| Robert I | |
|---|---|
| Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans | |
| Latin Emperor of Constantinople | |
| Reign | 25 March 1221 – 1228 |
| Coronation | 25 March 1221 |
| Predecessor | Yolande |
| Successor | Baldwin II |
| Died | 1228 (1229) Morea,Principality of Achaea |
| Spouse | Lady of Neuville |
| House | House of Courtenay |
| Father | Peter II of Courtenay |
| Mother | Yolanda of Flanders |
Robert I (died 1228), also known asRobert of Courtenay, wasLatin Emperor of Constantinople from 1221 until his death in 1228. He was a younger son of the emperorPeter II of Courtenay, andYolanda of Flanders.[1]
After the death of Empress Yolanda in 1219,[2] her eldest son,Philip,Marquis of Namur, renounced the succession to the Latin empire of Constantinople in favor of his brother Robert, who set out to take possession of his distracted inheritance.[1] On the way to his new homeland, Robert stayed inHungary from autumn 1220 to early 1221, enjoying the hospitality of his brother-in-lawAndrew II of Hungary. It is possible thatVillard de Honnecourt also belonged to his entourage. Robert and Andrew made political alliance againstTheodore Komnenos Doukas,Despot of Epirus. Andrew II and his heirBéla escorted Robert until theBulgarian border. There Robert mediated the wedding between TsarIvan Asen II and Andrew's daughter,Anna Maria.[3]
Crowned emperor on 25 March 1221, Robert's first loss was Thessalonica in 1224 to Theodore Doukas of Epirus.[4] Worried about the situation of the Catholic Latin Empire, popeHonorius III called for a crusade for the defense of Thessalonica,[4] but the response was ineffective.[4] In the same year, Robert's empire would suffer another defeat toJohn Ducas Vatatzes at theBattle of Poimanenos.[5]
Following this defeat Robert was compelled to make peace with his chief foe, John III Ducas Vatatzes,emperor of Nicaea, who was confirmed in all his conquests. Robert promised to marryEudokia, daughter of the late emperor of Nicaea,Theodore I Lascaris[6] andAnna Angelina. He had been betrothed to Eudokia on a former occasion; the circumstances surrounding the failed negotiations are unclear, butGeorge Akropolites states that the arrangement was blocked on religious grounds by theOrthodox PatriarchManuel Sarantenos: Robert's sisterMarie de Courtenay was married to EmperorTheodore I Laskaris. Accordingly, Robert, already Theodore's brother-in-law, could not also be his son-in-law.[7] Regardless, Robert soon repudiated this engagement, and married theLady of Neuville, already the fiancée of aBurgundian gentleman. Heading a conspiracy, the Burgundian drove Robert from Constantinople, he fled to Rome to seek redress from the pope who convinced him to return to Constantinople, but on his return trip, in early 1228, the emperor died inMorea.[4]
Robert I, Latin Emperor Died: 1228 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vacant Title last held by Yolanda of Flanders | Latin Emperor of Constantinople 1221–1228 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Robert of Courtenay".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 401.
| Reigning monarchs (1204–1261) |
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| Titular monarchs (1261–1383) | |
