40
edits
Changes
→Final capture of Constantinople: removed reduntant and emotionally-biased paragraph
{{cleanup|Standardize headers, summarize chronology into prose, standardize formatting. Recommend possible replacement with [[Wikipedia:Fourth Crusade]].}}
The '''Fourth Crusade''' lasted from 1201-1204. Though the Crusades were for the most part an entirely Western phenomenon, this one affected Eastern Church history because the invading Crusaders took Constantinople on [[April 1312]], 1204. After defeating the Byzantine Emperor Alexius V (who had usurped the throne from his predecessor Alexius IV, put in power by the Crusaders), they conquered the city and famously looted and desecrated numerous churches, [[iconography|icons]], and [[relics]].{{<ref|1}} >[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/choniates1.html Nicetas Choniates: The Sack of Constantinople (1204)] - from the ''Medieval Sourcebook.''</ref> They then set up the [[w:Latin Empire|Latin Empire]], based in Constantinople; it lasted , lasting over 57 years until the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus recaptured Constantinople in 1261. This Crusade is widely regarded as having finalized the [[Great Schism]], as much bitterness towards the West remained even after the restoration of [[Byzantium]].{{stub}}
==Background History==''Factors Contributing to After the Diversion failure of the Fourth [[w:Third Crusade''|Third Crusade]] (1189–1192), there was little interest in Europe for another crusade against the [[Islam|Muslims]]. Jerusalem was now controlled by the [[w:Ayyubid dynasty|Ayyubid dynasty]], which ruled all of Syria and Egypt, except for the few cities along the coast still controlled by the crusader [[w:Kingdom of Jerusalem|Kingdom of Jerusalem]], now centered on [[w:Acre, Israel|Acre]]. The Third Crusade had also established a [[w:Kingdom of Cyprus|Kingdom on Cyprus]].
The [[Monastery]] of Cluny in French Burgundy taught the high doctrine of the power of the Apostolic [[See]]. The Church was to be organized under strict discipline, and [[bishop]]s, [[priest]]s, and [[monk]]s had no rights of their own that were not derived from the pope, the unique source of ecclesiastical authority. In 1039 Cluny's [[abbot]] Odilo turned his [[monastery]] into the head of a monastic feudal system whose influence spread all over Europe. In 1055 the Monastery of Cluny captured the papacy. Pope Innocent III (pope during the Fourth Crusade) carried these Cluniac ideas about the position of the pope as the sole and highest authority in the Church.
With this background, and with the experience of the Great Schism in 1054, the papacy's position was that Byzantium was regarded as a rebel, a [[schism|schismatic]] or [[heretic]]al nation which should be brought back to order or eliminated.
The average European, especially those who lived in the northern territories and had no communication or knowledge of the [[Byzantine Empire]], were taught to believe that the Greeks were ungodly, a nation not worthy to bear the name of Christians. Two examples are: #One example is found in the ''[[w:Chronicle of the Morea|Chronicle of the Morea]]'' (a 14th Century text naarating the establishment of western-style feudalism in Frankish Greece), there is a speech recorded which clearly shows the division between the Latins and the Greeks; the papal legate at Zara (1202) stated: "''It is better to brings Christians into agreement and like-mindedness, the Franks and the Greeks, than go to Syria with no hope of success''."(Chronicle of Morea p.82). #In Also, in the acccount of the Second Crusade (1147-49), ''De profectione Ludovici VII in Orientem (On Louis VII's journey to the East)'', written by Odo of Deuil, a chaplain to the French King Louis VII and later abbott of Saint-Denis, Odo explains the failure of the Second Crusade in terms of human action rather than as the will of God. He blamed the Byzantine Empire under Manuel Comnenus for the downfall of the Crusade. Odo's prejudice against Byzantium led historian Steven Runciman to describe Odo as "hysterically anti-Greek."
Envy for the apparent wealth of the Greeks and perhaps the desire to share in some of the precious holy relics and treasure in the churches of the imperial capital was another motivation. The primary sources of the First Crusade speak of the awe the Crusaders felt when they first glanced at the Imperial City and the domes of [[Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)|Hagia Sophia]]; the feeling of inferiority is openly discerned as being at work in the Crusaders as a result. In both of the primary source accounts of Villehardouin and that of the Crusader knight Robert of Clari (4th Crusade), the impression of the Crusaders is recorded, that they were stunned by the unbelievable wealth and the treasure of the holy relics of Constantinople.
On the second attempt of the Venetians to set up a wall of fire to aid their escape, they instigated the "Great Fire", in which a large part of Constantinople was burned down. Opposition to Alexius IV grew, and one of his courtiers, Alexius Ducas (nicknamed 'Murtzuphlos'March 1202 - Boniface speaks with Pope Innocent IIIbecause of his thick eyebrows), soon overthrew him and had him strangled to death. Alexius Ducas took the throne himself as [[w:Alexios V Doukas|Alexius V]]; Isaac died soon afterward, probably of natural causes.''
