Battle of Neopatras
Encyclopedia
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.
, led by Michael VIII Palaiologos
(r. 1259–1282), had achieved a great victory in the Battle of Pelagonia
against a coalition of its major European foes, the Despotate of Epirus
, the Kingdom of Sicily
and the Principality of Achaia. This victory had in large measure been achieved through the defection of John Doukas
, the illegitimate child of Michael II of Epirus
. This victory enabled Palaiologos to consolidate his territories in Europe; further, the weakening of Epirus and the Latin states allowed him carry out the reconquest of Constantinople
in 1261 and to re-establish the Byzantine Empire
, with himself as emperor. The Nicaean forces failed however to subdue Epirus: John Doukas quickly returned to his father's allegiance, and the local population remained loyal to Michael II. The Nicaeans were expelled from the area in 1259, and then defeated and driven out from Thessaly as well in 1260.
In 1266 or 1268, Michael II of Epirus died, and his possessions were divided among his sons: his eldest legitimate son, Nikephoros
, inherited what remained of Epirus proper, while John, who had married the daughter of a local Vlach ruler of Thessaly
("Great Wallachia
"), received Thessaly with his capital at Neopatras. Both brothers were hostile to the restored Byzantine Empire, which aimed to reclaim their territories, and maintained close relations with the Latin states in southern Greece
. Nevertheless, Michael VIII tried to attach them to him through dynastic marriages: Nikephoros was given his niece Anna Kantakouzene, while one of his nephews, Andronikos Tarchaneiotes, was wed to the daughter of John Doukas, who in addition received the light title of sebastokrator
. Michael failed in his aim, however, as both, and particularly John, remained ill-disposed towards him. Following the deeply unpopular Union of the Churches
in 1274, the two even provided refuge for the many dissenters and critics of Michael's religious policies.
Nevertheless, through the negotiations, the Act of Union and the submission of the Greek Orthodox Church
to the See of Rome, Michael averted the danger of a concerted Latin attack on his state, and was free to move against his enemies. Immediately, he launched offensives against the Sicilian holdings in Albania
, and against John Doukas in Thessaly.
John Palaiologos, and the general Alexios Kaballarios
. This force was sent against Thessaly, and was to be aided by the Byzantine navy
under the protostrator
Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos
, who was to attack the Latin principalities and prevent them from aiding John Doukas.
Doukas was caught completely by surprise by the rapid advance of the imperial forces, and was bottled up with few men in his capital, Neopatras, which the Byzantines proceeded to lay siege to. Doukas, however, resorted to a ruse: he climbed down the walls of the fortress with a rope and, disguised as a groom, he managed to cross the Byzantine leaguer. After three days, he reached Thebes
, where he requested the aid of John I de la Roche
(r. 1263–1280), the Duke of Athens.
The two rulers concluded a treaty of alliance, by which John de la Roche's brother and heir, William
, would marry John Doukas's daughter Helen and receive the fortresses of Gravia
, Siderokastron, Gardiki
and Lamia
as her dowry. In return, de la Roche gave Doukas 300 or 500 horsemen (depending on the source) with whom he returned quickly to Neopatras. The Byzantine force there had been considerably weakened, with several detachments sent off to capture other forts or plunder the region, and was furthermore unwieldy and not very cohesive, given the many races that served in it. According to the Venetian historian Marino Sanudo
, when John Doukas and John de la Roche climbed a height and saw the huge Byzantine encampment, de la Roche uttered, in Greek, a phrase from Herodotus
: "there are a lot of people here, but few men." Indeed, the Byzantine troops panicked under the sudden attack of the smaller but disciplined Latin force, and broke completely when a Cuman contingent abruptly switched sides. Despite John Palaiologos's attempts to rally his forces, they fled and scattered.
(near modern Volos
). Initially, the Latins made good progress, inflicting many casualties on the Byzantine crews. But just as victory seemed imminent, John Palaiologos arrived with reinforcements and turned the tide of the battle. Despite this victory, however, the despotes was shattered by the disaster of Neopatras: he resigned his post and died later the same year.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
army besieging the city of Neopatras and the forces of John I Doukas
John I Doukas
John I Doukas was ruler of Thessaly from c. 1268 to his death in 1289....
