Everything about the Despotate Of Morea totally explained
The
Despotate of Morea (
Greek:
Δεσποτάτο του Μορέως) was a province of the
Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-
14th and mid-
15th centuries. Its territory varied in size during its 100 years of existence but eventually grew to take in almost all the southern
Greek peninsula, the
Peloponnesos, which was called
Morea in the medieval period. It was usually ruled by the current
Byzantine emperor's heir, who was given the title of
despot or
despoinis (in this context it shouldn't be confused with
despotism). Its capital was the fortified city of
Mystras, near ancient
Sparta, which became an important centre of Byzantine culture and power.
The
Byzantine Despotate of Morea was carved out of territory seized from the
Frankish Principality of Achaea. This itself had been carved out of former Byzantine territory following the
Fourth Crusade (
1204). In
1259, the Principality's ruler
Guillaume II de Villehardouin lost the
Battle of Pelagonia against the Byzantine Emperor
Michael VIII Palaeologus. Guillaume was forced to ransom himself by giving up most of the eastern part of Morea and his newly built strongholds. The surrendered territory became the nucleus of the Despotate of Morea.
A later Byzantine emperor,
John VI Cantacuzenus, reorganized the territory in the mid-
14th century to establish it as an
appanage for his son
Manuel Cantacuzenus. The rival
Palaeologus dynasty seized the Morea after Manuel's death in
1380, with
Theodore I Palaeologus becoming despot in
1383. Theodore ruled until
1407, consolidating Byzantine rule and coming to terms with his more powerful neighbours – particularly the expansionist
Ottoman Empire, whose
suzerainty he recognised. He also sought to reinvigorate the local economy by inviting
Albanians to settle in the territory.
Subsequent despots were the sons of the Emperor
Manuel II Paleologos, brother of the despot Theodore: Constantine, Demetrios, and Thomas. As Latin power in the Peloponnesos waned during the
15th century, the Despotate of Morea expanded to incorporate the entire peninsula in
1430 with territory being acquired through dowry settlements, and the fall of
Patrasto Constantine. However, in
1446 the Ottoman Sultan
Murad II destroyed the Byzantine defences on the
Isthmus of Corinth. His attack opened the peninsula to invasion, though Murad died before he could exploit this. His successor
Mehmed II "the Conqueror" captured the Byzantine capital
Constantinople in
1453. The despots, Demetrios and Thomas, brothers of the last emperor, failed to send him any aid. Their own incompetence at rule led to an Albanian-Greek revolt against them, when they invited in Ottoman troops to help them put down the revolt. At this time, a number of leading Moreote Greeks and Albanians made private peace with Mehmed. After more years of incompetent rule on the part of the despots, their failure to pay their annual tribute to the Sultan, and finally their own revolt against Ottoman rule, Mehmed came into the Morea in May 1460. By the end of the summer he'd achieved the submission of all Byzantine-held cities. The only non-Ottoman territories were held by Venice: the port cities of Modon and Koroni at the southern tip of the Morea, and the Argolid with the Argos and the port of
Nafplion. Monemvasia subsequently handed itself over to Venice at the beginning of the 1464-1478 Ottoman-Venetian war.
Byzantine despots of Morea at Mystras
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