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chapter 6The Economy of Latin Greece
David JacobyPolitical Developments after 1204
The Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204 opened the way to several closely
related developments.1 It furthered the political and territorial fragmenta-
tion of the Byzantine Empire and the establishment of a fairly large number
of Latin political entities on former Byzantine soil, most of which existed for
more than two centuries. In turn, the creation of these entities promoted Latin
immigration and settlement in the former Byzantine territories on a scale and
along patterns unknown before the Fourth Crusade. The fall of Constantinople
and economic developments in the West also generated a re-orientation and
restructuring of the Eastern Mediterranean trading networks. The conjunc-
tion of these processes had a major, long-term impact on the economy of Latin
Greece, the nature and evolution of which varied widely. Indeed, within that
region the differing political regime, judicial system, and social structure of
the Latin entities were among the factors responsible for distinctive features of
their respective economy.
Two fairly well-documented political entities established in the early
13th century warrant particular attention, in view of their large economic
resources, their functions in the Mediterranean trade systems, and the fairly
- This chapter is largely based on my previous research. In order to shorten the notes, I limit
bibliographical references as far as possible to recent publications, in which the reader will
find further references to primary sources and earlier studies.
1 For this section, see David Jacoby, “After the Fourth Crusade: The Latin Empire of
Constantinople and the Frankish States,” in The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire,
c. 500–1492, ed. Jonathan Shepard (Cambridge, 2008), pp. 759–78. See also Guillaume Saint-
Guillain, “Les conquérants de l’archipel: l’Empire latin de Constantinople, Venise et les
premiers seigneurs des Cyclades,” in Quarta Crociata: Venezia—Bisanzio—Impero Latino,
ed. Gherardo Ortalli, Giorgio Ravegnani, Peter Schreiner (Venice, 2006), pp. 125–237; idem,
“Comment les Vénitiens n’ont pas acquis la Crète: note à propos de l’élection impériale de
1204 et du partage projeté de l’empire byzantine,” Travaux et Mémoires, 16 (2010) [= Mélanges
Cécile Morrisson], pp. 713–58. I do not deal here with Chios, under Genoese rule for 1305 to
1329 and from 1348 to 1566, Rhodes, ruled by the Hospitallers from 1309 to 1522, or Corfu,
Venetian from 1386 to 1797. These islands require separate investigations.