Isaac Angelos, Emperor of Constantinople

NOVEL CONSTITUTIONS OF ISAAC ANGELUS, EMPEROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE

I.

NOVELLA ON THE ELECTION OF POPES

^A Script (hand-signed by the Emperor) which invalidates elections that are held through the absence of some pontiff residing in the city; and settles that in the future an election must not be held otherwise than by having all pontiffs residing in the city summoned, and either present, or having submitted their opinions. Executed in the month of September, on the 10th day, Wednesday, indiction 5.

Scripture says, "He who does not reprove the sin of his brother is like one who leaves the poison in one bitten by a venomous animal." But why this has been brought forward by my Majesty in the very vestibule of this address, the address itself, as it proceeds, will show quite clearly. For when the most holy Metropolitan of Cyzicus suggested to our Majesty two days ago that sometimes certain things are done ^B in the synodical gatherings of his brethren that are contrary to the holy and divine canons and pious laws, and he besought that their consideration be taken up at the tribunal of my Majesty, joined with my most holy lord and universal Patriarch—since my Majesty has been allotted the place of a skilled governor of the Church by Him who anointed me and placed me over the empire, and possesses the authority to correct those things which perhaps were being admitted contrary to the ecclesiastical canons—my Majesty did not wish to reject the suppliant prayers of the Metropolitan, nor to leave them unexamined. Wherefore, having summoned today my most holy lord and universal Patriarch, and also the other most holy ^C Patriarchs, namely the one of Antioch and the one of Jerusalem, and furthermore the pontiffs residing in this great city, my Majesty demanded of the aforementioned Metropolitan of Cyzicus, who was also himself present, that he should speak and set forth what he wished, in the hearing of this religious assembly. He, however, concealing nothing further, set forth those very matters which he had also reported to my Majesty two days ago, namely that the divine and sacred canons were in some respects being neglected and violated. And immediately, before other things, he proposed that when churches lose their bishops and elections are held, not all the pontiffs residing in the city are summoned for the future elections, but by ^D the absence of one of those archbishops who resides in the great city—and it is directed that for the future the vote shall not take place otherwise than by having all the archbishops residing in the great city summoned, and either being present or providing their opinions. In the month of September, [10th day], 4th indiction.

I. He who does not reprove, says Scripture, the sin of his brother, is like one who does not remove the poison from him who has been bitten by a venomous animal. But why these things have been put forward by my Majesty at the very entrance of the discourse, the discourse itself will reveal most clearly. For indeed, the most holy Metropolitan of Cyzicus, having reminded our Majesty that there are some things among the holy and divine canons and pious laws that are being bypassed ^B in the synodical assemblies of his brethren, and having been implored to keep these before the throne of my Majesty together with my most holy master and universal Patriarch, just as my Majesty—having received from Him who anointed and made me emperor the role of the [epistemonarches] of the Church—also has the permission to correct those things which are perhaps being done contrary to the ecclesiastical canons; my Majesty did not indeed reject the petition of the Metropolitan, nor leave it unexamined. Wherefore, having also summoned today my most holy master and universal Patriarch, but also the other most holy ^C patriarchs, both he of the God-protected Antioch and he of Jerusalem, yes, and indeed the archbishops residing in this great city, [the Emperor] demanded of the aforementioned Metropolitan of Cyzicus, who was present and in the hearing of this God-loving choir/assembly, to state what he wills. But he, again not holding back, set forth those same things which he had previously brought to my Majesty: that the holy and divine canons and laws are in some respects being disregarded and violated. And immediately before others he proposed that, when churches are vacant ^D and their elections are being held, they are not summoned...

^A by the bishops dwelling in the great city, but that the matter of the vote proceeds in violation of the canons, even without the summoning of certain concelebrants and brethren; just as happened ^B also in the votes for the aforementioned Churches. And he claimed that in the vote for both Claudiopolis and Maroneia, not only was he not deemed worthy of a word by those brethren and concelebrants of his who cast these votes, but he was not even summoned to the vote by anyone—and this while he was dwelling ^C in the great city, and not staying away from synodical tribunals or other assemblies. But regarding the votes for the other three Churches—Dyrrhachium, Miletus, and Christianopolis—when information had been given to him, and he himself had prepared a defense, and openly declared what appeared to him to be disapproved, and the scandal that had arisen ^D between him and the brotherhood on account of this disregard, and as though he were demanding peace and harmony, his brethren set his response at naught and slapped it away; and having separated themselves, without his presence or any other notification, they voted for those who seemed good to them for these Churches as well. That therefore the divine and holy canons, in rejecting such votes, have detested them, he set forth for the time being regarding this, and pleaded that the canons be read, which indeed were produced by him and read aloud word for word in the midst. One of these was the fourth canon of the holy and universal first synod, thus declaring: « It is fitting that a bishop be appointed primarily by all those who are in the province. But if this is difficult ^A either because of an urgent necessity or on account of the length of the journey, then at the very least three gathered together, with those who are absent also agreeing and signifying their consent through letters, then the ordination should be performed. But the authority of what is done should be given to the metropolitan in each province. » ^B The other canon was the nineteenth of the synod in Antioch, which contains these very words: « A bishop should not be ordained without a synod and the presence of the one who is metropolitan in the province. But if he is present, it is indeed better that all the concelebrants in the province be with him, and it is fitting for them to summon those who are in the metropolis by letters. And if all ^C appear, it is better; but if this be difficult, it is necessary at the very least that the majority be present, or signify their agreement through letters. And thus, with the presence or the vote of the majority, the appointment is to be made. But if anything should happen contrary to what has been defined, the ordination shall have no force. But if the appointment is made according to the prescribed canon, and some object ^D out of a personal quarrel, the vote of the majority shall prevail. » While the most holy metropolitan of Cyzicus was putting these things forward, the bishops who were opposing him—and above all the others, the bishops of Ephesus, Iconium, and Abydus—claimed that the one of Cyzicus was not telling the truth regarding those things which he proposed, namely, that he himself had not been summoned to the votes for the said churches. For they said that the bishop of Iconium himself, with the cousin of the referendary

^A found the bishop of Cyzicus called there, and gave him notice of the vote which was to take place on the morrow for Claudiopolis and Maroneia; and as for the remaining votes for the other churches, they maintained that his summons had been made in writing as well. And in support of their claim they produced a record of the patriarchal notary, Stephen Narsites, made on the 23rd of August of the 4th indiction, recently passed, which when read aloud ran word for word as follows: "On the 23rd day of the month of August, the 7th day of the week, in the 4th indiction, in the presence of the reverend *episkopianoi* the masters Constantine Chiromaches, Theodore Phialites, and Michael Chamules, we, being deputed by our most holy lord and ecumenical patriarch, and with the knowledge also of the most honorable chartophylax of the most holy Great Church of God, the master Eustathius Chandrenus, to summon the most holy metropolitan of Cyzicus, lord John, so that on the morrow he might come up to the divine and holy synod, and be present at the forthcoming votes for the widowed most holy churches, or else set forth his opinion; and to signify to him that if he did not appear, such votes would proceed even in his absence, because he had been warned about these matters in various ways also by the reverend *episkopianos*, the master Constantine Chiromaches, and had been unwilling to fulfill his notifications; we arrived this day at the cells of the said most holy ^B metropolitan, situated near the venerable monastery of Studium, and finding him lying there on a bed, as one who was not in good health, we told him how we had been deputed by the patriarchal and divine dignity, exhorting him regarding the matters indicated above. For if by chance he were unwilling either to be present on the morrow at the forthcoming (as it was said) votes for the widowed most holy churches, or to set forth his opinion regarding them, these would proceed even in his absence. He, however, replied to us thus: that also at other times votes for churches had been carried out by his fellow-ministers without his presence and opinion. Wherefore let the same be done by them also for the churches now widowed; for he cannot come up to the divine and holy synod and be present at the votes, because he is severely ill. Having been much entreated by us ^C to at least set forth his opinion, he was unwilling to do even this. For the declaration of these things, we have set forth the present record, which, having been transcribed and confirmed in the customary manner, we have delivered in the month and indiction written above. The humble deacon of the most holy Great Church of God and patriarchal notary, Stephen Narsites." 2. The adversaries of the bishop of Cyzicus, therefore, making use of the words of such a record, said ^D that the bishop of Cyzicus had been summoned to all the votes; and that they for their part had done what was their duty, but that he had been unwilling to appear; adding that the *episkopianoi*

^A had been sent by order of the most religious chartulary, according to custom, to the cells where the metropolitan of Cyzicus was staying, where the patriarchal notary was also present for the second election, as has been recounted; and that they had, according to custom, called him to the votes which were to be conducted by them. These men, having first gone to my most holy lord and ecumenical patriarch, and then to those others, said that they had not found him in his own cells, but had learned that he was staying in a certain suburb of the city. But the metropolitan of Cyzicus resisted even these things more stoutly against his fellow-ministers, adding to the argument of the metropolitan of Iconium that such a summons for an election had ^B never been made to a metropolitan by his brother bishop—even if one were to grant that this could happen—but by those who are customarily sent for the calling of the vote, with the day of the election being formally set, and the messengers being sent by the chartulary; and so, by those summoned, either appearing in person or becoming part of the vote through signatures of agreement or disagreement, the expressed will of their written opinion would necessarily become clear, as well as who seemed to be present through letters and who was absent. Since, therefore, he says, by the account of the metropolitan of Iconium, I was in the great city on the day before the solemn day of the election, and likewise on the days following the election, how can any credence ever be given to those who say that I was not in the great city at the time of the election? And he requested that the voting record be brought forth and examined, to see if the things proposed by his brethren were found recorded therein. And indeed, he says, if I alone were absent from the voting, perhaps what was being put forward would have some basis; but since other metropolitans were also absent from the voting for the churches that were being balloted, and they themselves were not called, it is clearly evident that those who oppose the truth are contradicting it. With regard to the very words of the notice, however, he again set forth the things mentioned above: namely, that he himself, not wishing to conceal the unbridled scandal which was consuming his soul, revealed the cause in the notice of summons, requesting the correction of those things which had moved him to indignation. But the authors of the election, having set aside his defense, had performed the election as they pleased ^C and on their own authority. Following this, the first-seated bishop of Caesarea, who was present, also cried out, saying that he himself, also, from the time he had been ordained bishop, had never been summoned to attend a vote, even though three churches—Dyrrhachium, Miletus, and Christianopolis—had been voted upon. Indeed, not even today was notice given to him by anyone regarding the assembly of the metropolitans at my majesty; but, moved by his own accord, he had gone in with the other high priests to the tribunal of my majesty. The bishop of Leucas also spoke in agreement with the speech of the bishop of Caesarea, complaining that no consideration had been given to him in the votes for the three aforementioned churches. ^D Therefore, he, not having attended, and not

having joined his own votes to the authors of those elections. ^A But the bishop of Caria also entered and said that, having joined the bishops who had met to conduct the elections for the widowed most holy churches, since he did not see some of the bishops residing in the imperial city present, he asked if their opinions were being held. He was told, however, that the bishop of Cyzicus, having been notified by Narsites to be present for the upcoming votes, had said that such elections had taken place in his absence at other times, and it was nothing new for this to be done again. Not discerning that this statement had a good implication, he said that it was in no way possible for those elections to proceed this day, especially because other brothers were also absent on a journey: namely, the prelate of the first see, the bishop of Chalcedon, and the bishop of Leucas. Some of the metropolitans also followed his opinion—the bishop of Methymna, the bishop of Nazianzus, the bishop of Paronaxia, and others. But, he says, those who thought otherwise prevailed, and the elections proceeded. Those who were present—the bishop of Methymna, the bishop of Nazianzus, and the bishop of Paronaxia—accepted this speech of the bishop of Caria as true. Thus, the sides in this matter were as it were joining battle ^B and opposing one another, and a unanimous vote was reached by those who had voted on them. But

3. My Imperial Majesty, having attended more carefully to the things proposed by the parties, and not wishing for ecclesiastical laws, apostolic and synodical traditions, and their holy canons to be violated—since I also discovered that the opponents of the bishop of Cyzicus, his confreres and fellow ministers, had alleged nothing that had any force, but that rather the elections of the aforementioned churches—Claudiopolis, Maroneia, Dyrrhachium, Miletus, and Christianopolis—had proceeded against what was enacted in the aforementioned holy canons ^C and against the ancient custom received by the Great Church in elections—insisting upon the traces of those very canons, has decided and pronounced (the most holy patriarchs also declaring the same judgment together with my Majesty) that the ordination and the elections of those thus elected, as has been said, possess no force, but are to be considered as if they had not taken place, and the ordination of the one who was ordained for Maroneia is to be judged as null, just as the nineteenth canon of the Council of Antioch, inserted above, dictates, stating clearly in these words: "But if the matter is carried out otherwise than as here defined, the ordination shall have no force;" but that other ^D elections must be held for the said churches, in which the elections and ordinations proceeded against the canons, as has been described. Wherefore, from this point on and for the future, our Imperial Power decrees that all bishops who are at the city must be summoned without refusal: so that all may either be present at the elections, if it is possible, or signify their agreement by letter; and that one must not play in matters that are by no means for playing, but that those should be preferred over others, outside of all bias, whom a life blameless and beyond reproach adorns, along with learning; or if learning by chance is lacking,

^A perhaps those on whom length of time and many labors endured for the Church bestow what is otherwise missing. For thus would the votes be rendered in a manner pleasing to God, and not to the judgment and peril of the souls of those being elected and those who cast the votes.

The metropolitans, however, who were present were these: the metropolitan of Caesarea, of Ephesus, of Cyzicus, of Side, of Amaseia, of Neocaesarea, of Caria, of Laodicea, of Iconium, of Sylaeum, of Hierapolis, of Euchaita, of Cerasus, of Abydos, of Larissa, of Corinth, of Methymna, of Paronaxia, of Proconnesus, of Heraclea, of Leucas, of Garellia, of Nazianzus.

THAT THE WIVES OF INDUCTED BISHOPS BE TONSURED

The record of the event by the ever-memorable Emperor Lord Isaac Angelus concerning the tonsuring of the wives of bishops-elect, published on the 20th of the month of September, on the fourth day of the week, in the fifth indiction.

The lawful decision of the emperor will not appear harmless to those who break the law; for just as sour grapes set teeth on edge and smoke is harmful to the eyes, so is lawlessness to those who engage in it. But to what end does the preface of my discourse look? Since the most holy metropolitan of Cyzicus ^C found my Majesty administering justice this very day, with my most holy lord the ecumenical patriarch sitting in council with me, as well as the other most holy patriarchs—namely, of the City of God Antioch and of Jerusalem—and with the most holy bishops who were then staying in the royal city not being absent, whose names will be set forth below; he proposed that some of those who have been elected and ordained to metropolises or archbishoprics, while they had wives before their ordination, did not indeed reject being anointed with the chrism of the high priesthood; yet their wives assumed once again the same worldly habit, conducting themselves shamelessly in the houses in which they lived before; and they were not brought into women's monasteries, nor did they dedicate themselves to God and embrace the monastic life. ^D And this, although the holy and divine canons expressly command those who have been ordained bishops to abstain by all means from their lawful wives, whom they had before their ordination, so that everyone of such persons might choose for himself—not by command, but by his own free will—continence or celibacy, either for the sake of the dignity of the high priesthood or for the sake of the honor of marriage, preferring a chaste union. Saying these things, he cited various canons, among which was the forty-eighth of the Sixth Synod, which comprehends this word for word: "The wife of him who is promoted to episcopal dignity, having first been separated by the common consent of her husband, after he has been ordained and consecrated as bishop, shall enter a monastery built at a distance from the bishop's dwelling, and she shall enjoy the bishop's provision. But if..."

she appears worthy, let her be raised to the dignity of the diaconate.” ^A Having read this canon, my Imperial Majesty, recognizing the greatest gifts of God among men as coming from the clemency from above, and that the unction and dignity of the empire and the priesthood, divinely granted, flow from one and the same perennial source to adorn and amplify human life, and being studiously attentive to nothing more than the authority of the priests—who, from their royal and sacred vantage point, hold up their hands to entreat God for the sake of the entire Christ-loving fullness of the people, and who, like certain sacred anchors, support the imperial power—was not a little troubled in spirit when it learned that the canons were being spurned and violated within a well-ordered commonwealth, and indeed within the sphere of our own power, as if the created pontiffs were not obligated to avoid cohabiting with their wives.

^B Consequently, my Majesty, looking with a gloomy and displeased countenance upon the most holy Chartophylax, and with the most holy Patriarchs urging the same, decreed that those wives who had been joined to the pontiffs before their ordination should be conducted without delay into women’s monasteries situated far from the dwelling of the pontiffs, and that they should be tonsured and lead their lives canonically among the nuns, in the same monastery where they laid aside their hair; or, if they themselves refuse the tonsure, those who were joined to them in marriage before ordination shall be deprived of the episcopal throne and dignity, and others appointed in their stead. In the future, moreover, whoever has a lawful wife before his creation [as bishop] shall not be ordained otherwise than if, by the common written consent and agreement of the spouses, they are separated from one another, and the woman has embraced the monastic life. For thus the creation will proceed without offense or harm, according to the sacred and divine canons, removed from all reproach of the priestly order.

^C There were, moreover, in attendance at the tribunal of my Majesty regarding these matters, the pontiffs of Caesarea, Ephesus, and Cyzicus, and not a few others.

