Nicaean–Venetian Treaty of 1219
Encyclopedia
The Nicaean–Venetian Treaty of 1219 was a trade
and non-aggression defense pact
signed between the Nicaean Empire and the Republic of Venice
, in the form of an imperial chrysobull issued by Emperor Theodore I Lascaris (r. 1205–1222). This treaty, which provided the Venetians freedom of trade and duty-free imports throughout the Nicaean Empire in exchange for non-support for the newly created Latin Empire
.
in 1204, the Venetians, who had played a crucial role in the Crusade's diversion and the eventual sack of the Byzantine capital, stood preeminent amongst the victors. In the subsequent arrangement between the Crusaders, the Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae
, the Venetians were to receive three-eighths of the Byzantine Empire, including three-eighths of Constantinople itself. Although Venice did receive the greatest benefit from the Crusade, they renounced direct sovereignty over the territories of Epirus
, Acarnania
, Aetolia
, and the Peloponnese
, which were originally assigned to the Republic. Instead, the Republic of Venice claimed the islands in the Aegean Sea
, most importantly Crete
, and a chain of ports and coastal forts along the Greek shores, thus coming to dominate the trade centers and routes all across the former Byzantine Empire.
With Venetian support, the Latins continued their campaign into the Balkans
to assert their control over former Byzantine lands, but were halted at the Battle of Adrianople
in 1205 by the Bulgarians
. The newly-established Latin Empire
, together with Venice, signed a secret treaty with Ghiyaseddin Kay-Khusraw I
, the Turkish Sultan of Iconium for a joint war against the chief Byzantine Greek successor state, the Nicaean Empire. In response, Nicaean emperor Theodore Lascaris made contact with King Leo I of Lesser Armenia
in Cilicia
who was also threatened by the Sultanate. The agreement between the two realms was concluded by the marriage of Philippa of Armenia
, niece of Leo to Lascaris as his second wife in 1214.
. However, with the chaotic events of 1204, the relationship between the two powers had greatly changed. In order to undercut the Venetian military support from the Latin Empire, the major inheritor of Constantinople, Theodore Lascaris, signed a trade agreement with Venice in August of 1219 that provided freedom of trade and duty-free imports to the Venetians throughout the Nicaean Empire. In addition to the trading rights, the Doge of Venice
, Pietro Ziani
, was given the title of Despot and "Dominator of the quarter and the half-quarter of the Roman imperium".
: he forbade his subjects to buy foreign luxury goods and admonished them to be content with "...the products of Roman soil and the craftsmanship of Roman hands". This protectionism
was obviously directed against Venice, but they could do little as it would have been the Emperor's right to deny his subjects excessive luxuries. This treaty remained in effect with few complications, until the Treaty of Nymphaeum
between the Nicaean Empire and Venice's rival, the Republic of Genoa
in 1261.
During the early 1270s, Pope Gregory X
ordered the Venetians not to renew the treaty until the union
between the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches was complete, thus permanently invalidating the treaty.
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and non-aggression defense pact
Pact
A pact is a formal agreement.Pact, The Pact or PACT may also refer to:-PACT as an acronym:* Protein ACTivator of the interferon-induced protein kinase, a protein that activates protein kinase R...
signed between the Nicaean Empire and 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...
, in the form of an imperial chrysobull issued by Emperor Theodore I Lascaris (r. 1205–1222). This treaty, which provided the Venetians freedom of trade and duty-free imports throughout the Nicaean Empire in exchange for non-support for the newly created Latin Empire
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...
.
Background
Following the Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth CrusadeFourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
in 1204, the Venetians, who had played a crucial role in the Crusade's diversion and the eventual sack of the Byzantine capital, stood preeminent amongst the victors. In the subsequent arrangement between the Crusaders, the Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae
Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae
The Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae was a treaty signed after the sack of the Byzantine capital, Constantinople, by the Fourth Crusade in 1204...
, the Venetians were to receive three-eighths of the Byzantine Empire, including three-eighths of Constantinople itself. Although Venice did receive the greatest benefit from the Crusade, they renounced direct sovereignty over the territories of Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, Acarnania
Acarnania
Acarnania is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part of the prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania. The capital...
, Aetolia
Aetolia
Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...
