Antoine le Flamenc
Encyclopedia
Anthony was the Frankish
baron of Karditsa
(1303 – 1313). He was married to Isabella Pallavicini
and co-ruled the March of Bodonitsa with her from 1278 to 1286, when she died. The Livre de la Conqueste refers to him as un des plus sages hommes de Romanie and le plus sage dou duchame.
Anthony was of Flemish
ancestry (as his surname indicates) and his forefathers had long been settled in the Holy Land
before Anthony rose to prominence in Frankish Greece
. By his marriage, while young, to the much older Isabella, he obtained the co-rule of the most important Frankish fief in northern Greece and it was there in the north that his power was to reside for the remainder of his life. On Isabella's death, he disputed the succession to the march with her cousin Thomas Pallavicini
, but the arbitration of William I of Athens found in favour of the latter.
Anthony was appointed to act as bailiff
and lieutenant
of Thessaly
by Guy II of Athens in 1303. His son John received a similar post in Thessaly. There they had to deal with annual winter raids of the Vlachs
.
In 1308, the Republic of Venice
accused Anthony, Guy, Rocaforte, and Boniface of Verona
of plotting to invade Negroponte
.
He was a loyal follower of Matilda of Hainaut
, the wife and duchess of Guy II. He signed a deed relating to her property in the Low Countries
(from which both of them hailed) and he was present at her second engagement with Charles of Taranto in Thebes
on 2 April 1309.
On 15 March 1311, Anthony fought in the Battle of the Cephissus and was one of the few survivors, though he was captured and held for ransom. In the church at Karditsa is found an inscription probably commissioned by Anthony upon his return from the Cephissus, in fulfilment of a vow.
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
baron of Karditsa
Karditsa
Karditsa is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa peripheral unit.Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BCE. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the road to Karpenisi, and the road to Palamas and Larissa...
(1303 – 1313). He was married to Isabella Pallavicini
Isabella Pallavicini
Isabella Pallavicini , sometimes Jezebel, was the marchioness of Bodonitsa from 1278. She succeeded her brother Ubertino and also inherited her elder sister Mabilia's Italian possessions in Parma. The three were the only children of the first margrave Guy...
and co-ruled the March of Bodonitsa with her from 1278 to 1286, when she died. The Livre de la Conqueste refers to him as un des plus sages hommes de Romanie and le plus sage dou duchame.
Anthony was of Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
ancestry (as his surname indicates) and his forefathers had long been settled in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
before Anthony rose to prominence in Frankish Greece
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
. By his marriage, while young, to the much older Isabella, he obtained the co-rule of the most important Frankish fief in northern Greece and it was there in the north that his power was to reside for the remainder of his life. On Isabella's death, he disputed the succession to the march with her cousin Thomas Pallavicini
Thomas Pallavicini
Thomas Pallavicini was the margrave of Bodonitsa following a disputed succession in 1286. He was the grandson of Rubino, younger brother of Guy, the first margrave....
, but the arbitration of William I of Athens found in favour of the latter.
Anthony was appointed to act as bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
and lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
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....
by Guy II of Athens in 1303. His son John received a similar post in Thessaly. There they had to deal with annual winter raids of the Vlachs
Vlachs
Vlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...
.
In 1308, the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
accused Anthony, Guy, Rocaforte, and Boniface of Verona
Boniface of Verona
Boniface of Verona was an Lombard Crusader in Latin Greece during the early fourteenth century. From 1296 he was, in right of his wife, Agnes of Cicone, the Lord of Karystos, a triarch of Negroponte, and a great lord in the Duchy of Athens, owning thirteen castles there as a gift from Duke Guy...
of plotting to invade Negroponte
Negroponte
Negroponte can refer to:*the Greek island of Euboea, called Negroponte in Italian**Chalkis, the island's capital, named Negroponte during the Middle Ages...
.
He was a loyal follower of Matilda of Hainaut
Matilda of Hainaut
Matilda of Hainaut was the Princess of Achaea from 1313 to 1318.From 1307, when Philip of Savoy relinquished his claim, to 1312, when Isabella of Villehardouin died, Achaea was disputed between two claimants: Isabella and Philip I of Taranto. In 1313, Philip granted it to Matilda, daughter of...
, the wife and duchess of Guy II. He signed a deed relating to her property in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
(from which both of them hailed) and he was present at her second engagement with Charles of Taranto in 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...
on 2 April 1309.
On 15 March 1311, Anthony fought in the Battle of the Cephissus and was one of the few survivors, though he was captured and held for ransom. In the church at Karditsa is found an inscription probably commissioned by Anthony upon his return from the Cephissus, in fulfilment of a vow.
Sources
- Hopf, Carl. Chroniques gréco-romanes.
- Miller, William. "The Frankish Inscription at Karditza." The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 29. (1909), pp. 198–201.
- Setton, Kenneth M. Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1380. Revised edition. Variorum: London, 1975.