, ruler of Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
. The battle was a rout for the Byzantine army, which was caught by surprise and defeated by a much smaller but more disciplined force.
Background
In 1259, the Empire of NicaeaEmpire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
, led by Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
(r. 1259–1282), had achieved a great victory in the Battle of Pelagonia
Battle of Pelagonia
The Battle of Pelagonia took place in September of 1259, between the Empire of Nicaea and the Despotate of Epirus, Sicily and the Principality of Achaea...
against a coalition of its major European foes, the Despotate of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
, the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
and the Principality of Achaia. This victory had in large measure been achieved through the defection of John Doukas
John I Doukas
John I Doukas was ruler of Thessaly from c. 1268 to his death in 1289....
, the illegitimate child of Michael II of Epirus
Michael II Komnenos Doukas
Michael II Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas , often called Michael Angelos in narrative sources, was the ruler of Epirus from 1230 until his death in 1266/68.-Life:...
. This victory enabled Palaiologos to consolidate his territories in Europe; further, the weakening of Epirus and the Latin states allowed him carry out the reconquest of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
in 1261 and to re-establish the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, with himself as emperor. The Nicaean forces failed however to subdue Epirus: John Doukas quickly returned to his father's allegiance, and the local population remained loyal to Michael II. The Nicaeans were expelled from the area in 1259, and then defeated and driven out from Thessaly as well in 1260.
In 1266 or 1268, Michael II of Epirus died, and his possessions were divided among his sons: his eldest legitimate son, Nikephoros
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Latinized as Nicephorus I Comnenus Ducas , was ruler of Epirus from 1267/8 to c. 1297.-Life:Nikephoros was the eldest son of Michael II Komnenos Doukas and Theodora Petraliphaina...
, inherited what remained of Epirus proper, while John, who had married the daughter of a local Vlach ruler of Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
("Great Wallachia
Great Wallachia
Great Wallachia , also Thessaly Wallachia, was a medieval state of the Aromanians , which included the region of Thessaly in Greece, the southern and central ranges of Pindus and extending over part of Macedonia.Anna Komnene in the second half of the eleventh century was the first author to write...
"), received Thessaly with his capital at Neopatras. Both brothers were hostile to the restored Byzantine Empire, which aimed to reclaim their territories, and maintained close relations with the Latin states in southern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Nevertheless, Michael VIII tried to attach them to him through dynastic marriages: Nikephoros was given his niece Anna Kantakouzene, while one of his nephews, Andronikos Tarchaneiotes, was wed to the daughter of John Doukas, who in addition received the light title of sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
. Michael failed in his aim, however, as both, and particularly John, remained ill-disposed towards him. Following the deeply unpopular Union of the Churches
Second Council of Lyon
The Second Council of Lyon was the fourteenth ecumenical council of the Catholic Church, convoked on 31 March 1272 and convened in Lyon, France, in 1274. Pope Gregory X presided over the council, called to act on a pledge by Byzantine emperor Michael VIII to reunite the Eastern church with the West...
in 1274, the two even provided refuge for the many dissenters and critics of Michael's religious policies.
Nevertheless, through the negotiations, the Act of Union and the submission of the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
to the See of Rome, Michael averted the danger of a concerted Latin attack on his state, and was free to move against his enemies. Immediately, he launched offensives against the Sicilian holdings in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and against John Doukas in Thessaly.
The battle
For the campaign against Thessaly (the date is uncertain, most recent scholars favour 1272/1273 or 1274/1275), Michael assembled a huge force, mostly mercenaries, which contemporary sources put, certainly with considerable exaggeration, at 30,000 (Pachymeres speaks of 40,000 men, including the naval forces). These were placed under his own brother, the despotesDespotes
Despot , 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...
John Palaiologos, and the general Alexios Kaballarios
Alexios Kaballarios
Alexios Kaballarios or Kaballares was a Byzantine aristocrat, cousin of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos .He participated in the Byzantine campaigns in the Morea in the early 1260s, and was taken prisoner by William II of Villehardouin after the Battle of Makryplagi . Apparently released at some...
. This force was sent against Thessaly, and was to be aided by the Byzantine navy
Byzantine navy
The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state then its earlier iterations...
under the protostrator
Protostrator
Prōtostratōr was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master, which in the last centuries of the Empire evolved into one of the senior military offices...
Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos
Alexios Doukas Philanthropenos
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 .- Life :...
, who was to attack the Latin principalities and prevent them from aiding John Doukas.
Doukas was caught completely by surprise by the rapid advance of the imperial forces, and was bottled up with few men in his capital, Neopatras, which the Byzantines proceeded to lay siege to. Doukas, however, resorted to a ruse: he climbed down the walls of the fortress with a rope and, disguised as a groom, he managed to cross the Byzantine leaguer. After three days, he reached Thebes
Thebes, Greece
Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others...
, where he requested the aid of John I de la Roche
John I de la Roche
John I de la Roche succeeded his father, Guy I, as Duke of Athens in 1263. He was cultured and chivalrous, spoke fluent Greek, and read Herodotus.In 1275, John, with 300 knights, relieved Neopatras, blockaded by a Byzantine mercenary army...
(r. 1263–1280), the Duke of Athens.
The two rulers concluded a treaty of alliance, by which John de la Roche's brother and heir, William
William I de la Roche
William I de la Roche succeeded his brother, John I, as Duke of Athens in 1280. He was the first official "duke" of Athens; previous dukes had actually been "lords."...
, would marry John Doukas's daughter Helen and receive the fortresses of Gravia
Gravia
Gravia is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern part of Phocis, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Delphi, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 897 for the village and 2,975 for the municipality. The municipal unit...
, Siderokastron, Gardiki
Gardiki
Gardiki , older form: Gardikion may refer to the following villages with of including this name in Greece:*Gardiki Omilaion, a village in Phthiotis*Gardiki Souli, a village in Thesprotia, part of Souli...
and Lamia
Lamia (city)
Lamia is a city in central Greece. The city has a continuous history since antiquity, and is today the capital of the regional unit of Phthiotis and of the Central Greece region .-Name:...
as her dowry. In return, de la Roche gave Doukas 300 or 500 horsemen (depending on the source) with whom he returned quickly to Neopatras. The Byzantine force there had been considerably weakened, with several detachments sent off to capture other forts or plunder the region, and was furthermore unwieldy and not very cohesive, given the many races that served in it. According to the Venetian historian Marino Sanudo
Marino Sanuto the Elder
Marino Sanuto or Sanudo the Elder of Torcello was a Venetian statesman and geographer.He is best known for his life-long attempts to revive the crusading spirit and movement; with this object he wrote his great work, the Secreta Fidelium Crucis, otherwise called Historia Hierosolymitana, Liber de...
, when John Doukas and John de la Roche climbed a height and saw the huge Byzantine encampment, de la Roche uttered, in Greek, a phrase from Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
: "there are a lot of people here, but few men." Indeed, the Byzantine troops panicked under the sudden attack of the smaller but disciplined Latin force, and broke completely when a Cuman contingent abruptly switched sides. Despite John Palaiologos's attempts to rally his forces, they fled and scattered.
Aftermath
At the news of this success, the Latins became emboldened and assembled a fleet to attack the Byzantine fleet, which was anchored at DemetriasDemetrias
Demetrias was an ancient Greek city in Magnesia , near the modern city of Volos. It was founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes, one of the successors of Alexander the Great.-External links:*...
(near modern Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
). Initially, the Latins made good progress, inflicting many casualties on the Byzantine crews. But just as victory seemed imminent, John Palaiologos arrived with reinforcements and turned the tide of the battle. Despite this victory, however, the despotes was shattered by the disaster of Neopatras: he resigned his post and died later the same year.