Supervisors info:
Αθηνά Κόλια-Δερμιτζάκη. Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Τρανταφυλλίτσα Μανιάτη-Κοκκίνη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Σοφία Μεργιαλή-Σαχά, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών.
Summary:
Isaac’s II rise to the throne (1185-1195) marks the rise of a new dynasty in Byzantium, that of the Angels. The Angels bear in a way the greatest share of responsibility for the fall of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204, a very important fact of byzantine history, which has greatly influenced Byzantine-Western relations. The already widespread penetration of the West into Byzantine reality became uncontrollable in the era of the Angels because of the prosperity of the Italian merchant quarters in the Capital and the commercial privileges granted to them. Isaac II Angelus, therefore, had to take an active role in an extremely difficult situation, since, on the one hand, the West could be a hostile or at least unreliable front and, on the other hand, it could also be a necessary ally in order for the weak Byzantium to meet its military and naval obligations.
The West in those years seemed to be getting constantly stronger and ceased being in the background. Having realised that, Isaac clearly preferred a good cooperation with as many Western allies could secure against the others who were fighting him. Therefore, he managed to maintain good relations with Hungary, the Montferrat House and the Roman Catholic Church.
His goal was to ally with powerful naval forces so that he could offset the power of his two major opponents, the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and the German Empire, who possessed a remarkable fleet. He achieved victory against the Normans and made peace with them, while the inconvenience caused by the passage of the Third Crusade and Frederick Barbarossa through the byzantine territory led him to careless actions. He let himself to the condescension of Venice, Genoa and Pisa, whose fleet was indispensable to him, since the former byzantine dominance of the Mediterranean thanks to its powerful naval forces had now ceased to exist. Venice, naturally, took advantage of the opportunity. The Byzantine emperor surrendered to the “Most Serene Republic” voluntarily looking to serve his temporary needs and completely neglecting the long-term damage caused by Venetian guardianship.
His bargaining chips were of course insignificant. That does not justify, however, the fact that he preferred the easy solutions. The rest of his foreign policy agenda was not enough to defend Byzantium at its most vulnerable state. He felt insecure and did not cover his back, offering the Eastern Roman Empire to the Western warriors who occupied Constantinople in 1204.
Keywords:
Byzantium, Angels, Isaac II, West, foreign policy
