Villehardouin, The Conquest of Constantinople: a Standard history source. Covers AD 1201 – 1207, with 50 events in chronological order. Text license and provenance included.
| Type | Standard history |
|---|---|
| Viewpoint | Outsider account |
| Years covered | AD 1201 – 1207 |
| Events | 50 events, 40 placed on the map |
| Author | Geoffroi de Villehardouin |
| Original title | Histoire de la conquête de Constantinople (Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople) |
Regions: West Asia 27 · Southern Europe 22 · Western Europe 1
| Year | Place | Event | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| AD 1201 | Venice | Crusader envoys conclude a transport contract with Venice — shipping for knights, horses and foot soldiers and nine months' provisions, for 85,000 marks, with sea booty split in half | part_01 L278–L285 (CONDITIONS PROPOSED BY THE DOGE) |
| AD 1201 | Soissons | Boniface, Marquis of Montferrat, succeeds the Count of Champagne as leader of the Crusade (council in the orchard at Soissons) | part_01 L484–L498 (BONIFACE, MARQUIS OF MONTFERRAT, BECOMES CHIEF) |
| AD 1202 | Venice | The aged, blind Doge of Venice, Dandolo, takes the cross himself and decides to join the expedition | part_01 L700–L741 (THE DOGE AND A NUMBER OF VENETIANS TAKE THE CROSS) |
| AD 1202 | Verona | Alexios, son of the deposed Isaac, flees to Verona and sends envoys to ask the Crusaders for help | part_01 L746–L780 (MESSAGE OF ALEXIUS) |
| AD 1202 | Venice | The Crusader fleet leaves the port of Venice — carrying 300 or more catapults and siege engines | part_01 L801–L812 (THE CRUSADERS LEAVE VENICE TO BESIEGE ZARA) |
| AD 1202 | Zara | The Crusaders and the Venetian fleet besiege Zara in Dalmatia — breaking the harbor chain and surrounding the city | part_01 L815–L831 (THE CRUSADERS LEAVE VENICE TO BESIEGE ZARA) |
| AD 1202 | Zara | After about five days of assault the people of Zara surrender and place the city at the Doge's mercy — only their lives are spared, and the city is split half and half between Venice and the Franks | part_01 L849–L913 (THE INHABITANTS OF ZARA OFFER TO CAPITULATE … ZARA IS TAKEN) |
| AD 1202 | Zara | A great fight breaks out in Zara between Venetians and Franks — clashes in several streets all night, and the high-ranking Fleming Giles of Landas is killed | part_01 L928–L951 (THE CRUSADERS ESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE CITY … AFFRAY) |
| AD 1202 | Zara | Alexios, brother-in-law of King Philip, offers 200,000 marks, provisions and one year's service in return for restoration — twelve on the Crusader side accept under oath | part_01 L969–L987; L1036–L1046 (DISCORD AMONG THE CRUSADERS) |
| AD 1203 | Corfu | The fleet leaves Corfu — all sails spread in a fair spring wind | part_01 L1254–L1260 (DEPARTURE FROM CORFU) |
| AD 1203 | Abydos | The people of Abydos on the Dardanelles surrender without resistance — the army stays eight days and gathers wheat | part_01 L1302–L1315 (DEPARTURE FROM CORFU… ANDROS AND ABYDOS) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | The Crusader fleet sails up the strait and anchors off the monastery of St. Stephen, opposite Constantinople | part_01 L1320–L1330 (ARRIVAL AT ST. STEPHEN) |
| AD 1203 | Chalcedon | The Crusaders land at Chalcedon across the strait and lodge in the imperial palace — the cavalry then go along the coast to Scutari | part_01 L1389–L1410 (THE CRUSADERS LAND AT CHALCEDON AND SCUTARI) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | They attack and take the Tower of Galata in the harbor of Constantinople — breaking the harbor chain and bringing the fleet into the harbor | part_01 L1612–L1648 (CAPTURE OF THE TOWER OF GALATA) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | On the morning of Thursday, 17 July 1203, after nearly ten days of preparation, the Crusaders launch a general assault on the walls | part_01 L1757–L1783 (ASSAULT OF THE CITY) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | The blind Doge, carrying the banner of St. Mark, presses the landing — the Venetians take 25 wall towers | part_01 L1801–L1831 (CAPTURE OF TWENTY-FIVE TOWERS) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | Alexios III flees Constantinople with gold and silver, and the blinded Isaac II is restored as emperor | part_01 L1905–L1921 (ALEXIUS ABANDONS CONSTANTINOPLE) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | The young Alexios is crowned in Greek imperial fashion on 1 August, the feast of St. Peter — he distributes the money owed | part_01 L2033–L2039 (ENTRY OF THE CRUSADERS INTO CONSTANTINOPLE) |
| AD 1203 | Constantinople | Greek and Latin inhabitants clash, a fire breaks out and burns the city for two days and nights — about 15,000 Latins move across the strait to the Crusader camp | part_01 L2160–L2194 (CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GREEKS AND LATINS … BURNING OF THE CITY) |