III. GOLDEN BULL GRANTED TO THE VENETIANS

^D That the Venetians are not now for the first time made our federated friends, nor have they only lately been numbered among our friends and supporters, but since the time when their predecessors, journeying to Romania from almost all of Italy, were displaying a devotion toward the progenitors of our empire more fervent than others—an act to which their deeds at Durrës bear indisputable witness—is clear: for when Robert Guiscard invaded Romania with a formidable army by sea, they, having gone forth to meet him, not having neglected their ships, and approaching our most pious and ever-to-be-remembered great-grandfather of our empire, the Lord Alexios Komnenos, as supporters even when unsummoned, and opposing themselves to him [Guiskard] despite no small dangers, contributed no mean part to his victory. Therefore, manifesting this first beginning and the first root of the devotion which they cherished toward the Romans, from which they have reaped no ignoble fruits (for not only then...

and in those places, which it would be long to detail part by part, have they obtained no small rewards from the progenitors of our sublimity, having been made one unanimous body with Romania, to be governed under one head, namely, the Empire). Others, though thus united and most devoted to Romania, have secretly, owing to a certain excess of affairs, been made alien to Romania. Nevertheless, since by our pious tranquility the Venetians have wished, in the scepters of their progenitors, to renew to the Roman Empire by oath their love and service toward Romania—notified in the convention which they made with our Empire and Romania, and corroborating with an oath the chapters thereof—our Empire, having indeed come to the memory of the service they have often rendered to Romania, did not deem it just that they should exist as aliens to Romania until the end; but, opening the door of mercy, it received them again, and brought back the body of the Roman principate to its former integrity, attaching to itself again the member that had been amputated. But since they besought our sublimity, requesting that the chrysobull made for them by the uncle of our Empire, of everlasting memory, the lord Manuel Comnenus—confirming the chrysobulls made for them heretofore by the most pious emperors of everlasting memory, namely, our Empire's grandsire, the lord Alexius, and the great uncle, the lord John Comnenus—be confirmed also by our clemency, our Empire, fulfilling this their petition, confirms by the present chrysobull its own word, the same their chrysobull, which runs thus: ^B

«And if someone, wishing to add strength to more secure cities, has devised secondary fortifications, and has added to the guards their commands and to walls other walls, and has opposed the strongest obstacles to the insults of enemies; and if he has not refused to expend for this sake a heavy weight of gold, and to spend much time on the perfection of the guard, and to lavish many other things for the firmness and custody of the city; shall we, who are girded with the imperial principate by God, and possess power and virtue, and also the treasuries of moneys—which we lavish more abundantly where it pleases us and necessity demands—not lavish them upon friends who are faithful and well-disposed? And shall we not confirm word with word, and offer the hand with the pen to minister to their corroboration, and add rampart to rampart, to the end that we may guard and fortify what was once a guarded bulwark for them? And where this is of imperial benevolence and will, shall we not open to them the door, nor open our hearing to them, but rather look upon them with favor and fulfill their petition? And what to me are the favors of speech? To the Venetians is...»

^A ...made, and for the perpetual memory of our Empire of the lord and father of our Empire, ^B to them bestowing various benefits of liberality. There follows immediately after it also another from the same ever-to-be-remembered and thrice-blessed and by all beloved lord and father of our Empire, bestowing upon them the same things, as it was set down, which they then requested; and certainly for the restoration of both—namely, the faith and service which they had toward our Empire, and the sincere love which they had promised to observe toward Romania, and also the affection. It is necessary, therefore, that both be now renewed in the words which they contain in this chrysobull of our serenity, so that, as though placing a city in the middle, we may through all things gather and fortify it by the summits of the present chrysobull. The chrysobull of the emperor, lord and father of our Empire, of perpetual memory, is thus:

«Antiquated faith and devotion have often been accustomed to cover and erase subsequent malevolence, with lords and friends commemorating the former goodness of subjects and friends; as now also has happened concerning the Venetians. For our Empire, remembering their ancient devotion and faith, which they exhibited toward the emperor of perpetual memory and desirable lord and father of our Empire, undergoing dangers for Romania, and with their whole heart fighting with unambiguous strength against the enemies who had then invaded it, has despised the things done wrongly by them a little while ago, and has accepted their return, and by showing them their sign of favor, first of all makes them worthy of indulgence, so that they may undergo absolutely no harm from now on for those things which they committed against our Highness and Romania from diabolical infestation, but rather may possess for them the assiduous indulgence of our piety through the present chrysobull, they promising again with their whole heart to fight for Romania and for every Christian order under our existing clemency, and to observe certain special services as written through the conventions to our Highness and Romania, as the convention made by their swift envoys narrates more broadly. And since they requested that the same chrysobull made for them by the blessed emperor, lord and father of our Empire, be corrected and given back to them, because they had already been deprived of it for those faults which had happened, our clemency granted their request and commanded that this be written inviolably and placed here, as follows:

«And what is ever the interchange of those things which are of sincere love and faith? And what recompense shall one return to friends and ministers prepared to undergo peril for lords and friends, and most of all when...

^A they voluntarily interpose themselves in the fires of hostility on their behalf? And indeed our benevolence’s generosity, valuing this great matter, has found no recompense. Yet it does return what time offers, and what is acceptable to friends and ministers. These, therefore, are the things which are returned to them as a remuneration for their faith and sincere service: on our part, indeed, with a liberal willingness and benevolent mind, they are lesser and fewer, but they are not ignoble things, nor unworthy of friends or servants.

But why does the preface concern me? No man has been ignorant of the deeds of the faithful Venetians. How, with miraculously constructed ships, they came to Epidamnus, which we call Dyrrachium; and how they offered countless men fighting on ships for our aid, and with their own fleet powerfully defeated that scoundrel’s fleet, destroying them along with the men themselves; and how they still remain favorable to us; and other things which were accomplished in the sea for these men who labor, and which all know to be correct, even though we do not recount them?

For this reason, for the remuneration of such services of theirs, our clemency has ^B granted through the present chrysobull that they receive annually, at the time of the distribution, twenty pounds, so that they may distribute them among their own churches according to their will. Our clemency has also honored their most noble Duke with the most honorable dignity of Protosebastos, with his full salary; and it has not limited this honor only to his person, nor ordered it to be anything but an unending and perpetual dignity, according to successions, for the Dukes who shall be in time to come. Likewise, our clemency has honored their Patriarch as *Hypertimos*, that is, super-honorable, with a salary of twenty pounds; and this honor it has transmitted according to successions to future patriarchs, so that it may be unchanging and perpetual for them also, and not only for his person. Our serenity has also established that the most holy church of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, being in Venice, shall receive from every one of the Amalfitans who have workshops in Constantinople and in all of Romania, and who are under the power of the said regency, three *hyperpera* coins every year.

To this end, it also bestows upon them the workshops which are in the *embolos* of Perama, that is, in the thoroughfare, with their upper stories, which have an entrance and an exit toward the *embolos*, extending from the Hebrew quarter up to the place which is called Vigla, and both those which are inhabited and those which are not, and in which Venetians and Greeks dwell as in workshops; and the three wharves which are by the sea, and are marked out in a manifest space. Our serenity also bestows the bakery which is on the side of the ^C same church, which pertains to the house of Peter and has a pension of twenty coins. Likewise, it bestows upon them the church of Saint Andrew, which is at Dyrrachium, with the imperial pensions existing there, without, however, the equipment which is stored in them, as if granted to be given for the crews.

Our Highness has further granted to them the right to trade in all goods in all parts of Romania, namely at Great Laodicea, Attaleia, Strobilos, Chios, Theologos, Phokaia, Dyrrachium, Aulon, Corfu, Bunditia, Nethon, Koron, Nauplion, Corinth, Thebes, Athens, Euripos, Demetrias, Thessalonica, Chrysopolis, Peritheorion, Avydos, Redestos, Adrianople, Apron, Heraclea, Selymbria, and at the great city itself, and simply in all parts existing under the power of our pious tranquility, not providing in any way for any of their own merchandise anything for the sake of commerce or any other condition which may be owed to the fisc, namely the *xylokalamos*, the *limeniatikon*, the *portiatikon*, the *kaniskion*, the *exafolion*, the *archontikon*, and other revenues, on account of which they ought to trade. For in all places of commerce, free license has been given to them by our sublimity, and they ought to make them superior even to inquiry itself. They shall also be exempt from the *eparchos* himself, the *parathalassites*, the *eleoparochos genikos*, the *kommerkiarioi*, the *chartoularioi*, the *hippologoi*, and all such persons, with no one in the regions where the nobles or others serve common dealers presuming to despise any of the things which are defined here. For the trading of all species and ^D goods, whatsoever one might say, is granted to them, and they shall have the power to perform the purchase of all things, surpassing every levy.

