Matthew’s Reviews > Byzantium and the Crusades > Status Update

Doge Vitale Michiel II in September 1171 sent a retaliatory fleet to raid the Aegean reaching as far as Euboea. However a prepared Byzantine fleet was assembled pushing them back with once again, pleas by Venice to renew their past trading rights. A patrician and future Doge apart of these raids named Enrico Dandolo held a spiteful grudge against the Greek actions, which would stay with him for the rest of his life.

The arrests were extremely popular in the favor of Manuel I, while the detainments were brief, it would be an action that Venice would not forget in the coming decades. According to J.H, the arrests were a response to either Venetian raids on the Genoese colony the decade prior and also during their joint attack on Norman Sicily, Venetian sailors getting hold of imperial regalia and staging a mock burlesque ceremony.

"In sharp contrast to his usual practice of conciliating western opinion, in spring of 1171 he secretly brought troops into Constantinople when on the 12th of March, he ordered the systematic arrests of all Venetian in the empire with remarkable efficiency. In total 10,000 Venetian inhabitants were rounded up and with properties confiscated and confined to prisons. All with much of Venice kept in the dark of this."

The privileges of the Italian merchants throughout much of the capital stirred much resentment among the local populace. Gang violence occurred in the streets with one instance occurring in 1162 by the Venetian's, Pisans and help of some local Greek staged an attack on the Genoese holdings attempting to drive them from the city. The apparent "pro-latin" Manuel was also becoming increasingly bothered by these actions.

The Byzantine empire was not, after all, a Greek national state. It was only to be expected that Christians of "all races" should be found in the service of the universal Christian emperor...other literary evidence from the period shows plainly that many Byzantine's regarded Latins as simply "fellow Christians."

Harris, J Byzantium and the Crusades p.123

John II attempted to withdraw the agreements made from his father in 1124, however Venetian fleet unprepared for this decided to raid several Greek cities in the Aegean to force the emperors hand. The attacks came without warning which meant that a fleet couldn't be assembled to defend the raids. He eventually gave in the demands and renewed the agreements in 1126.

The negative feelings came only when the Venetian, Genoans and Pisans who were allowed trading rights in the empire had been actively abusing their holdings within Constantinople often getting in disagreements with the local Greek populace. The historians Anna Komnene and Niketas Choniates were "paying fulsome tribute tot he loyalty and courage of Latins in byzantine service."

J.H leaves a counter argument why the anti-latin perception of the reign of Andronicus has been mostly a misconception from the matter of circumstance. Providing examples of the agreements that Alexios made with Venice and the marriages arranged by Manuel with his descendants with Latin royals. Scandinavians, Englishman, and even Normans had been employed in the armies.

September 24th, 1180 Manuel I Komnenos dies leaving a vacuum on the throne. Throughout most of Constantinople a rise in the anti-latin feelings was growing widespread. Even more so after Manuel had taken the exception of employing many latins in the imperial office, over the native Greeks. Andronicus, the cousin of Manuel according to J.H didn't necessarily believe in the movement, using it to promoted his campagin

Interestingly, Reynald de Chatillon would emerge as a prominent figure during the reign of Manuel I. As the settlements around Cilicia were being threatened by the Armenian King Thoros, Reynald, would be sent by Manuel to deal with this coming threat. However, unsure if his reward would be met, he decided to turn his sword against the Byzantjnes and join with Thoros ruling from Antioch.