During the Christian-Arab wars in the course of the Reconquista in the Iberian peninsula, two powerful kingdoms emerged from under the Moor yoke – the Kingdoms of Aragon and the Kingdom of Catalunya. These two powerful kingdoms that ruled the north-eastern part of what is now modern Spain, joined forces and territories in 1137 A.D. when Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, married Petronila of Aragon (aged 2 at that time). The new combined kingdom was known as “Crown of Aragon” or “Catalan-Aragonese Confederation” and it would continue to exist for almost 600 years until it was incorporated into the Spanish Kingdom during the Wars of Spanish Succession.
The crest of the Crown of Aragon
Almost 70 years after the creation of the “Crown of Aragon”, a tragedy took place in the Eastern Mediterranean when the Fourth Crusade invaded and destroyed Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. The capture and pillage of Constantinople resulted in the complete collapse of the Byzantine Empire and the Crusaders took full advantage of the subsequent power vacuum, settling in many different parts of the once proud Empire. One of these Crusaders, Otto de la Roche of Burgundia, went to Athens and set up the Duchy of Athens in 1205. His family would continue to rule over the Duchy of Athens for over 100 years, until the Duchy passed over to Walter V of Brienne in 1308.
In the meantime, the Byzantine Empire had re-established itself with Constantinople as its capital, albeit not much remained of its original splendour. Nevertheless, a new enemy had made themselves noticeable – the Ottoman Turks. As part of the ongoing war between the Christian and the Muslim world, Roger de Flor had raised the so-called Catalan Company in 1302, formed of former soldiers of the “Crown of Aragon”. In 1303, de Flor offered help to the Byzantine Empire against the advancing Ottoman Turks, and the then Emperor Adronicus Palaeologus promptly accepted. De Flor landed with 1500 Catalan Knights and 4000 Almogavars (Catalan-Aragonese Infantry) at Constantinople and set over to Anatolia. Following decisive victories over the Ottomans, the Catalan Company took control of large areas of Anatolia and made Gallipolli their home base.
A Catalan Knight
However, frictions and tensions arose quickly between the Catalans and the Byzantine Empire and the former allies soon started to wage war against each other in 1305. Though the Byzantine Forces won quick victories at the beginning, including the slaying of Roger de Flor, the tide soon turned against them and the remains of the Catalan Company unleashed the infamous “Catalan Revenge”, which would see them devastate and decimate large areas of Thrace and Macedonia.
Five years later, Walter V of Brienne, who had been in power in Athens for 2 years, offered employment to the Catalan Company in order to vanquish his enemies in Northern Greece. The Catalans agreed and quickly won the war for Brienne. However, Brienne and the Catalans quickly fell out with each other when they started quarrelling over pay and land issues – Brienne did not want to pay them their promised wage, and wanted the region of Thessaly, occupied by the Catalans, handed over to him. These disagreements eventually led to open combat and in 1311, at the Battle of Halmyros, the Catalans destroyed Brienne’s army and killed him in combat. With Brienne’s forces routed and leaderless, the Catalans marched upon Athens and, after sacking the ancient city of Thebes, marched into Athens and claimed her for themselves.
The Catalan-Aragonese Confederation at its height
Since in medieval times rule could only be exercised by royalty, the surviving Catalans offered the Duchy of Athens to the Sicilese ruler, Frederik II, himself a governor for the “Crown of Aragon”. Thus, the Duchy of Athens was incorporated into the “Crown of Aragon”.
The first ten or so years saw the Catalan forces of Athens battle the Venetian forces in the region until a cease fire was declared in 1319. These years also saw Catalan be introduced as an official court language and the Duchy of Athens enjoyed the existence of a virtually self-governing municipality. The 1320s saw tensions rise between the Catalan inhabitants of Athens and the Catholic Church, who grew concerned at the rising number of Catalan apostates joining the Orthodox Church.
In the 1330s, the Ottoman Turks had reached the Mediterranean once again and had started to wage war against mainland Greece. The Catalans resisted successfully, however. In 1367, Turkish forces broke through the Catalan defences and almost managed to take the Acropolis, but were once again thwarted.
Over the years, Catalan rule became inefficient and the Duchy of Athens became poorer and the population started to dwindle. In 1377, civil war broke out when it was unclear who the next ruler would be. Peter IV eventually came out on top, defeating forces loyal to Sicily and reinstating Aragonese control over Sicily, and assumed sovereignty over the Duchy in 1381. However, Peter ruled from Barcelona and never travelled to Athens.
With the Duchy weakened by Civil war, Florentine forces set up base in Boeotia and Corinth and increased their numbers until in 1388, Nerio Accajuoli, insulted by the refusal of a Catalan countess to marry him, marched towards Athens and captured the city. The King of Naples conferred upon Nerio the title of Duke of Athens and the Duchy of Athens was thus incorporated into the Kingdom of Naples.
The surviving Catalans, soldiers and civilians, fled Greece for Sicily and Southern Italy without leaving much of a trace. Athens would not be ruled by Greeks again until 1444.
The crest of the Crown of Aragon
Almost 70 years after the creation of the “Crown of Aragon”, a tragedy took place in the Eastern Mediterranean when the Fourth Crusade invaded and destroyed Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. The capture and pillage of Constantinople resulted in the complete collapse of the Byzantine Empire and the Crusaders took full advantage of the subsequent power vacuum, settling in many different parts of the once proud Empire. One of these Crusaders, Otto de la Roche of Burgundia, went to Athens and set up the Duchy of Athens in 1205. His family would continue to rule over the Duchy of Athens for over 100 years, until the Duchy passed over to Walter V of Brienne in 1308.
In the meantime, the Byzantine Empire had re-established itself with Constantinople as its capital, albeit not much remained of its original splendour. Nevertheless, a new enemy had made themselves noticeable – the Ottoman Turks. As part of the ongoing war between the Christian and the Muslim world, Roger de Flor had raised the so-called Catalan Company in 1302, formed of former soldiers of the “Crown of Aragon”. In 1303, de Flor offered help to the Byzantine Empire against the advancing Ottoman Turks, and the then Emperor Adronicus Palaeologus promptly accepted. De Flor landed with 1500 Catalan Knights and 4000 Almogavars (Catalan-Aragonese Infantry) at Constantinople and set over to Anatolia. Following decisive victories over the Ottomans, the Catalan Company took control of large areas of Anatolia and made Gallipolli their home base.
A Catalan Knight
However, frictions and tensions arose quickly between the Catalans and the Byzantine Empire and the former allies soon started to wage war against each other in 1305. Though the Byzantine Forces won quick victories at the beginning, including the slaying of Roger de Flor, the tide soon turned against them and the remains of the Catalan Company unleashed the infamous “Catalan Revenge”, which would see them devastate and decimate large areas of Thrace and Macedonia.
Five years later, Walter V of Brienne, who had been in power in Athens for 2 years, offered employment to the Catalan Company in order to vanquish his enemies in Northern Greece. The Catalans agreed and quickly won the war for Brienne. However, Brienne and the Catalans quickly fell out with each other when they started quarrelling over pay and land issues – Brienne did not want to pay them their promised wage, and wanted the region of Thessaly, occupied by the Catalans, handed over to him. These disagreements eventually led to open combat and in 1311, at the Battle of Halmyros, the Catalans destroyed Brienne’s army and killed him in combat. With Brienne’s forces routed and leaderless, the Catalans marched upon Athens and, after sacking the ancient city of Thebes, marched into Athens and claimed her for themselves.
The Catalan-Aragonese Confederation at its height
Since in medieval times rule could only be exercised by royalty, the surviving Catalans offered the Duchy of Athens to the Sicilese ruler, Frederik II, himself a governor for the “Crown of Aragon”. Thus, the Duchy of Athens was incorporated into the “Crown of Aragon”.
The first ten or so years saw the Catalan forces of Athens battle the Venetian forces in the region until a cease fire was declared in 1319. These years also saw Catalan be introduced as an official court language and the Duchy of Athens enjoyed the existence of a virtually self-governing municipality. The 1320s saw tensions rise between the Catalan inhabitants of Athens and the Catholic Church, who grew concerned at the rising number of Catalan apostates joining the Orthodox Church.
In the 1330s, the Ottoman Turks had reached the Mediterranean once again and had started to wage war against mainland Greece. The Catalans resisted successfully, however. In 1367, Turkish forces broke through the Catalan defences and almost managed to take the Acropolis, but were once again thwarted.
Over the years, Catalan rule became inefficient and the Duchy of Athens became poorer and the population started to dwindle. In 1377, civil war broke out when it was unclear who the next ruler would be. Peter IV eventually came out on top, defeating forces loyal to Sicily and reinstating Aragonese control over Sicily, and assumed sovereignty over the Duchy in 1381. However, Peter ruled from Barcelona and never travelled to Athens.
With the Duchy weakened by Civil war, Florentine forces set up base in Boeotia and Corinth and increased their numbers until in 1388, Nerio Accajuoli, insulted by the refusal of a Catalan countess to marry him, marched towards Athens and captured the city. The King of Naples conferred upon Nerio the title of Duke of Athens and the Duchy of Athens was thus incorporated into the Kingdom of Naples.
The surviving Catalans, soldiers and civilians, fled Greece for Sicily and Southern Italy without leaving much of a trace. Athens would not be ruled by Greeks again until 1444.
) 1714, when Barcelona was defeated. The result was that the Aragon-Catalan Empire was broken up and incorporated into Spain proper, Catalan as a language banned and Catalan independence movements were ruthlessly wiped out.
).