212 Danegeld
- Venice’s interest in this endeavor was tied to receiv-
ing half of the spoils of any victory. Nonetheless, when the
crusaders could not pay for their transport, as had been
half-expected, Dandolo refused to allow them to sail.
Instead, in 1202 Dandolo led the crusaders to attack the
city of Zara on the coast of DALMATIA, which was in rebel-
lion against Venice. For this attack on their fellow Chris-
tians, Pope INNOCENTIII excommunicated Dandolo and
all the Venetians.
The crusaders wintered in Zara, confronting Dan-
dolo with dealing with needy, fanatical, and desperate
armed men. In the following spring of 1204 he
employed them in an alliance with Alexios IV Angelos
(d. 1204), son of Isaac II (r. 1185–95, 1203–04), the
emperor of Constantinople, against Isaac’s brother, Alex-
ios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203), who had deposed and
blinded Isaac. In return, Alexios IV Angelos, though he
had little support in the city of Constantinople, had
promised assistance from Byzantine forces in a crusade
and the prospect of unification of the Greek and Latin
churches. The Venetians at the same time would also
receive lucrative commercial privileges within the
Byzantine Empire. Dandolo took the crusaders to CON-
STANTINOPLE.
A siege of the city provoked an internal revolution,
which ousted Alexios III and resulted in the return of
the blind emperor Isaac and appointment of his son,
Alexios IV Angelos, as emperor. When the crusaders
demanded the expected union of the Greek and Latin
churches, a revolt by the Greeks took place, leading to
the imprisonment of the aged emperor and the death of
his son.
In revenge Dandolo encouraged the crusaders, his
willing accomplices, to take and sack the city. In April
1204 Constantinople fell and the Latins established the
LATINEMPIRE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Dandolo played a
major role in all these operations and was offered the
Crown of this new empire, which he declined. Venice
nonetheless did keep the commercial privileges the con-
quest brought.
From April 1204 until his death little can be found
about the elderly Dandolo’s activities. He died on June
14, 1205, and was buried in Constantinople. When the
Greeks retook the city, they dug up his body and threw it
to dogs, which supposedly refused to eat what was left.
See alsoCRUSADES; VILLEHARDOUIN,GEOFFROI.
Further reading:Robert of Clari, The Conquest of
Constantinople,trans. Edgar Holmes McNeal (New York:
Columbia University Press, 1936); Alfred J. Andrea,
trans., The Capture of Constantinople: The “Hystoria con-
stantinopolitana” of Guenther of Paris(Philadelphia; Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania Press, 1997); Thomas Madden,
Enrico Dandolo and the Rise of Venice (Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003); Donald E.
Queller and Thomas F. Madden, eds. The Fourth Crusade:
The Conquest of Constantinople, 2d ed. (Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997); Jan Morris, The
Venetian Empire: A Sea Voyage(London: Faber and Faber,
1980); John Julius Norwich, A History of Venice(New
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1982).Danegeld This was a tax imposed by Anglo-Saxon
kings in the late 10th century as a means of financing the
tribute owed to Danish invaders since the days of King
ÆTHELREDII. The Danegeld consisted of two shillings per
hide or area of taxation; in some periods four shillings or
more were required. The tribute had been paid at least
since 991. The term Danegeld, however, was unknown
before 1066.
The Danegeld should not be confused with the
Heregeld, an annual tax imposed between the years
1012 and 1051 to pay Danish mercenaries and a standing
army. The Anglo-Norman kings, WILLIAM I THE CON-
QUERORand HENRYII, levied the Danegeld until 1162.
They used the revenues to finance war or extraordinary
expenses.
Further reading:F. M. Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England,
3d ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971).Danelaw(Danelagh, Danelaga) Danelaw was an area
of ENGLANDcolonized by Danes in the ninth century
and distinguished in legal terms from areas subject to
Mercian and West Saxon law. It roughly comprised
Yorkshire, East Anglia, and the central and eastern Mid-
lands. Although no part of it was precisely coterminous
with a modern area, it had features that distinguished it
from “English” areas. Shires were divided into wapen-
takes, not hundreds. Taxes were assessed in carucates,
not hides. It had a duodecimal counting system, slightly
different legal procedures, and many place-names of
Danish origin.
Further reading:F. M. Stenton, The Danes in England
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1927).Daniel(Daniil Aleksandrovich, Daniel Nevsky)(r.
1263–1303/04)Founder of the principality of Moscow and
dynasty of the Moscow grand princes
Daniel was the youngest son of Alexander NEVSKY, who
had in his time obtained from the MONGOLkhan of the
Golden Horde the title and office of deputy in RUSSIA.
Daniel also secured his appointment from the khan, as
prince of MOSCOWin 1280. There he established his pres-
tige against rival Russian princes and avoided conflict
with Mongols. He recruited colonists and MERCHANTSto
develop the local economy, well positioned for trade near
the Moscow River. From a small settlement, Moscow
then grew into a prosperous and important center. He
died in 1303/04.
Further reading:Charles J. Halperin, Russia and the
Golden Horde: One Mongol Impact on Medieval Russian