but A. D. 1444. Bootia. It was in 1455 that Athens passed under the A. D. 1455. yoke of the barbarians. It is said that Mahomet seem- A. D. 1458. ed enchanted with the city; that he spared it from plunder, and minutely examined the citadel. He exempted the convent of Cyriani, seated on Mount Hymettus, from all taxes, because the keys of Athens had been delivered to him by its abbot. Some time after this, Francus Acciajuoli was put to death for conspiring against the sultan. Chalcon. Hist. c 45. Santow Ann. Ture. Græc. Let us now inquire what was the fate of Sparta, or A. D. 1460. rather of Misitra. I have related that it was govern- Hist. Turc. ed by Constantine, surnamed Dragazes. This prince, 1. 10. Ducas. on his departure for Constantinople, to assume the crown which he lost with his life, divided the Morea between his two brothers, Demetrius and Thomas; 1. 1. Demetrius fixed his residence at Misitra, and Thomas at Corinth. The two brothers went to war, and had recourse to Mahomet, the murderer of their family, and the destroyer of their empire. The Turks first drove Thomas from Corinth. He fled to Rome. Mahomet then went to Misitra, and prevailed on the The time when Nerius died is not known. |