The Gattilusio Lordships and the Aegean World 1355-1462 (Medieval Mediterranean: Peoples, Economies and Cultures, 400-1500, 100)

In The Gattilusio Lordships and the Aegean World 1355-1462, Christopher Wright offers a window into the culturally and politically diverse late medieval Aegean. The overlapping influences of the contrasting networks of power at work in the region are explored through the history of one of many small and distinctive political units that flourished in this fragmented environment, the lordships of the Gattilusio family, centred on Lesbos. Though Genoese in origin, they owed their position to Byzantine authority. Though active in crusading, they cultivated congenial relations with the Ottomans. Though Catholic, they afforded exceptional freedom to the Orthodox Church. Their regime is shown to represent both a unique fusion of influences and a revealing microcosm of its times. Contents Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Maps Family Tree of the Gattilusio Lords Introduction Sources The Geographical Setting Secondary Literature Structure Chapter One Political Context and Development Background The Lordships before the Battle of Ankara From the Battle of Ankara to the Fall of Constantinople The Last Years Chapter Two Byzantium: Sovereignty and Legitimacy The Place of the Lordships in Byzantine Government Family Relationships and Dynastic Struggles Legitimacy and Mutual Advantage The Self-Representation of the Regime The Impact of the Byzantine Connection Chapter Three Genoa: Migration and Solidarity The Place of the Lordships in the Genoese World Solidarity with the Genoese Community Physical and Financial Disengagement from the Metropolis Family Connections and Representatives in Genoa Conflict Within the Community The Alum Industry and Genoese Commerce Chapter Four The Lordships as a Network: Family and Enterprise Dynastic Policy and the Distribution of Power The Role of the Extended Family in the Lordships Commercial Connections Divergent Patterns of Trade Piracy Chapter Five Inside the Lordships: Communities and Government Inhabitants of the Lordships Financial Resources Latin Settlement Governmental Forms and Functionaries Religious Institutions High Culture, Community Relations and the Union Chapter Six Latin Christendom: Common Causes and Compromises Incentives and Disincentives Crusading against the Turks The Pursuit of Goodwill Church Union The Attitudes of Others Chapter Seven The Turks: Security and Submission Forces of Attraction and Repulsion Turkish Division and Unification Ottoman Crisis and Recovery Failure to Endure The Impetus for Conquest Conclusion Appendix One Old Phokaia Appendix Two Territorial Acquisitions in the Northern Aegean Appendix Three The Alum of Maroneia Bibliography Index This Book Aims To Provide A Thorough Analytical Account Of The History Of The Lordships In The North-eastern Aegean, Centred On The Island Of Lesbos, Which Were Ruled By The Genoese Gattilusio Family Between 1355 And 1462, And To Explore The Implications Of That History For The Wider Development Of The Aegean World During The Era Of Division Between 1204 And 1453.--introduction, P. [1]. Family Tree Of The Gattilusio Lords -- Introduction: Sources; The Geographical Setting; Secondary Literature; Structure -- 1. Political Context And Development -- Byzantium : Sovereignty And Legitimacy -- 3. Genoa : Migration And Solidarity -- 4. The Lordships As A Network : Family And Enterprise -- 5. Inside The Lordships : Communities And Government -- 6. Latin Christendom : Common Causes And Compromises -- 7. The Turks : Security And Submission -- Appendix 1: Old Phokaia -- Appendix 2: Acquisitions In The Northern Aegean -- Appendix 3: The Alum Of Maroneia. By Christopher Wright. Originally Presented As The Author's Thesis (ph. D.)--university Of London. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. In The Gattilusio Lordships, Christopher Wright Offers A Window Into The Culturally And Politically Diverse World Of The Late Medieval Aegean, Through The Microcosm Of One Of The Small And Distinctive Regimes That Flourished In This Fragmented Environment.