This, therefore, our imperial piety, thus dispensing, ordains and commands: that no one is to oppose them, as they are men who are right and of our light clemency and auxiliaries against our enemies, and who promise that they will be such until the end of the age; nor is anyone at all to feel contrary things, nor to exercise any allegations against them, on account of the workshops and wharves here granted to them. For whatsoever jurisdiction these may belong to, whether ecclesiastical or private or public or of a holy house, no one shall touch them, for they are things of our Highness’s faithful Venetians now existing, and of those coming after; since they have exhibited much benevolence and right will toward our empire and toward Romania, and they promise to observe this with their whole heart forever, and they readily wish to fight and protest for the Roman order and for the Christian name. Against such men who shall contradict, or who shall attempt a suit? For this reason, neither the secret treasury of Peter nor of Mireleion, nor any of the familiars, nor any monastery or holy temple to which the bestowed workshops and wharves pertain, shall move against them. They shall be silent, and shall truly persevere in the dispensation and gift of our sublimity. For if we do not bestow what our Highness wills upon those worthy of receiving it, as they have acted manfully and are eager, upon whom shall we ever bestow it? Therefore, they shall be given the *perathalission*.

^A of immobilized collated properties, without ablation or infestation, from now on through all the continuous years, according to the understanding of the practice of these traditions, which ought to be composed for them by the proto-antipator Georgios and the notary of our serenity, Machitarios, which shall also be firm, stable, and inviolable in all the things that shall be contained therein. And the same ought to be laid down in those archives in which the present chrysobul of our power is laid down, for the notice of the collated Venetian subjects of our Highness, and for the refutation of those who might strive to infest them on account of these things. Therefore, all things defined here once and for all shall be firm and inviolable and to be despised by no one. But if anyone should perchance despise anything of the things ordained in this chrysobul, he shall be compelled irrevocably to give from the secret *epi ton oikeiakon* ten pounds of gold; and from him shall be paid the price of the stolen item fourfold, with the present chrysobul of our Highness remaining firm and stable, made in the month of May, of the fifteenth indiction, in the year 6600, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed.

« Therefore, our Empire, confirming a chrysobul of this kind, grants that it again has effect, according to what was dictated in the beginning when it was then collated to them, so that they also receive the solemn benefit again, and hold the honors of the dignities that the most noble Doge and the most holy Patriarch have with their prerogatives, and indeed that they also hold the possession and enjoyment of their workshops and collated properties and docks without ablation. Similarly, our clemency wills that they have the license to trade without prohibition, without commerce and any other levy in all the cities and lands enumerated in the manifest chrysobul that exist under the power of our Highness. But also the most holy church of the holy apostle and evangelist Mark, which is established in Venice, shall be granted by the aforementioned chrysobul from the workshops of the Amalfitans without deprivation to the same church. Since, however, not many years ago, it happened that commerce was exacted by those who sell certain goods to the Venetians in the regions of Romania, and such a custom prevailed—as is evident—for sufficient years, the most faithful friends of our serenity, the Venetians, have also requested regarding this of our clemency, that a chapter of this kind also be corrected, and that license and liberty be given to it; our clemency has also fulfilled this request of theirs, and decrees by the present chrysobul that no one under the power of our majesty of the Romans, when trading with the Venetians in all the lands of Romania, or when one sells to them or when one buys from any of them, shall take anything for the sake of commerce or any other exaction; but they themselves, or those who trade with those giving the commerce, shall be excused. Nevertheless, the Venetians also ought to perform the things ^B which by agreement are to be carried out in writing by their messengers, and to observe them firm and inviolable. Regarding this, they shall be gifts collated to them by the present chrysobul without ablation, for every age, with the present chrysobul being firm and inviolable, made in the month of August, of the fourth indiction, of the year 6634, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed. »

« These, therefore, are the things which were collated to the most faithful Venetians, subject to our empire, by the emperor of perpetual memory and grandfather of our empire and the thrice-blessed emperor, lord and father of our Highness, through their chrysobuls; which chrysobuls our pious empire also corroborates by the present chrysobul, and orders that they have effect, according to what the thrice-blessed lord and father of our Highness of perpetual memory among emperors had up until his passing to the Lord. The Venetians, ^C however, making the accustomed oaths to themselves, will observe the faith and servitude which they owe to our Highness and to Romania, pure and truly right in their works themselves. Since, however, as it was reported to our clemency by the messengers of the Venetians present in the great city, the Venetians obtained an edict indeed among the always-remembered emperors, the lord and father of our empire, granting them license to trade without prohibition and through the islands, namely Cyprus and Crete, by which they also ought to be kept everywhere in the lands of our empire without commercial dues for these goods of every kind which they will buy from the same islands, but the tenor of the same edict could not yet receive effect, for which reason also even now the Venetians lack the benefit collated to them by an edict of this kind; and they have asked from our empire that it be decreed that the benefit which is contained in the aforementioned edict of the always-remembered emperor, lord and father of our empire, and still lacks effect, from now on may possess effect; our clemency, on account of the faith and servitude ^D which they exhibit toward our Highness and promise to exhibit hereafter, hearing this request of theirs, grants and decrees that they may trade without prohibition through the manifest islands, namely Cyprus and Crete, with no one daring to exact anything from them for the sake of these, and that they be kept without commercial dues everywhere in the lands of our empire according to the conditions written above. Therefore, so that they also may have certainty about the things defined in the present chrysobul, the present chrysobul has been composed, made in the month of October, of the eleventh indiction, of the year 6656, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed. »

This, therefore, is the chrysobul thus containing the blessed passing of the always-remembered emperor and paternal uncle 15

and our own piety confirms by means of the present chrysobul of our imperial word, and grants and commands, that the very things, namely, and those which in that same chrysobul of our word are notified of the always-remembered Emperors—namely, of our imperial forefather Alexius Comnenus, and of the great paternal uncle of our Empire, John Comnenus—shall remain firm and inviolable in all that they contain, and that the persons and property of the most faithful Venetians to our Highness shall be preserved safe and unharmed from every man of our Highness, and also from our Empire itself in all territories of our clemency, and on land and on sea, and to have the aforementioned Venetians and all things given and granted to them by the always-remembered emperors, in every way inviolable and without any diminution, according to what was given and granted to them; with the present chrysobul of our imperial word being firm and inviolable and bound to remain in all that it contains; made in the month of February of the present fifth indiction of the six thousand six hundred and ninety-fifth year, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed.

ISAAC in Christ God faithful emperor and moderator of the Romans, Angelus.

GOLDEN BULL CONCERNING THE PLACES TO BE POSSESSED BY THE VENETIANS IN CONSTANTINOPLE [15]. (A. 1187).

Since the Venetians, having approached our Empire and having been received by it into the service of our Highness, along with the other things which they requested, have petitioned our Empire, entreating our serenity that what was done upon the record of tax-collectors for them in the great city by the always-remembered and most-desired emperor of the Empire, lord Manuel Comnenus—concerning the dwellings, namely, and the open places, and also the coastal landing-stage—might be confirmed by a chrysobul of the word of the same always-remembered emperor, so that ^B they might in no way have any suspicion that any of these things would be taken away: our Empire, not wishing to reject such a request of theirs, confirms by its present chrysobul the aforementioned chrysobul among the emperors of the famous emperor and uncle of our serenity, which word-for-word contains the following:

« If it is fitting that those who are excellent in faith and devotion toward those who for the time being hold the steerage of the Empire should obtain generous benefits from them, all the more if they happen to possess a noble and daring state of mind so that others may be spurred on to a similar zeal, and lest, with such virtue remaining unhonored and the contrary vice receiving approval, a scarcity of highly necessary prerogatives should come to pass for the Roman army saved by God: in no wise does it behoove our God-ordained Empire to reject the petition that the noble sailors and most faithful Venetians of our Highness, upon coming to this imperial city, have now presented to our Empire, since they have again shown their habitual faith and devotion to Romania and to our Highness toward our parents of blessed memory, the emperor and grandfather of our Empire, ^C and were called by our Empire to the encounter against him who has power over Sicily, and to engage in an all-out battle against him and his fleet, and also his land, they appeared prepared and ready. For even as the aforesaid lord of Sicily, Roger, learned that the parts of our Empire which are around Greece and the Peloponnese, and the islands and lands of our Empire that are around these same lands, were unguarded, while our Highness was occupied with the reception and leadership of the countless expeditions, namely of the Alemanians and the Franks, which had passed through the land of our Empire shortly before, and although he was prepared (18) with them against the impious Agarenes to conduct an expedition by the dispatch of a fleet, he laid waste to such regions of our Highness as it was possible for him to do; and when what had been done reached the ears of the aforementioned Venetians, they regarded this as their own loss, and immediately they rose up to prepare to cooperate, so that what had been done might be avenged in every way, and they promised their service to our prompt Highness. Furthermore, they also sent word to the remaining regions of our Empire, so that their fellow countrymen who were found there might come and serve in this very service of **Romania** and of our Empire until the completion of the entire month of September of the coming (19) indiction, with God, the twelfth. To the remuneration, therefore, of such service of theirs, which they promised to perform as stated, because the majority (20) of the Venetian multitude, instead of the share that has come hither through time, wished to increase for themselves both the dwellings and the arcade and the landing-stages, where their ships stand in the harbor, certifying that they are being not a little restricted and that they cannot be content with only these things which have been given to them: our Empire has granted them by its present chrysobul what they petitioned for, namely the dwellings and the free spaces and the coastal landing-stage, which are to be expressly enumerated and written down in that which is ordered to be done, the record.

