ALEXIUS IV LEADING THE CRUSADERS TO OVERTHROW ALEXIUS III.
HISTORICAL
CONTEXT
POLITICAL CONTEXT
n 1195, a significant event occurred in Constantinople. The troops of the Byzantine empire had revolted against its
emperor, Isaac II, and proclaimed Isaac's brother, Alexius III as the emperor instead. Fearing retaliation from
Isaac II, Alexius III ordered Isaac to be blinded and imprisoned. Alexius IV, who was Isaac II's son, was imprisoned as well with his father. As can be observed, the Byzantine Empire was in a period of great political instability at that time.
I
Alexius IV, however, managed to escape his imprisonment in 1201 and fled to Swabia in Germany. Fatefully, it was there where he met Boniface I, Marquess of Montferrat, the leader of the Fourth Crusade. He asked for the help of the Crusaders to retake Constantinople from Alexius III and rescue his father. In return, he promised, he would provide funds, supplies, and troops to help conquer Egypt and Jerusalem, the maintenance of 500 knights in the Holy Land, and the submission of the Byzantine church to the Roman Pope.
This enticing offer, Robert de Clari wrote, was met with great enthusiasm by the Venetian doge, who was coincidentally looking for excuses to divert the Crusaders to Greece in order to congregate the necessary provisions for the forth Crusade.
The doge of Venice saw clearly that the pilgrims were ill at 't ease. He addressed them, saying: " Sirs, Greece is a very rich land , and bountifully supplied with everything. If we can find a sufficient excuse for going there and taking food and other things, so as to recuperate ourselves, it would seem to me advisable, and then we could easily go across the sea." Then the marquis [Boniface of Montserat] rose and said: " Sir, I was in Germany at the emperor's [Philip of Swabia] court last Christmas. There I saw a young man who was the emperor's brother in law. [Alexis IV, brother of Queen Irene] This young man was the son of the emperor Lord Isaac II Angelos of Constantinople from whom his brother had taken the empire of Constantinople by treason. Whoever could get this young man," said the marquis, " could certainly go to the land of Constantinople and take provisions and other things; for this young man is the rightful heir."
(Robert de Clari, Hopf: Chroniques)
Villehardouin described a similar proposal made by Boniface I, although in much greater detail:
... " My lords, king Philip sends us to you and sends also the son of the emperor of Constantinople... "My lords, says the king, I shall send you my wife's brother; I place him in the hands of God, and in your bands. Since you are fighting for God, for the right and for justice, you ought, if it lies in your power, to restore to their inheritance those who have been wrongfully dispossessed. He [Alexis] will make with you the best agreement which has ever been made by any one, and he will give you the most powerful aid in conquering the land of Outremer. In the first place, if God permits you to restore him to his inheritance, he will put all the empire of Romania under the obedience of Rome, from which it has been separated for a long time. In the second place, he knows that you have spent your property and that you are poor; he will give you 200,000 marks of silver and provisions for all the members of the army, humble and noble. He will himself go with you to the land of Babylon or will send thither with you (if you think it better) 10,000 men at his expense. This service he will perform for you during one year. And so long as he lives, he will maintain at his own expense 500 knights in the land of Outremer, to guard the land"... (Villehardouin, Nos)
Thus, a decision was made to divert to conquer Constantinople in 1203. The Crusaders were successful -- they drove Alexius III out of the Byzantine empire and proclaimed Alexius IV, along with his father Isaac II, as coemperors.