Robert of Courtenay (1221–1227): An Idiot on the Throne of Constantinople?

Abstract

Robert of Courtenay's rule as emperor of Constantinople from 1221 until his death in 1227 has largely been neglected by modern historiography. To my knowledge not a single article, apart from entries in a few reference works, has been dedicated to his person or rule. Yet his reign is of pivotal significance for the history of the eastern Mediterranean in the thirteenth century since it witnessed the dramatic collapse of the empire of Constantinople, which until then had assumed the role of aspirant hegemon in the region. This development paved the way for the rise of both the empire of Nicaea and the empire of Thessaloniki, reducing the empire of Constantinople to the position of a merely regional player.

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