^A of Saint Nicholas, and on the left the bakers' workshops of the monastery of Saint Marcian, which is joined to the dwellings of Saint Nicholas. It ascends again another third path, and arrives at the watercourse which descends from the *Vigla*, leaving on the right other dwellings of Saint Nicholas, and on the left the domicile of Saint Marcian and the rental houses of the monastery of the Parakymomenos. It proceeds again toward the south, encompassing the vacant lot of the same monastery of the Parakymomenos, which lies to the east of the dwellings of Saint Nicholas, and proceeds and returns as far as the *Vigla*, from where it began, leaving on the right the houses of the monastery of Saint Mark, and on the left the watercourse. By such a definition of space are encompassed those things which are to the east of the watercourse descending from the *Vigla* ^B toward the Gate of Canavuci, the dwellings and the large vacant lot which proceeds as far as the public road to the west of Saint Marcian by the city wall and as far as the *embolos*, as given by the present chrysobull. And those things which are to the west of the watercourse by the city wall, which is on an equal path, dividing the rights of the Akimiton monastery, and as far as the dwellings of Saint Nicholas and Saint Mark, with the small vacant lot of the monastery of the Parakymomenos. And simply all things, which are inhabited and which are not inhabited, the dwellings and vacant lots, encompassed in the aforesaid space. Furthermore, with these, there is also encompassed the landing-stage of Saint Marcian on the shore, which today is possessed by the Chrysobasilios, with its entire encompassment and contents, and the houses and workshops that are in it. ^C «It begins from the *Vigla* itself, and proceeds toward the east. It holds the *embolos* and the dwellings with their upper chambers that are to the north and south, and it proceeds as far as the arch joined to the wall of the hospital of Saint Marcian, encompassing also the places in which the eight tables of the money-changers stand. It ascends a little toward the south from the *Vigla* itself. It holds for a short distance another *embolos*, and arrives at the first arch of the same *embolos*, encompassing the high triclinium, the domicile of the Milon. Toward the east of the same *embolos*, according to two parts, it holds the humble little house with a vaulted roof of the same monastery, and that which is in the equal of this, the small courtyard, which is called Aristini, and it has a length of eight and a half cubits, and a breadth of seven and a third. Besides the things that are to the east, the dwellings of the Deacon of the Precursor, with the doors of such dwellings, which lead into the open courtyard, needing to be closed. Toward the north are three workshops of the dyers. Ycanati, two stalls in which bread is sold, and the places for the two tables of the money-changers of the same monastery of the Milon. It begins again from the arch herself of the aforesaid hospital; it holds the public road that is to the west of the same hospital, and proceeds as far as the gate that is near the small church of the Precursor. Thence again, leaving the aforementioned gate, it passes almost toward the east through the city wall, and arrives as far as the path that divides the rights of the monastery of the Akymitero. Thence it ascends a little toward the south, holding the same public path, having a width of three cubits, and, as has been said, dividing the mansions of the monastery of the Akymitero, and arriving as far as the end of the domicile of the church of the Peribleptos, so that from the city wall through the equality of such a path as far as the end of the domicile there are twenty-six cubits. ^D It bends toward the east, holding the wall of the church of Saint Nicholas, leaving on the right indeed the monastery of Saint Nicholas, and on the left the domicile of the monastery of the Peribleptos, and proceeding as far as the other path toward the east of the wall of Saint Nicholas. Again it bends and ascends for a little while toward the south by the same path, and ascends toward the east, dividing the dwellings…»

«These things having thus been donated by our Empire by the present chrysobull of our Highness, except for the things near to these donations, namely the gates, walls, and curtains of the city walls, the Venetians shall have these, keeping the devotion and faith which they owe to our Empire, according to that which they are bound to keep by the chrysobulls they previously obtained, of whatever right they may be, whether of ecclesiastical right or of public or private or of a holy house or monastic, with no action having any place to be exercised against them by reason of these. But if anyone by chance should bring upon them harassment for the sake of challenging or taking away any of those things which, as has been said, have been given to them, he shall be remissibly punished by the *secreton* of the *oikeiaka* in ten pounds of gold, with the present chrysobull of the clemency of our Highness remaining firm and valid, made in the month of March of the eleventh indiction of the six thousand six hundred and fifty-sixth year, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed.»

Our Empire, therefore, by no means rejecting this petition of the Venetians, confirms the chrysobull thus containing the word among the emperors.

^A And it commands that this remain intact and inviolable in all that it ordains, giving and conceding to the Venetians that they should possess, apart from mutilation, the houses designated in it according to its own comprehension, as they were given to them by our Empire. For over this matter, the present chrysobull of our clemency has been made, to remain firm and valid, and it commands that they be kept without deceit and with evil intent, which they owe to our Empire by agreement and oath.

Made in the month of February of the fifth indiction, in the year 6695, in which our God-promoted Empire has signed. ^B

ISAAC, in Christ our God faithful Emperor and moderator of the Romans, Angelus.

V. PACT WITH THE VENETIANS. (A.D. 1187.)

It was indeed appropriate that the recall of the Venetians into Romania and their reversion and restitution to the former union which they held with it—a matter often deliberated upon, though hindered by diverse occasions, and in the days of our pious tranquility inspected, which God, removing the wall of enmity, sent as an angel of peace to those living near and far—should now receive an end, truly to the advantage of Christians, and in no way to the disadvantage of Romania, as our Empire trusts. For even in other times the Venetians, serving our predecessors of highness, appeared useful to Romania, showing maximum devotion in necessary times; and although they promise better service now, they thus corroborate the same by oath and convention to our Empire:

«Venetia is not joined, nor shall it ever be joined, to any crowned or non-crowned person, or to any of the peoples or nations against the Empire of the lord emperor of the Romans and ever-august lord Isaac Angelus, as long as he shall live, or his male or female heirs who shall reign, or those who by their order shall reign, ^C to commit harm to Romania, either particularly or universally; nor shall it ever harm it of its own accord.

Item, whenever any one of the princes, crowned or non-crowned, or any of the peoples or nations comes to offend Romania with forty or more galleys, up to one hundred, and his Empire, or his male or female heirs who shall reign, or those who by their order shall reign, requires the service of the Venetians with forty and up to one hundred galleys, they must have it within six months after the notice has been given to the Doge by the Empire of the Venetians. These galleys must be made and prepared by the Venetians with all their equipment by money sent thither by their Empire, or found there on the part of their highness, the Venetians being obliged to provide suitable men, so that each one of them may be in charge of the preparation ^D of the five galleys; and they must also swear that they will cause them to be made well, such that each one of them will be of one hundred and forty rowers and with all their equipment, with speed and without fraud, according to what they would do if the galleys were Venetian, or if they had to be made with Venetian money. And each one of them must receive sixty hyperpyra as a gift of the lord emperor’s liberality.

Item, the captains of such galleys must swear upon the holy gospels of God, that in each one of them there will be one hundred and forty men, if the pay for so many men has been given to them, except for those moving or fleeing without their knowledge. Nevertheless, the captains will hasten in good faith to recover the pay given to them; and if they can recover it, they will introduce others in their place into their galleys, or return it to the man of the lord emperor.

Item, the captains shall swear that they will lead all the equipment entrusted to them to the honor of their Empire and the safety of our fleet. The men of the galleys, however, must receive such pay as the Venetians were receiving at Corfu.

Item, if their Empire should desire in the number of such one hundred galleys the service of the Venetians found in all of Romania, it must have it, namely with as many galleys as can be armed from the Venetians found, from the four tribes inducted into the galleys according to the number of Venetians found, with clear pay. Nevertheless, men of twenty years and under, and of sixty years and over, shall not be compelled to enter the galleys.

Our fleet must have a Venetian captain or captains, who must also swear that they will lead it to the honor of their Empire and the safety of our fleet in good faith and without fraud until it reaches the fleet of their highness. And if our fleet, before being joined to the fleet of their Empire, finds any fleet of an enemy of their Empire, and wishes to offend or attack it, it shall do so without any fraud and evil intent. After, however,

this service of their Empire has been performed, they must have as many galleys depart for Venice for their return as shall be necessary for them, conveniently and without fraud, in good faith.