===Final capture of Constantinople===On [[April 12]] 1204 the weather conditions finally favoured the Crusaders. A strong northern wind aided the Venetian ships to come close to the wall. After 24 Nova short battle, approximately seventy crusaders managed to enter the city.1202 - The pope excomminicates Some Crusaders were eventually able to knock holes in the Crusaderswalls, but shortly thereafter absolves them all (except small enough for a few knights at a time to crawl through; the Venetians)were also successful at scaling the walls from the sea, though there was extremely bloody fighting with the [[w:Varangians#The Varangian Guard|Varangians]]. The crusaders captured the [[w:Blachernae|Blachernae]] section of the city in order the northwest and used it as a base to prevent attack the breakup rest of the city, but while attempting to defend themselves with a wall of fire, they ended up burning down even more of the city. This second fire left 15,000 people homeless.<ref name="exp">J. Phillips, ''The Fourth Crusade.and the Sack of Constantinople'', 209</ref>
Speros Vryonis in '''Dec. 1202 - Envoys of Phillip of Swabia arrive in Zara Byzantium and present the proposal of Alexius IV to the Crusade leaders -- for them to restore Alexius to the throne in exchange for a list of hefty concessions.Europe''' 24 May 1203 - The Crusaders depart from Corfu after having ratified the proposal gives a vivid account of Alexius IV, in Alexius' presence, by oath. Alexius accompanies the Crusaders from here on. 24 June 1203 - Arrival before the walls sack of Constantinople. 18 June 1203 - FIRST SEIGE of Constantinople. The city falls. First fire in by the city. Alexius III flees, Frankish and then Alexius IV and Isaac are crowned co-emperors. August 1203 - Delays in payment by Alexius IV to the Venetian Crusaders detain them in Constantinople. They end up wintering in the city instead of leaving for Egypt. Dec. 1203 - Jan.1204 - Riots in the city. Second fire in the city. 28 Jan. 1204 - A coup d'etat by Murtzuphlus, who crowns himself Alexius V.Fourth Crusade:
[[Image:Greece_in_1214.JPG|right|thumb|Greece in 1214]]
After the ''[[w:Battle of the Olive Grove of Koundouros|Battle of the Olive Grove of Koundouros]],'' which took place in the spring of 1205, in Messinia, Peloponnese, between the Franks and the Greeks, all the castles and cities of the Peloponnese fell to the Franks. Meanwhile, the Venetians took possession of Crete in 1211, and retained it until ousted by the Ottoman Turks in 1669, a full 458 years later.
===Recovery===
In 1261 Emperor [[w:Michael VIII Palaiologos|Michael Palaeologus]] reconquered Constantinople for the Byzantines, and control of the city at last passed from the Venetians to the [[w:Palaiologos|Paleologus Dynasty]]. Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus made the city of [[w:Mystras|Mystras]] in the Peloponnese the seat of the new [[w:Despotate of Morea|Despotate of Morea]], where a Byzantine Renaissance occured, which was to last until 1460.
[[Image:Greece_in_1278.JPG|right|thumb|Greece in 1278]]In September of 1259, the Byzantines defeated the Latin Principality of Achaea at the ''[[w:Battle of Pelagonia|Battle of Pelagonia]]'', marking the beginning of the Byzantine recovery of Greece.
In May of 2001, Pope [[John Paul II]] visited Athens, Greece, the first visit of a pope in nearly 1300 years. Pope John Paul II and Archbishop [[Christodoulos (Paraskevaides) of Athens|Christodoulos]] met at the Aereopagus, where the [[Apostle Paul]] preached to Athenians 2000 years ago.
Pope John Paul II stated: "''For occasions past and present when the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church have sinned by actions and omission against their Orthodox brothers and sisters, may the Lord grant us the forgiveness we beg of Him.''" Many Orthodox regard this as a "political" apology for the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, as well as for other issues, but it was clearly not in any way or form a religious/or doctrinal apology on the part of the Roman Catholic Church.
In April 2004, in a speech on the 800th anniversary of the city's capture, Ecumenical Patriarch [[Bartholomew I (Archontonis) of Constantinople|Bartholomew I]] formally accepted the apology. "''The spirit of reconciliation is stronger than hatred,''" he said during a liturgy attended by Roman Catholic Archbishop Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France. "''We receive with gratitude and respect your cordial gesture for the tragic events of the Fourth Crusade. It is a fact that a crime was committed here in the city 800 years ago.''" Bartholomew said his acceptance came in the spirit of Pascha. "''The spirit of reconciliation of the resurrection... incites us toward reconciliation of our churches.''"<ref>[http://www.incommunion.org/articles/issue-33/news-issue-33''Patriarch accepts Pope’s Apology.'']'' '''In Communion: Website of Orthodox Peace Fellowship''' '', News - Issue 33.</ref>
==Further reading==
*[[Wikipedia:Fourth Crusade]]
* [http://aggreen.net/church_history/1204_sack.html The Sack of Constantinople] - by Nicholas A. Cooke
* ''The Cambridge Medieval History: Vol. IV-The Byzantine Empire: Part 1-Byzantium and Its Neighbours''.
==References==
<div class="small"><references/></div>
==Sources==
* Morris, Colin. ''Geoffrey De Villehardouin and the Conquest of Constantinople''. (article).
* Folda, J. "''The Fourth Crusade 1201-1203: Some Reconsiderations''." in Byzantino-Slavica 26(1965),pp.227-290.
* Hughes, Philip. [http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHISTORY/HUGHHIST.TXT "A History of the Church Vol II"]. Sheed & Ward, 1948.
* [http://www.incommunion.org/articles/issue-33/news-issue-33 ''Patriarch accepts Pope’s Apology.''] '' '''In Communion: Website of Orthodox Peace Fellowship''' '', News - Issue 33.
===Primary Sources===