| AD 1203 – 1204 | Constantinople | The Greeks send seven burning ships on the strait wind toward the Crusader fleet — the Venetian ships tow the fire ships away all night and let them drift out to sea | part_01 L2308–L2344 (THE WAR BEGINS — THE GREEKS ENDEAVOUR TO SET FIRE TO THE FLEET) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | The Greek noble Mourtzouphlos drags Alexios IV from his bed at night, imprisons him and makes himself emperor — Isaac II soon dies as well, and Alexios IV is strangled | part_01 L2353–L2376 (MOURZUPHLES USURPS THE EMPIRE) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | On Thursday 8 April they board the ships and from the morning of Friday attack the walls in a hundred places — the Crusaders are pushed back to the ships | part_01 L2523–L2550 (ATTACK OF THE CRUSADERS REPULSED) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | On Monday 12 April the Crusaders cross the wall towers and take the city — Mourtzouphlos flees by the Golden Gate | part_01 L2702–L2712; L2719–L2726 (FLIGHT OF MOURZUPHLES) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | On the morning of the 13th, the Boukoleon Palace surrenders to Boniface and the Blachernae Palace to Henry — the gold and silver inside and the court ladies are seized | part_01 L2748–L2770 (THE CRUSADERS OCCUPY THE CITY) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | The plunder is gathered in three churches and divided — 50,000 marks to Venice, and over 100,000 marks shared among the troops (two foot soldiers counting as one horseman) | part_01 L2797–L2841 (DIVISION OF THE SPOIL) |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | Coronation of Baldwin in Hagia Sophia — 16 May 1204 | part_02 L65–67 |
| AD 1204 | Thessalonica (Salonika) | Baldwin agrees to give Boniface the land of Thessalonica (in place of the land promised) — Boniface swears homage | part_02 L86–88 |
| AD 1204 | Constantinople | Mourtzouphlos (who had the blinding and killing done) is executed by being thrown from a column in Constantinople | part_02 L563–565 |
| AD 1204 | Thessalonica (Salonika) | Boniface captures Alexios (Isaac's brother, who had blinded him) near Thessalonica | part_02 L574–577 |
| AD 1204 | Adrianople | Boniface leads his army and besieges Adrianople (after taking Didymoteicho) | part_02 L280–283 |
| AD 1204 | Demotica | Boniface obtains the castle of Didymoteicho through the surrender of that city's Greeks and installs a garrison | part_02 L254–256 |
| AD 1204 | Abydos | Henry (Baldwin's brother) crosses the strait and takes Abydos, where he begins fighting the Greeks — after 11 November 1204 | part_02 L590–596 |
| AD 1204 | Poemaninon | Battle against Theodore Laskaris's army on the plain before Poimanenon — 140 knights against a great host, a Frankish victory | part_02 L683–685 |
| AD 1205 | Adramyttium | Fierce battle before Adramyttion against the great army of Constantine Laskaris — a Frankish victory, with prisoners and booty | part_02 L719–727 |
| AD 1205 | Adrianople | Battle against Kaloyan's army before Adrianople — Baldwin is captured, Count Louis is killed and the great host is routed | part_02 L1137–1138 |
| AD 1205 – 1206 | Philippopolis | Kaloyan takes Philippopolis — the archbishop is killed and the citizens massacred, the walls and palaces razed | part_02 L1612–1613 |
| AD 1206 | Rusium | Near Rousion, most of the 120-odd Frankish knights on the side of Thierry of Tenremonde are killed or captured — only 10 survive | part_02 L1705–1708 |
| AD 1206 | Napoli (Apros) | Kaloyan takes Apros — the Latin commander and others are killed, the city destroyed and the inhabitants taken prisoner | part_02 L1761–1763 |
| AD 1206 | Rodosto (Tekirdağ) | Kaloyan destroys Rodosto (a city whose Venetian garrison fled) and takes the inhabitants prisoner | part_02 L1791–1792 |
| AD 1206 | Demotica | On hearing that Henry's army is coming, Kaloyan burns his siege engines at Didymoteicho and withdraws | part_02 L1974–1976 |
| AD 1206 | Stanimac | A relief force rescues Renier of Trit, who had been besieged for 13 months in the castle of Stenimaka | part_02 L2012–2014 |
| AD 1206 | Constantinople | Coronation of Emperor Henry in Hagia Sophia — 20 August 1206 | part_02 L2075–2079 |
| AD 1206 | In a valley they recover about 20,000 prisoners and 3,000 wagons that Kaloyan was carrying off | part_02 L2146–2149 | |
| AD 1206 | Ferme | Henry's army takes the castle of Ferme in Kaloyan's land, plunders it and burns it | part_02 L2188–2189 |
| AD 1207 | Constantinople | Emperor Henry marries Agnes, daughter of Boniface, in Hagia Sophia — around 4 February 1207 | part_02 L2262–2265 |
| AD 1207 | Cibotos | The Laskaris fleet and army besiege Kibotos castle (which William of Sains was building) by sea and land — defended by 40-odd knights | part_02 L2338–2340 |
| AD 1207 | Adrianople | Kaloyan assaults Adrianople for the whole of April — he brings down two sections of wall, and the siege is lifted when the Cumans defect | part_02 L2447–2452 |
| AD 1207 | Nicomedia | At the Battle of Nicomedia, Henry's seneschal Thierry de Loos is captured and most of the garrison taken prisoner | part_02 L2551–2555 |
| AD 1207 | Nicomedia | Two-year truce with Laskaris — the castle of Schiza and the church fortress at Nicomedia are demolished and prisoners exchanged | part_02 L2596–2603 |
| AD 1207 | Messinopolis (산지) | Boniface is killed by an arrow in a Bulgarian ambush during an expedition to Mount Messinopolis, and his head is sent to Kaloyan | part_02 L2747–2749 |