Item, after such galleys have reached Venice, if their Empire wishes them to be led back again by the Venetians into Romania, they shall be led back; and each of those who shall lead them back must have as payment that which shall be suitable according to the time. But if the Imperial Highness wishes the return of such galleys to the land of their Empire to be made through other persons or by some other arrangement, such return of them shall be made lawfully. And if it wishes them to be guarded at Venice, they shall be guarded for the honor of their Empire, as if they were properly of Venice, but yet at the imperial expense.

Item, if on account of some burden these galleys cannot come to Venice at the prefixed time, all Venetians found in Romania must enter into the service of the fleet of their Empire, three out of four, according to what has been established above, with the manifest request.

Item, if aid is expedient for their Empire for the defense of the land of their Highness against some enemy about to enter into Romania with forty galleys or more, and it has not been possible to send to Venice for help, the Imperial Highness must induce the Venetians to defend the land of their Empire against such an enemy, namely in the great city and those existing around it towards the east and towards the west, and from it up to Avidus and in the same city are also found, and not only in the lands which are below as far as Philadelphia and in that city itself, and as far as Adrianople, and similarly in it [there] existing three out of four, ^A with, namely, as many galleys as they shall be able to arm, found according to the aforementioned order, with the manifest request.

In such a manner, therefore, and in such an order, the Venetians will assist and defend Romania against every crowned and uncrowned man, and against every nation wishing to harm it, according to what has been shown above, saving, however, the concord which they have with the most noble King of Germany, as long as it shall not have been dissolved: after, however, it shall have been dissolved, it must act even against the King of Germany for their Empire and Romania; and saving the convention and intervention made between the Venetians and the most noble King of Sicily, William, which extends up to seven years and nine months, to be computed from the beginning of the month of January of the present sixth indiction. Nevertheless, even against the King of Sicily, whenever he shall attempt to offend Romania within the years of the convention made between them, the Venetians shall come within four months after notification of this from their Empire to the Doge of Venice, to assist Romania and to defend it with fifteen galleys in good faith. Nevertheless, it must be done with galleys and request, according to what was said above.

Item, if their Empire wishes to send men or clothing to Venice for the sake of leading soldiers from Lombardy or from another land, and to distribute those things which pertain to the honor and utility of the land of their Highness, it shall do this lawfully, if this is not against Venice. However, the men of Venice must receive the men and clothing of their Highness, and defend both the men and the money from all enemies. Nevertheless, their Empire must not lead a fleet or army from Venice against anyone with whom the Venetians have union and love.

Item, if the Imperial Highness wishes to transport soldiers into Romania through Venice, it shall do this lawfully, unless they be manifest enemies of Venice, or Venice is impeded. For, the impediment having passed, it will be permitted to cross, whether they be alone or with their families. Such services, therefore, the Venetians must perform for their Empire and Romania, unless they have manifest enmity from any crowned persons or great lands, so that they cannot perform the service, without fraud and evil intent.

Item, the Doges of Venice, who shall be for the time, will swear that they will owe ^D loyalty to his Empire and to his male and female heirs, who shall rule, or to those who shall rule by their command, for Venice, according to

the agreement, and they will see to it that the Duke of Venice, Master Peter, will also swear.

Debtors of the treasury and of the Romans shall pay everything they owe by reason of debt. And if a debtor does not have the means to pay the debt, the creditor must have justice against the debtor; if, however, he dies, against his heirs.

Item, if an enemy of the imperial highness should arrive to attack the land of their Empire in which the Venetians are, they must defend it and expel the enemy from such land, as best they can, in good faith and without fraud.

The Venetians shall observe this agreement and ironclad oath, and they will not break this oath on account of the anger incurred by them toward the ever-memorable Emperor Porphyrogenitus, Lord Manuel, nor on account of any other occasion offered to them, nor because of the commandment or fear of any crowned or uncrowned person, nor on account of ecclesiastical excommunication or the absolution of any pontiff, or even the Roman Pope himself. Therefore, the Venetians will observe all these things in good faith and without fraud, so long as those things promised to us by the Lord Emperor of the Romans and ever-August Lord Isaac Angelus through his imperial chrysobull are kept intact by his Empire and by future emperors.

These indeed are the things which the Venetians have promised to our Empire and to Romania by agreement. ^B And since the aforementioned Duke of Venice and the public Venetians have confirmed these same things also by oath, the clemency of our Empire, benignly receiving this their agreement corroborated by oath, restores them to the pristine union which they had with Romania. And renewing the chrysobulls made for them by previous emperors, and by the ever-memorable Emperor and uncle of our Empire, Lord Manuel Comnenus, it promises by its imperial chrysobull ^C that they may reside in all the lands of our pious tranquility, by land and by sea, without any tax, according to the understandings of such chrysobulls, and that they shall be safe and fearless in their persons and property, both from the men of our Empire and from our Empire itself; and that they shall have all the districts which they had in the time of the aforementioned ever-memorable Emperor and uncle of our Empire, Lord Manuel Comnenus; and that all their goods which were in palaces and monasteries, and which entered the wardrobe ^D and other places, whether by writing or not, shall be restored to the Venetians themselves. But for those things which cannot be found manifest, the serenity of our Empire will provide sufficient men and will command them to search diligently for the goods of the Venetians and to find them, and if they were taken from the wardrobe of our Empire, they must, according to the command of our Empire, endeavor to find and receive such goods for the honor of our clemency and the utility of the Venetians. And if anything of these has been sold, and a Venetian contends that it was sold fraudulently, he who sold it shall swear that he sold the Venetian's property in good faith and for as much as he was able to sell it, and that he neither received nor will receive more for it than what he stated, if he is not a relative of our Empire. However, against the relatives of our highness and against others, cautious justice must be done, just as it ought to be done for properties taken from our imperial wardrobe.

Item, if for the service which they will perform for our Empire or for the emperors, as has been said, enmity from a crowned person or a great nation should befall them, our Empire or the emperors for the time being must aid them, just as one is bound to aid one of the great cities of Romania, except if it should happen to them because of the fifteen galleys which they are bound to give to our Empire during the time of peace which they have with the most noble King of Sicily, William. For if enmity should happen to them on account of the aforementioned galleys, the serenity of our Empire must aid them according to its own will. And if our Empire or the emperors, as has been said, should make peace or a truce with any of the enemies against whom the Venetians serve our Empire, our Empire must include them in such peace or truce. And if the fleet of our highness together with the Venetian fleet should capture any of the lands of an enemy of our Empire, the Venetians must have in it a church, a portico, and a wharf, and be without any tax. The Roman debtors of the Venetians must pay everything they owe as debt to the Venetian creditors. But if the debtor does not have the means to pay the debt, the Venetian will have justice against the Roman; if, however, he dies, against his heirs.

These things, therefore, shall be kept firm by our Empire and by its heirs, as has been said, and by the successors of our Empire, as long as the things notified above are kept firmly and without fraud or malice by the Venetians. For on this matter also the present imperial chrysobull has been bestowed upon them, which is to remain firm and inviolable.

Done in the month of February of the present fifth indiction, in the year 6695, in which also our pious and God-promoted Empire has signed.

ISAAC Angelus, in Christ God faithful Emperor and moderator of the Romans.

VI. Pactum cum Venetis de damnis resarciendis

And our pious tranquility in no way refused this request of theirs. For although it seems a serious matter to our majesty to grant the breadth [of trade] within our great city to foreign nations; yet, because our serenity regards the Venetian race not as foreigners, but rather as indigenous Romans, and they grieve for Romania as much as the Romans themselves, and they have as much devotion toward it as toward the land that sent them forth, does it not seem that they should be given as much as is granted to Romania, however much is bestowed upon them? Therefore, our clemency also orders by this present chrysobull that the Venetians have all other things which were requested by their envoys, and [grants to them] those embola of the Germans and the Franks and their maritime landing stages which, in the presence of the grammarians of our serenity, Constantine Pediadites and the most illustrious protonobelissimos Nicephorus Valianites, were transferred to them by the practical arrangement of the then ^D acting Constantine Petriotes; which must be corroborated indeed by the superscription of the pansebastos and, to our supremacy, familiar archichancellor, Lord John the duke; and be made known and [documented] with the proper secret offices with the present chrysobull of our empire. The annual income of all these, indeed, consists of fifty pounds of hyperpyra, according to what is clear from the practical arrangement composed of these matters. For although the embola with the maritime landing stages are manifest by the words of the chrysobulls, yet, because this benefit was granted to Romania not for the whole nation of the Germans and the Franks, but for a few outsiders and mostly unknown persons, nor imposing any determined quantity of service to Romania, but just as much as happened to come to them, since there is indeed much profit for those having the embola and landing stages in this way, but little profit resulting from them to Romania: our excellence preferred the service resulting from the sum total of the Roman nation over the service of the few and the scattered collection gathered. And it imposes the vacatio by its chrysobull; but it grants their embola and landing stages to the Venetians, allowing them to possess all other things as well as these kinds of embola, according to that [agreement] which they now have for the embolos, as long as they keep the agreement inviolate toward our empire and their Romania; [and this is granted] to the now-existing most noble Doge of Venice and to the future doges of Venice after him and to all its plenitude, and also all that which by the agreement...

and from those things promised and confirmed by oath, ^A they preserve; and to receive every entrance of theirs, by no means must they suffer any molestation—whether from the treasury or from any persons to whom these things appertain and to whom the things taken from them are given—from the manifest Venetians, even if they be monasteries or holy houses or those near to our empire or others; since our clemency is about to make recompense to them for revenues arising from these, and makes the possession of the Venetians undisturbed.

