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Villehardouin, Geoffroi de, 1150-1213

"Memoirs or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople"

Thus, as you have just heard, was the
marriage celebrated between the emperor and the daughter of the
Marquis Boniface, Agnes the empress by name.
THEODORE LASCARIS FORMS AN ALLIANCE WITH JOHANNIZZA
Theodore Lascaris, who was warring against the Emperor Henry, took
messengers and sent them to Johannizza, the King of Wallachia and
Bulgaria. And he advised Johannizza that all the forces of the Emperor
Henry were fighting against him (Lascaris) on the other side of the
straits towards Turkey; that the emperor was in Constantinople with
but very few people; and that now was the time for vengeance, inasmuch
as he himself would be attacking the emperor on the one side, and
Johannizza on the other, and the emperor had so few men that he would
not be able to defend himself against both. Now Johannizza had already
engaged a great host of Comans, who were on their way to join his
host; and had collected together as large a force of Wallachians and
Bulgarians as ever he could. And so much time had now gone by, that it
was the beginning of Lent (7th March 1207).
Macaire of Sainte-Menehould had begun to build a castle at Charax,
which lies on a gulf of the sea, six leagues from Nicomedia, towards
Constantinople. And William of Sains began to build another castle at
Cibotos, that lies on the gulf of Nicomedia, on the other side,
towards Nice. And you must know that the Emperor Henry had as much as
he could do near Constantinople; as also the barons who were in the
land.


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