Catalan Company

Catalan Company
Companyia Catalana d'Orient
Manuscript of the Crònica of Ramon Muntaner
Active	1302-1390
Country	Byzantine Empire
Type	Free company of mercenaries

The Catalan Company or the Great Catalan Company (Catalan: Gran Companyia Catalana; Latin: Exercitus francorum, Societas exercitus catalanorum, Societas cathalanorum, or Magna Societas Catalanorum) was a company of mercenaries led by Roger de Flor in the early 14th century and hired by the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos to combat the increasing power of the Anatolian beyliks. It was formed by almogavar veterans of the War of the Sicilian Vespers, who had remained unemployed after the signing in 1302 of the Peace of Caltabellotta between the Crown of Aragon and the French dynasty of the Angevins.