Furthermore, our serenity has by no means stopped at the kindness which it has shown them thus far; indeed, it grants them another single hundred of hyperpyra beyond the one hundred hyperpyra previously given to them; and the remainder of fourteen hundred hyperpyra, out of which it has commanded that two and a half be given to them immediately (as indeed they have been given), and the remaining twelve and a half be given to them over six years, with a proportional quantity being owed to them to be given each year. And they shall indeed receive these twelve in this way. Moreover, everything given to them shall be theirs in possession, as has been said, as long as the now existing most noble Doge of Venice, and after him the future Doges of Venice and all its plenitude, guard and preserve the things which they have promised through covenant and confirmed by oath, ^B and firmly those things which by their envoys—the brother-in-law, namely, of the most noble Doge of Venice, Pietro Corner, Pietro Michiele, Ottaviano Quirini, Giovanni Michiele, and Domenico Memmo, procurator of the church of St. Mark—have now been promised by agreement and confirmed by oath.

Our sublimity does indeed concede to the Venetians the right to bring action against men of our empire who, as they themselves have suggested, carried off their property by the order of the ever-memorable emperor and most beloved uncle of our highness, Lord Manuel, at the time when they were captured, but withdrew it and did not offer it up, according to what was established in the aforementioned chrysobull of our highness concerning this matter; and it is agreed that with all other actions of debt which may have occurred between the Venetians and any Roman, or against the treasury itself, or by Romans and the treasury against the Venetians before their capture, both sides shall be rid of their claims; this chrysobull, being present, is to remain strong and inviolable by the word of our empire, made in the month of June of the present seventh year, in which our pious and God-promoted empire has set its signature.

ISAAKIUS, in Christ God faithful emperor and moderator of the Romans, Angelus.

VII. ON THE METROPOLIS OF ARGEOS. (A. 1098.) Is not extant.

VIII. GOLDEN BULL GRANTED TO THE PISANS. (A. 1192.)

It had been interrupted for a long time, from the time when that tyrant Andronikos invaded the empire of the Romans; and the faith and devotion of the city and land of Pisa, which they used to foster toward our Roman empire, ^C and had it not been for the modesty and pleasantness of our highness, and the slowness and hesitation in the shedding of Appian blood [were] raised by God and indeed exalted for the foundation of the Roman empire, had been a hindrance to the matter, those who were once devoted Romans might have become as if enemies, and instead of friends and bringers of useful things, and for a time most faithful supporters, they might have indeed turned into enemies and ravagers. Which has indeed partly happened, and damages have been done by certain Romans and also by Pisans on the part of the Romans, much time, which had once been united, has since then been divided and split.

Wherefore the power of the city of Pisa, Teducius, son of Count Ugolino, and the councilors and ^D the communal body of it, wishing to extend their hands of petition to our clemency, sent as envoys to our serenity their most prudent fellow-citizens, Rainerio Gaetani and the judge Sigerio, seeking the restoration of damages previously inflicted upon the Pisans and their community on the part of Romania, and humbly requesting the prior kindness of the tranquility of our empire that our clemency had toward their city and land; and our serenity, receiving them kindly and listening to what was said by them, and conversely calling to mind the damages inflicted by certain Romans on parts of Romania on the part of the Pisans, and demanding that those things be restored in turn by those same Romans, in the end, upon the prayers of the aforesaid envoys, granted them an abolition of those things which, from the time the tyrant arrived until the present, were done; disregarding, however, that they are to be [clear] of all matters which, up to now and until this time, appear for any reasons, whether justly or unjustly, to be.

^A And indeed, they themselves decreed that they by no means opposed our clement concession; yet, receiving it with many expressions of gratitude, they made certain the security to our empire by oath, both concerning the oblivion which the city and territory of Pisa shall forever hold regarding all those losses which up to this time have been inflicted upon certain Pisans by the Romans, as many and of whatever kind they may be, and also concerning the faith and service which they ought to observe in the future towards our empire, its heirs and successors, and the Roman state itself. For the serenity of our empire, further accepting them and having heard their petition, which was poured out to our clemency with much suppliant and prostrate form, not only granted to the inhabitants of the city and territory of Pisa that they be restored to those rights which had previously been granted to them in Romania, but also, finding them faithful in few things according to the Lord’s sentence, set them over many, and for the notification of those things which they promised in perpetuity to our empire, its heirs, and successors, and to Romania, and of those things which were likewise bestowed upon them by our clemency, donated to them the present chrysobull, containing word for word those things that were now agreed upon by them and are comprised in the document written in Latin letters and confirmed by their subscription and corroborated by their corporal oath, and those things which were done for the fullness of Pisa by the chrysobull-words of the ever-memorable emperors, to wit, the forefather of our empire, Lord Alexios Komnenos, and the most desired uncle of our highness, Lord Manuel, in which are indeed rehearsed those things that were then agreed to by the Pisans and those things bestowed upon them by the side of the Romans.

^B The written convention, therefore, which was made by the notified legates of Pisa to our empire, its heirs and successors, and to Romania itself, and what oath was made over it, is as follows:

We, the legates of the city and territory of Pisa, Rainerius Gaetani and Sigerius the judge, sent by Tedicius, son of Count Ugolino, the podestà of the city and territory of Pisa, and by its council and the commune itself to the most high emperor of the Romans and always Augustus, Lord Isaac Angelos, and having been enjoined by them to seek from the emperor and Romania ^C the money previously lent by certain Pisans to Andronikos of evil memory, when the most felicitous emperor Lord Manuel was still alive and the notified Lord Andronikos was living in Jerusalem; and also [money] lent by certain others, to wit, Teodiskos de Picicasegale, Simon Cimicosi, and Gerardus Antonii and the rest, to the most desired brother of the lord emperor of the Romans and always Augustus Lord Isaac Angelos, the most felicitous sebastokrator Lord Alexios Angelos, when he was being held by the Count of Tripoli; also those things which were [inflicted] by the men of his holy empire, namely, by that most protohonor-bearing supreme grand logothete and sebastos, by Chumnos, and by others deceased and living, the losses inflicted upon the Pisans from the time when the notified Lord Andronikos invaded the empire of the Romans and until now, and the diverted solemnities of the church of the Pisan city and of the archbishop for eight years and until now, and the incomes of their embolos and of the rest pertaining to them, and the commerce exacted from them; and if we find these same things, to give thanks to his holy empire; and to renovate and confirm by oath the standing and perpetual convention made to his progenitors, the emperors Lord Alexios Komnenos, and his son, the Porphyrogennetos Lord John, and the uncle of his holy empire, Lord Manuel, and to his heirs and successors and to Romania itself, as well as the perpetual and assiduous service; if, however, his holy empire does not fulfill these same things, but makes the reparation in some other way pleasing to the commune of the Pisan city, and thus also to confirm the manifest convention by oath; since we have come to his holy empire and, standing in the presence of his majesty, have worshipped his pious highness, and since we could not possess all things, as we had been enjoined to negotiate, for the sublimity of his holy empire in turn demanded from us the losses inflicted by certain Pisans upon Roman lands and various Romans by land and sea; but his holy empire, through imperial modesty and magnificence, deigned, for all things which we ask and which are related above, except for the loan made to the sebastokrator, to those lenders bragging in the memory of his divine power and our consent, to grant to the commune of the Pisan city that which was previously possessed by us in the great city from the gifts of the ever-memorable emperors, Lord Alexios and Lord Manuel: the embolos, namely, the church, along with another church erected by our contributors within our boundaries, and the coastal landing-place; but further to give to our city these things, and those which will be notified in the making for us of the practice of the tradition of those things which were previously handed down and bestowed upon us: which practice, namely, shall be laid down in the secret archives along with the making of the imperial worshipping chrysobull; also to renovate from this instant time the largess of our solemn church, namely, five hundred hyperpera and two palls; moveover, to add another one hundred hyperpera, and the salary of the archbishop of the city of Pisa of sixty annual hyperpera and one pall, and over these, to add to the person of this archbishop who now is of the city of Pisa another forty hyperpera; to donate also to the Pisans, in those things which are bought and sold by them from Romania, as much in the great city as in the remaining parts of Romania, the freedom of commerce such as was given to them in the chrysobull made to them by the emperor of ever-memorable memory, Lord Alexios, in those things which are brought by them into the great city from lands not subject to the servitude of the empire of the Romans, although from

