Geoffroi de Villehardouin

Geoffroi de Villehardouin is a Historien and cross knight of the Moyen-âge.

Life

It was born with the castle from Villehardouin (Aube, France), located at approximately 30 kilometers in the East of Troyes, between Arcis-on-Paddle and Bar-sur-Aube, at an unknown date, between the years 1150 and 1164. All that we know of him, before its departure for the IV {{E}} crusade, it is that it was Sénéchal of Champagne, starting from 1191. His/her Erard son having taken, in 1213, the title of lord of Villehardouin, one can suppose that this year there, Geoffroi died in Messinople (Mosynopolis), in Thrace.

Villehardouin was to never return to France. In 1198 it was named by Thibaut III of Champagne police chief charged to prepare and negotiate the transport of Cross towards the Palestine near the République of Venice. This crusade, part in the beginning to deliver Jerusalem was to lead to the catch of Constantinople and the foundation of transitory a Latin Empire of Constantinople. It takes part in 1204 in the catch of the city and receives new emperor Baudouin I {{er}} of Flanders the title of marshal of Romanie (i.e. of Greece). After the defeat of the battles of Turkey-red cotton in 1205 it showed its talents of strategist by saving the cross army. In 1207, Boniface de Montferrat, king de Thessalonique gave him the stronghold of Messinople.

Works

From 1207 with 1213 it writes its Memories entitled Histoire of the conquest of Constantinople or Chronique of the Baudouin emperors and Henri of Constantinople describing there the events which have occurred between 1198 and 1207. It exposes to it in French and not in Latin, the events of the crusade in a remarkable style. Nevertheless, its point of view is partial because it aims to defend the cross chiefs. It thus leaves side certain details of which reasons of the diversion of the initial objectives of forwarding.

Posterity

Geoffroi de Villehardouin had a nephew and a small nephew carrying his first name, is respectively Geoffroi I {{er}} of Villehardouin and Geoffroi II of Villehardouin princes d' Achaïe.

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