Latin Empire

The Latin Empire was a feudal crusader state. It was created during the Fourth Crusade on the land captured from the Byzantine Empire. Originally, the crusaders were told to retake the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem. Instead of doing that, the crusaders looted and captured Constantinople.

Latin Empire Imperium Constantinopolitanum Imperium Romaniae Imperium Romanorum
1204–1261
The Latin Empire with its vassals (in yellow) in 1204
Capital	Constantinople
Common languages	Latin, Old French (official) Greek (popular)
Religion	Latin Catholic (official) Greek Orthodox (popular)
Government	Feudal Christian Monarchy
Emperor
• 1204–1205	Baldwin I
• 1206–1216	Henry
• 1216–1217	Peter
• 1219–1228	Robert I
• 1229–1237	John
• 1228–1261	Baldwin II
Historical era	High Middle Ages
•	1204
• Joint Nicean-Bulgarian campaign against Empire	1235
•	1261
Area
1204 est.
1209 est.
1228 est.
1260 est.
Preceded by Succeeded by Byzantine Empire (Angelos dynasty) Byzantine Empire (Palaiologos dynasty) Principality of Achaea Duchy of Athens Duchy of the Archipelago
Today part of	Turkey Greece Bulgaria

Fourth crusade

In 1202, Pope Innocent III called for the crusaders to retake the Holy Land from the Abbasid. Due to financial problems, the crusaders were not able to reach their original goals. Crusaders and the Venetians attacked and looted the Catholic city of Zara, Croatia. Soon after this, they were excommunicated by the pope.

Crusaders and the Venetians later decided to go to Constantinople. In 1203, the Crusaders besieged Constantinople. A year later they looted and captured the city.

Latin Empire

In 1204, Baldwin IX of Flanders was crowned the Latin Emperor of Constantinople in Hagia Sophia. Baldwin did not reign for long. He was captured in the Battle of Adrianople while fighting the Bulgarians.

Latin Empire Media

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  Seal of Philip of Courtenay, Latin Emperor in exile 1273–1283. His title in the seal is Dei gratia imperator Romaniae et semper augustus ("By the Grace of God, Emperor of Romania, ever august").

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  Seal of Baldwin I, the first Latin Emperor. The abbreviation Rom. leaves it open to interpretation if he refers to Romaniae ("Romania") or Romanorum ("the Romans").

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  A 19th century tomb marker of the probable location of the tomb of Enrico Dandolo, the leader of the Fourth Crusade and Doge of Venice, inside the Hagia Sophia

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  Capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

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  Despotate of Epirus, one of the Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire