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Hazard, H. W. (ed.) / Volume III: The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries
(1975)
III: Byzantium and the Crusades, 1354-1453, pp. 69-103
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Page 69
III BYZANTIUM AND THE CRUSADES, 1354—1453 With the retirement of John VI Cantacuzenus in 1354, John V Palaeologus ruled alone. He did not underestimate the gravity of the situation, and like his predecessor, soon after his accession made an attempt to save the empire by the usual device of seeking western aid. Half-Latin himself, and inspired by his mother Anna of Savoy with what seems to have been a certain devotion to the Latin church, he set to work to bring about religious union. On December 15, 1355, one year after his accession, he sent Innocent VI at Avignon a very detailed but surprisingly naive letter containing a series of astounding proposals for the effecting of union.1 To begin with, he requested the pope to aid in the defense of Constantinople by sending five galleys and fifteen transport vessels with a thousand foot soldiers and five hundred horsemen. All these were to be placed under the command of the emperor, but their expenses for six months were to be borne by the pope. In exchange John committed himself to some remarkable concessions. He pledged to convert his subjects within six months to the faith of Rome. To convince the pope that he would carry out the terms promised, he offered remark ably far-reaching guarantees, more than the direst need of any empire could justify on the part of its ruler. First of all John promised to receive the papal legates with respect and accord them the authority to appoint to ecclesiastical benefices in Constantinople whomever they wished. To disseminate a knowledge of Latin culture the papal ambassadors would be permitted to found colleges in Constantinople for the teaching of Latin.2 John even promised to send his second For bibliography, see preceding chapter. 1. See Halecki, Un Empereur de Byzance, pp. 17 ff. and 31 ff., who probably over emphasizes the significance of negotiations with the pope under Cantacuzenus (Gay, Clement VI, pp. 111 ff. is more reserved); see also Viler, "La Question de l'union," RHE, XVIII, 26 ff. On John's letter to the pope, see Halecki, loc. cit. 2. During the Latin occupation of Constantinople the Latin emperor had sought to found a Latin college in Constantinople, but the papacy and especially the University of Paris had blocked it. But events had so changed that crusader theoreticians like Raymond Lull and 69
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