The Naval Forces of the Principality of Morea at Champlitte and Villehardouin Dynasty (1205–1278)

Abstract

In the second quarter of the 13th century, the Morea fleet refused to provide assistance to Latin Constantinople on several occasions. However, the principality's naval forces were not always so impressive. During the first decade of Achaea's existence, its rulers did not even have their own navy, but relied on the hiring of a small number of ships for a short period or on the support of Venice, especially after the Treaty of Sapienza (1209). In the following decades, the increased financial capabilities of the princes, the recruitment of local Greeks for crews, as well as the use of the naval forces of other Latin feudal lords, allowed the Achaean rulers to build a small but permanent fleet and periodically contract a significant amount of ships for important naval operations. The territorial losses from the 1260s onward and the military conflicts with the restored Byzantine Empire weakened the principality, reducing both its financial means and its capacity to equip ships. Nevertheless, it maintained limited naval forces of its own—evidenced by the appearance of an official bearing the title of admiral in the state administration after the end of the Villehardouin dynasty’s rule. This marked the beginning of a new phase in which the principality relied primarily on naval support from the Kingdom of Sicily and from Venice