The Capture of Constantinople by Roman Catholics during the Fourth Crusade
The capture of Constantinople by Roman Catholics during the Fourth Crusade in April 1204 is one of the most significant events in medieval history. The event not only marked a profound turning point in the fate of the Byzantine Empire, but it also had far-reaching consequences for the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, and for the political landscape of southeastern Europe and the Near East.
Background
The Massacre of the Latins
The Massacre of the Latins was a significant event in 1182, where the Roman Catholic or “Latin” inhabitants of Constantinople were massacred by the usurper Andronikos Komnenos and his supporters. This event severely affected political relations between Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire.
While regular trade agreements were soon resumed between the Byzantine and Latin states, the massacre instigated a desire for revenge among some Westerners. This strained political relationship contributed to further conflicts, including the Norman sack of Thessalonica.
The Fourth Crusade was originally conceived by Pope Innocent III in 1198 as a campaign to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control by attacking Egypt, a key power base for the Muslims. The pope’s call quickly garnered support among knights and nobles across Western Europe, drawn by religious fervor and the promise of wealth and lands. However, the Crusade deviated significantly from its original purpose due to a series of political and economic circumstances that redirected its focus towards the Christian city of Constantinople.
The Crusaders’ Alliance with Venice
To reach the Holy Land, the Crusaders needed ships, and they turned to Venice, the premier maritime power of the time. The agreement between the Crusaders and Venice was an ambitious and expensive undertaking.
When the Crusaders could not pay the agreed sum, the Venetians, led by Doge Enrico Dandolo, proposed that the Crusaders help them capture the Christian city of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia) to settle the debt. This controversial decision was the first step in a series of events that eventually led to the Crusaders’ assault on Constantinople. The sack of Zara in November 1202 was condemned by Pope Innocent III, who excommunicated the Venetians and Crusaders involved.
Diversion to Constantinople
The path to Constantinople was further shaped by the political intrigue surrounding the Byzantine throne. In 1195, Emperor Isaac II Angelos was deposed and blinded by his brother, who became Emperor Alexios III. Isaac II’s son, Alexios IV Angelos, escaped to the West seeking help to restore his father to the throne. Alexios IV promised the Crusaders and Venetians wealth, supplies, and military support for their campaign to the Holy Land if they helped him.
Convinced by his promises and the potential rewards, the Crusaders arrived at Constantinople in June 1203. After a brief siege, they breached the city’s defenses and established Alexios IV and Isaac II as co-emperors. However, the new emperors were unable to fulfill their extravagant promises to the Crusaders, leading to tension and unrest.
On August 1, 1203, Alexios Angelos was crowned Emperor Alexios IV of the Byzantine Empire during the siege of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade. He aimed to stabilize the city and reconcile the anti-Crusader Greeks and pro-Crusader Latins. Image: Alexios IV.
The Capture and Sack of Constantinople
Emperor Alexios IV faced significant opposition and riots within Constantinople, which escalated after the death of his co-emperor, Isaac II, on January 25, 1204. These riots led to his deposition and subsequent imprisonment by Alexios Doukas, who then declared himself Emperor Alexios V.
Following the murder of Alexios IV by strangulation on February 8, 1204, the Crusaders, seeking to avenge his death and claim the financial promises made to them, refused to negotiate a peaceful withdrawal with Emperor Alexios V.
In March 1204, the leaders of the Crusader and Venetian forces decided to conquer Constantinople outright rather than withdraw. This decision was influenced by the need to settle debts and the agreement to divide the Byzantine Empire amongst themselves after the conquest.
By January 1204, the situation had deteriorated drastically. Alexios IV was deposed and murdered in a palace coup led by Alexios V. The Crusaders, seeing their chances of receiving payment dwindling, decided to take the city by force. Image: Alexios V.
In April 1204, the Crusaders launched a full assault. Despite fierce resistance from the Byzantines, the Crusaders managed to breach the walls of Constantinople. What followed was one of the most infamous sacks in history.
The Crusaders looted, destroyed, and desecrated the riches of the world’s wealthiest city. Priceless icons, relics, and manuscripts were either taken or destroyed. Churches, including the Hagia Sophia, were defiled, and the population was subjected to brutal violence. The scale of the destruction and the severity of the sack were unprecedented, especially considering that the city was Christian.
The capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade was a watershed event that reshaped the medieval world. It weakened the Byzantine Empire, altered the course of Crusading history, and set the stage for later conflicts between emerging European states and the Ottoman Turks. Image: “The Taking of Constantinople”, a painting by Italian painter Palma il Giovane.
Establishment of the Latin Empire
Following the sack, the Crusaders established the Latin Empire, crowning Baldwin of Flanders as the first emperor. The Latin Empire controlled Constantinople and parts of the former Byzantine territories for just over half a century before the Nicaean forces under Michael VIII Palaiologos recaptured the city and restored the Byzantine Empire in 1261.
Cultural and Political Implications
The Fourth Crusade’s diversion to Constantinople had profound and lasting impacts on the Byzantine Empire and the broader region. The fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire accelerated the decline of Byzantine power and influence. Several Greek successor states were formed, including the Empire of Nicaea and the Despotate of Epirus.
Culturally, the sack of Constantinople led to significant loss of historical, religious, and artistic treasures. It also widened the rift between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, a division that had profound theological and political implications.
FAQs
Here are some questions and answers about the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade:
The sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. Crusader armies captured, looted, and severely damaged Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Image: The “Fall of Constantinople” painting by Greek painter Theophilos Hatzimihail.
How did the Crusaders capture Constantinople in 1204?
By the end of March 1204, Emperor Alexios V had begun to strengthen Constantinople’s defenses and conducted active operations outside the city walls in preparation for the impending siege by the combined Crusader armies.
The Crusaders set up their encampment in the town of Galata, located across the Golden Horn from Constantinople, positioning them strategically to launch their assault on the city.
On April 9, 1204, the Crusader and Venetian forces launched an assault on the Golden Horn fortifications by crossing the waterway to the northwest wall of the city. However, bad weather conditions and heavy archery fire from the city’s defenders forced the assault forces to retreat.
On April 12, 1204, favorable weather conditions and a strong north wind aided the Crusader assault. The wind allowed Venetian ships to approach the city walls closely, enabling some Crusaders to seize the towers along the wall and enter the city.
During the second assault, around 65 Crusaders managed to enter the city after a short battle. They knocked holes in the city walls, allowing a few knights at a time to crawl through, while the Venetians successfully scaled the walls from the sea despite fierce fighting with the Varangians.
After capturing the Blachernae section in the northwest part of the city, the Crusaders used it as a base to further attack the rest of Constantinople. In the process, they attempted to create a defensive wall of fire, which inadvertently led to even more of the city being burned.
Emperor Alexios V fled Constantinople on the night of April 12, 1204, through the Polyandriou (Rhegium) Gate. He escaped into the countryside to the west, effectively abandoning the city to the Crusaders.
What types of items did the Crusaders loot from Constantinople?
The Crusaders looted a vast array of items from Constantinople, including ancient and medieval Roman and Greek works, religious relics, and valuable artworks. They also pillaged gold, silver, and precious materials from churches and imperial tombs.
The famous bronze horses from the Hippodrome were seized by the Crusaders and sent back to Venice, where they were installed on the façade of St. Mark’s Basilica, where they remain today.
Many works of considerable artistic value were destroyed for their material worth. For example, a large bronze statue of Hercules, created by Lysippos, was melted down for its bronze content by the Crusaders for profit.
The Crusaders systematically assaulted and looted the city’s holy sanctuaries, including the Church of the Holy Apostles, where the tombs of emperors were desecrated and looted. Churches, monasteries, and convents were also sacked, and their altars smashed for gold and marble.
What was the estimated civilian casualty during the sack of Constantinople?
It is estimated that around 2,000 civilians were killed during the three-day pillage of Constantinople by the Crusaders.
How did the Venetians’ behavior during the looting compare to that of the other Crusaders?
While the Venetians participated in the looting, their actions were noted to be more restrained compared to their Crusader counterparts. Instead of rampant destruction, they primarily focused on stealing religious relics and works of art to transport back to Venice.
How was the loot from Constantinople distributed among the Crusaders and Venetians?
Out of the total estimated loot of about 850,000 silver marks, the Venetians received about 145,000 silver marks as their agreed share. The Crusaders received 50,000 silver marks directly, with an additional 100,000 silver marks divided evenly between the Crusaders and Venetians. It was also rumored that 500,000 silver marks were secretly kept back by many Crusader knights.
