Catalan Company Conquers Athens: What Happened
On 15 March 1311, the Catalan Company, a band of mercenaries originally from Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, defeated the army of the Duchy of Athens at the Battle of Halmyros in Thessaly, near the Kephissos River. The Catalans had first come east to fight the Turks for the Byzantine emperor but turned against him after their leader, Roger de Flor, was murdered in 1305, and they spent years plundering Thrace and Macedonia. Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens, hired them but then refused to pay them in full. The Catalans turned on him. Before the battle, they flooded the ground in front of their position, turning it into a marsh hidden by grass. When Walter's heavily armored knights charged, their horses became stuck in the mud, and the Catalans slaughtered them. Walter and much of the Frankish nobility of Greece were killed. The Catalans then took over the Duchy of Athens, ruling it under the protection of the Crown of Aragon. They held it until the 1380s, when the Florentine Acciaioli family took control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Catalan Company?
The Catalan Company was a band of mercenaries from Catalonia and Aragon in Spain, who first fought for the Byzantine emperor and later seized the Duchy of Athens.
What happened at the Battle of Halmyros?
In March 1311, the Catalans flooded the ground in front of their position. When the Duke of Athens' knights charged, their horses stuck in the mud, and the Catalans slaughtered them.
Why did the Catalans turn on the Duke of Athens?
Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens, hired the Catalans but refused to pay them in full. The mercenaries turned against him.
How long did the Catalans rule Athens?
The Catalans ruled the Duchy of Athens from 1311 until the 1380s, under the protection of the Crown of Aragon.
Who replaced the Catalans in Athens?
The Florentine Acciaioli family took control of Athens in 1388 and ruled until the Ottoman conquest in the 1450s.
