Principality of Achaea

Principality of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
1205–1432/1455
	Coat of arms of the Villehardouin Princes of Achaea; (first ruling dynasty) Coat of arms of the Zaccaria family; (last ruling dynasty)
	The Principality of Achaea and the other Greek and Latin states of southern Greece, c. 1210
Status	Client state*
Capital	Andravida (1205-1249) ; Mystras (1249-1261) ; Aetos (1453-1455)
Common languages	French officially, ; Greek popularly
Religion	Roman Catholic,; Greek Orthodox popularly
Government	Feudal monarchy
Prince of Achaea
• 1205–1209	William I
• 1404–1432	Centurione II
• 1453-1455	Centurione III
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Fourth Crusade	1204
• Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras	1205
• Battle of Pelagonia	1259
• Angevin takeover	1278
• Achieved full sovereignty	1404
• Absorbed in Despotate of the Morea	1432
• Revival of the last dynasty	1453
• Exile of the last ruling prince	1455
• Disestablished	1432/1455
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Byzantine Empire under the Angelos dynasty
Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty
Today part of	Greece Peloponnese;
	* The principality was a client state of, in order, the Kingdom of Thessalonica, then the Latin Emperors at Constantinople, the Angevins of the Kingdom of Naples, until the purchase of 1404 by Centurione II Zaccaria.

The Principality of Achaea (/əˈkiːə/) or Principality of Morea was one of the vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.^[1] It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica was captured by Theodore, the despot of Epirus, in 1224. After this, Achaea became the dominant power in Greece, lasting continuously for 227 years and cumulatively for 229.

^ Lock, Peter (2006). "Achaia". In Alan V. Murray (ed.). The Crusades: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. pp. 5–8. OCLC 70122512.