What happened to Constantinople after it was captured by the Crusaders in 1204?
After the capture, the Latin Empire was established, and Baldwin of Flanders was crowned Emperor Baldwin I in the Hagia Sophia. The Byzantine Empire’s territories were largely divided among the Crusaders.
The Venetians founded the Duchy of the Archipelago in the Aegean Sea, taking control of several islands which became part of their maritime empire.
Why was Boniface of Montferrat not chosen?
Baldwin of Flanders was crowned as the first emperor, Baldwin I, of the Latin Empire in the Hagia Sophia. Boniface of Montferrat was not chosen because the Venetians believed his close connections with the former Byzantine Empire, notably through his brother Renier of Montferrat who was married to Maria Comnena, made him unsuitable.
After not being elected emperor, Boniface of Montferrat went on to found the Kingdom of Thessalonica, which became a vassal state of the new Latin Empire.
What was the reaction of the ordinary people to the Byzantine aristocracy after the sack?
The ordinary people of the former empire harbored no sympathy for the Byzantine elite, viewing them as having ruled the empire with increasing incompetence, which contributed to the empire’s vulnerability and ultimate sack.
What successor states were founded by the Byzantine aristocracy after fleeing Constantinople?
The most notable successor states founded by Byzantine aristocratic refugees included the Empire of Nicaea under Theodore Laskaris, the Empire of Trebizond, and the Despotate of Epirus.
What were the consequences for the Byzantine Empire after the sack of Constantinople?
The Byzantine Empire emerged significantly weakened, with reduced territories and diminished economic strength. It struggled to defend itself against subsequent Seljuk and Ottoman conquests, ultimately falling to the Ottomans in 1453.
The Byzantine aristocracy established several small independent states, the most notable being the Empire of Nicaea, which eventually recaptured Constantinople in 1261 and restored the Byzantine Empire. Image: Theodore Laskaris, first emperor of Nicaea.
What was the impact of the sack of Constantinople on the relationship between the Catholic and Orthodox churches?
The attack deeply damaged relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, leading to centuries of estrangement. The brutality and looting by the Crusaders left a lasting scar, significantly straining Christian unity.
The sack significantly weakened the Byzantine Empire, diminishing its status as a regional power. This weakening allowed neighboring entities, such as the Sultanate of Rum and later the Ottoman Turks, to gain influence, setting the stage for the Byzantine–Ottoman wars that ultimately led to the empire’s final collapse in 1453. Image: A mosaic artwork showing the fall of Constantinople.
Why is the sack of Constantinople considered a major turning point in medieval history?
The sack is considered a turning point because it represented the unprecedented attack of a Christian army on the world’s largest Christian city, altering the political and religious landscape of the region and paving the way for the rise of the Ottoman Empire in Southeastern Europe.
How did the establishment of the Latin Empire affect the Byzantine Empire?
The establishment of the Latin Empire fragmented the Byzantine territories, leading to the loss of crucial resources and strategic areas. This fragmentation weakened the Byzantine Empire, making it more vulnerable to external threats and internal decline.
Has the Catholic Church apologized for the atrocities committed during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204?
Eight centuries after the Fourth Crusade’s tragic sack of Constantinople, significant steps were taken toward reconciliation between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Pope John Paul II (1920 – 2005), in two separate instances, expressed profound regret for the events that transpired during the crusade. In 2001, he wrote to Christodoulos, the Archbishop of Athens, highlighting the tragedy of the crusaders—Latin Christians who had initially aimed to secure Christian access to the Holy Land—turning against their fellow Christians. He acknowledged the deep regret this historical aggression caused among Catholics.
Further, in 2004, during a visit by Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople, to the Vatican, Pope John Paul II openly shared his pain and disgust over the atrocities committed, a gesture seen by many as an apology for the actions of the Fourth Crusade.
The Vatican’s expression of sorrow was aimed at acknowledging the wrongs committed by the Latin Christians and the lasting impact those events had on relations between the two branches of Christianity.
In the same year, marking the 800th anniversary of the capture of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I formally accepted Pope John Paul II’s apology during a liturgy that also included Roman Catholic Archbishop Philippe Barbarin of Lyon. The leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church emphasized the strength of reconciliation over hatred and appreciated the Roman Catholic Church’s gesture of contrition. He noted that the crime committed in Constantinople was a significant historical breach that needed acknowledgment for healing and unity.
