Numerous Byzantine and Western sources describing the events of the
Fourth Crusade have now been translated into English. However, the same
is not true for material on Frankish Greece, despite this region's
importance to late medieval crusading. The Chronicle of Morea is the key
source for the history of the Frankish states established in Greece
after the conquest of Constantinople in 1204 and their relations with
the reviving Byzantine Empire during the 13th century. It is also an
important source for the growth of the Venetian maritime empire. Most of
the action centers on the Peloponnesus, then called Achaia or Morea,
where crusaders William of Champlitte and Geoffrey of Villehardouin
(nephew of the famous chronicler) established a principality and the
Villehardouins a dynasty. Preserved in a unique fourteenth-century
manuscript, the Old French version of the Chronicle of Morea is a
contemporary account of Frankish feudal life transposed onto foreign
soil. It describes clashes, conquests, and ransoms between the Franks
and Byzantines, as well as their alliances and arranged marriages. A
rich source, the Chronicle of Morea brims with anecdotes giving insight
into the operation of feudal justice, the role of noble women in feudal
society, the practice of chivalry, and the conduct of warfare. Versions
of the Chronicle exist in Aragonese, Greek, and Italian, as well as in
Old French. However, this is the first translation into English or any
other modern language of the Old French text, thus opening its content
to a wider audience.
