Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

When was it made?

Since this seal was for the Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders, it was made during his reign from 1206 to 1216. Not too long before Henry began his reign as emperor, the Crusaders leading the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204) shifted their attention from attacking the Holy Land to conquering the Byzantine Empire, whose capital was in Constantinople. Constantinople is the city now known as Istanbul, in Turkey. Leading up to this conquest, the Byzantine Empire was already suffering with many problems, primarily the lack of control among their territories.

The leaders of the Fourth Crusade, one of whom was Count Baldwin of Flanders, the future Latin Emperor and older brother of Henry, established the Pact of March 1204 in an attempt to create some unified political state. The Crusaders attacked Constantinople passionately and in April 1204, the Byzantine Greeks ruling in Constantinople were expelled by the Crusaders. The Crusaders founded the new Latin Empire, and named Baldwin of Flanders as their first emperor. Even though this was a massive feat, the empire would only last until its fall less than a century later in 1261.

Emperor Henry of Flanders, the successor of his brother Baldwin, had successfully been one of the leaders in the Fourth Crusades. Not only had he shown his military expertise in war, but also honorable leadership qualities. During his reign over the newly founded Latin Empire of Constantinople, he continued to lead with these favorable qualities as he is attributed with a relatively fair treatment of the Greeks left from the former Byzantine Empire. He also maintained his strong military presence as he successfully expanded the Latin Empire through several combats until his death in 1216. 



 

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