, and the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, which were originally assigned to the Republic. Instead, the Republic of Venice claimed the islands in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
, most importantly Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and a chain of ports and coastal forts along the Greek shores, thus coming to dominate the trade centers and routes all across the former Byzantine Empire.
With Venetian support, the Latins continued their campaign into the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
to assert their control over former Byzantine lands, but were halted at the Battle of Adrianople
Battle of Adrianople (1205)
The Battle of Adrianople occurred on April 14, 1205 between Bulgarians under Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria, and Crusaders under Baldwin I. It was won by the Bulgarians after a skillful ambush using the help of their Cuman and Greek allies. Around 300 knights were killed, including Louis of Blois, Duke...
in 1205 by the Bulgarians
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
. The newly-established Latin Empire
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...
, together with Venice, signed a secret treaty with Ghiyaseddin Kay-Khusraw I
Kaykaus I
Kaykaus I or Kayka'us I or Keykavus I was the Sultanate of Rum from 1211 until his death in 1220. He was the eldest son of Kaykhusraw I.-Succession:...
, the Turkish Sultan of Iconium for a joint war against the chief Byzantine Greek successor state, the Nicaean Empire. In response, Nicaean emperor Theodore Lascaris made contact with King Leo I of Lesser Armenia
Lesser Armenia
Lesser Armenia , also known as Armenia Minor and Armenia Inferior, refers to the Armenian populated regions, primarily to the West and North-West of the ancient Armenian Kingdom...
in Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
who was also threatened by the Sultanate. The agreement between the two realms was concluded by the marriage of Philippa of Armenia
Philippa of Armenia
Philippa of Armenia was a daughter of Ruben III of Armenia and Isabella of Toron. Her maternal grandparents were Humphrey III of Toron and Stephanie of Milly.-Princess of Armenia:...
, niece of Leo to Lascaris as his second wife in 1214.
The treaty
There had been a long trading relationship between the Venetians and the Byzantines before, starting with the Byzantine–Venetian Treaty of 1082Byzantine–Venetian Treaty of 1082
The Byzantine–Venetian Treaty of 1082 was a trade and defense pact signed between the Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice, in the form of an imperial chrysobull issued by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos...
. However, with the chaotic events of 1204, the relationship between the two powers had greatly changed. In order to undercut the Venetian military support from the Latin Empire, the major inheritor of Constantinople, Theodore Lascaris, signed a trade agreement with Venice in August of 1219 that provided freedom of trade and duty-free imports to the Venetians throughout the Nicaean Empire. In addition to the trading rights, the Doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, Pietro Ziani
Pietro Ziani
Pietro Ziani was the forty-second Doge of Venice from 15 August 1205 to 1229, succeededing Enrico Dandolo. He was the son of Doge Sebastian Ziani of the very rich noble family....
, was given the title of Despot and "Dominator of the quarter and the half-quarter of the Roman imperium".
Aftermath
The treaty gave the newly-established Nicaean Empire sufficient breathing space to consolidate and later expand its territory at the expense of the Latin Empire, while Venice gained access to markets that had not been open to them before, including recognition of their presence in Constantinople. However, the treaty itself was subsequently undermined by Theodore Lascaris's fiscal austerity and policies of autarkyAutarky
Autarky is the quality of being self-sufficient. Usually the term is applied to political states or their economic policies. Autarky exists whenever an entity can survive or continue its activities without external assistance. Autarky is not necessarily economic. For example, a military autarky...
: he forbade his subjects to buy foreign luxury goods and admonished them to be content with "...the products of Roman soil and the craftsmanship of Roman hands". This protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
was obviously directed against Venice, but they could do little as it would have been the Emperor's right to deny his subjects excessive luxuries. This treaty remained in effect with few complications, until the Treaty of Nymphaeum
Treaty of Nymphaeum (1261)
The Treaty of Nymphaeum was a trade and defense pact signed between the Empire of Nicaea and the Republic of Genoa in Nymphaion in March of 1261...
between the Nicaean Empire and Venice's rival, the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
in 1261.
During the early 1270s, Pope Gregory X
Pope Gregory X
Pope Blessed Gregory X , born Tebaldo Visconti, was Pope from 1271 to 1276. He was elected by the papal election, 1268–1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church....
ordered the Venetians not to renew the treaty until the union
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
between the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches was complete, thus permanently invalidating the treaty.