such a chrysobull it appears that they ought to give commerce in them, according as the Romans themselves do; indeed, to grant us the license to act according to the laws against certain men of his, who have treated the services of the fiscus and have brought injustice upon certain Pisans, inasmuch as we indeed sought from the imperial treasury for damages brought upon certain Pisans by men now deceased of his Highness, but we were not heard ^A because the matters were not discovered and therefore the affairs were not manifest, and for this reason we desist from them of our own accord, without any force having been brought upon us, because of the restoration made for them, as was said above, to all the inhabitants of the city and land of Pisa; we have received such a gift, pleasing to us, from the most serene and ever-august emperor, the Lord Isaac Angelos, which his holy empire has done for our land, and, consigning to oblivion all things which we sought, as has been said, and which were also recited above, ^B since indeed his holy empire has deigned to make for us, by the abolition of the damages brought upon the men of Romania up until now, [a restoration]: behold, through this our present writing, needing to be corroborated by our corporal oath and by the subscriptions of our hand, and by the seals of the churches of the Pisans existing in the great city, of the supreme apostle Peter and of Saint Nicholas, we make a convention to his holy empire, his heirs and successors, and to Romania itself: that the city and land of Pisa and the power itself, and those who through the times will be senators or councilors or consuls or ^C powers and captains and rectors, and the commune itself of the Pisan city, shall observe those things which were covenanted to the always-memorable emperors, the Lord Alexios Komnenos and his son, the Lord John Porphyrogennetos, and the uncle of his empire, the Lord Manuel. And all these things the power itself and the leading men and the commune itself of the Pisan city shall swear, and they shall renew such an oath annually, according to what has been especially covenanted concerning such a chapter by our city and land to the always-memorable emperor, the Lord Manuel.»

The actual oath of them made upon these things is as follows:

« We, the legates of the city and land of Pisa, Rainerius Gaetani and the judge Sigerius, sent to the most high ^D emperor of the Romans and ever-august Lord Isaac Angelos, by Tedicius, the power of the Pisans, son of Count Ugolino, from the common council of the city of Pisa, after much deliberation, desisting from those things which, by the imposition of the aforementioned power and the common council of the city, we were seeking for the commune and for certain private persons, which are also contained in the writing in which we have subscribed, and receiving the restoration made for them, which is pleasing to us, according to what we had been enjoined by the power and the common council of the city concerning our plea: we swear upon the holy gospels of God, upon the honorable and life-giving cross, and by this act he gave us the mandate to swear upon his soul, a convention made by the Pisan city and the Pisan land to the always-memorable emperor, Lord Manuel, [and] to the emperor of the Romans and ever-august Lord Isaac Angelos, just as it was sworn to him, and that those things which we were seeking for the commune 476 and for certain other persons, which are also contained in the writing in which we have subscribed, we have released, by the imposition of the same power and the council of the same city, for the common restoration [that was] made. Likewise we swear, upon the soul of the said power, that it will also fulfill and keep the aforementioned convention itself for the Lord Isaac, emperor of the Romans, his heirs and successors, and for Romania itself forever, without fraud and evil intent. And just as we swear these things in good faith, without fraud and evil intent, so may God help us and the power itself and the commune itself of the Pisan city, both in the present age and in the future.»

The words of the chrysobulls, however, have it according to what will be notified.

The emperor, indeed, [writes] of the Lord Alexios, as follows:

« Since the inhabitants of our land and of the Pisan city often sent envoys to our empire with their letters, and our empire again sent letters to them many times, but the time for the convention's writing of their pure faith and subjection to our empire did not arrive, nor has a chrysobull of the convention yet been made by our clemency to them; most recently, however, our empire sent its familiar man, the Curopalates Basil Mesimerios, with its letters, wishing to receive them as in all things faithful [servants] of our Highness and as most beloved sons of us and of our entire land; but when he arrived and brought the letters of our empire to them, and was saying what the mandates were, they, understanding the things which were written and which were mandated to them and accepting them, and entirely wishing to be made in all things faithful to our empire and to our land, made a convention by writing, containing their pure faith which they owe to our empire and to Romania, which they also all unanimously confirmed by oath and sent to our serenity through you and his envoy, which indeed contains explicitly thus:

« In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. « We, all the inhabitants of the city and land of Pisa, promise to thee, most holy emperor Lord Alexios, and to Lord John, thy beloved son and Porphyrogennetos emperor, that we, the entire Pisan people, from this hour and henceforth will not be in counsel or deed by which you might lose your empire or Romania, or the islands of the sea or the lands which you now hold under your power and which from this hour and henceforth you shall acquire from Croatia, Dalmatia, and Dyrrhachium up to Alexandria and itself; nor will we, of the city and

lands of Pisa, enter into an agreement with any person or people hostile to your empire to take away your empire or Romania or any lands of your empire, or islands which are now under the power of your empire, or which you ought to acquire from this hour forth in Croatia, Dalmatia and Dyrrhachium and up to Alexandria and itself; and if any of the inhabitants of our land or any of our men shall have caused any damage to your empire and in Romania, ^A and have been sought out by your empire, they shall make good the damage justly and concordantly; and if they have not been in Romania and have returned to Pisa, and it has become known, if those heirs are in Pisa, we shall make emendation according to the strength of the estate, justly or by concord, except to the extent that it shall remain by the consent and word of the envoys of your empire. If our men are in the land of your empire, or in Constantinople or in another land or islands of your empire, we will and confirm that, if your enemies shall have risen up to attack in those parts where our men are, and it shall be necessary to assist your men, we shall defend your lands against all your enemies. All these things written above we, the whole Pisan people of the city and land of Pisa, will observe for you, the most holy emperor, lord Alexios, and for your most desired son, the emperor lord John Porphyrogenitus, as it is written above, incorruptly and with true faith, without fraud and evil intent, ^B confirming them for you by chrysobull, which is contained in our writing, and to those observing them for us.

This act was done in the year of the Lord’s incarnation eleven hundred and eleven, on the fourteenth of the Kalends of May, in the thirteenth indiction, in the presence of the archbishop of Amalfi, Muscus the judge of Amalfi, and the consuls of the Pisans.

Therefore, by the writing and oath confirmed by them in the presence of the man of our empire, Mesimerios, since you also were sent by them, namely Guido the cleric and Bonfilius the priest, Girardus the viscount, Hebrandus the brother of Rainerius, the consul, Petrus the judge, Guido the son of Bonus Pipinus, ^C Odimundus the Curopalates son of Oddo, and the letters which you brought to our empire, which they all sent through them to the empire, and it was contained in their letter, that those things which were lacking you would make up—this by your writing and oath you have confirmed, that all things which were agreed upon to our empire and to our most desired son, the emperor, and to Romania by oath, all the inhabitants of the city and land of Pisa have confirmed, and will observe firm and inviolate, as our empire understands this for its profit and honor and that of its most desired son, and of our lands of power, the great, middle, and last. Therefore, for the faith which you have all pledged to our empire and to Romania, our empire has constituted by the present chrysobull ^D that it be given by our serenity, not only in his lifetime, but also after his passing by our most desired son, the emperor lord John Porphyrogenitus, to the Pisan church which is under the name of the holy Mother of God, for each year 400 yperpyra and two pallia; to the beloved lord archbishop of Pisa 60 similar nomismata and one pallium; to Lambertus the judge, Carletus, and Antonius 400 similar nomismata, and after the passing of these, they shall be given to the church. The *commertion* tax on gold and silver that shall be brought by you, you shall not pay in any way. On merchandise which you shall bring from your land and from other lands not subject to the servitude of our empire, you shall pay for the sake of *commertion* one in twenty-five and nothing more. A *scala* shall be given to you in which your ships ought to dock and their cargoes to be unloaded; and a place for trading, suitable and convenient with dwellings, so that you may store your merchandise and dwell. Likewise, in the great most holy church of God, Saint Sophia, a place of standing shall be given to you by the most holy patriarch; and in the hippodrome shall be given to you a place where you ought to sit on the day of the hippodrome. If your ship shall have been plundered in the land of our empire, and your goods shall have been lost, carried off by some who are under the power of our empire, the clemency of our empire shall make for you justice and emendation in a convenient time, after it shall have been proven. If your ship shall have been wrecked within the power of our empire, the goods which you shall save and extract you shall have safe without doubt, and those however which the Romans shall extract, assisting, you shall have, giving them wages according to the custom of the place, unless by chance between you and them some other thing shall have been agreed upon voluntarily. Your merchandise which you shall bring from your land, or from other lands not subject to our empire, after you shall have come to our empire, whether to Constantinople or to an island of our empire, you shall have the license of extracting, and of selling in the place in which you shall have docked, and as much there as elsewhere within the continent of our power to whomever you shall wish, on no other pact or manner commanding against your will in selling and exchanging, except to the enemies of our empire; and you shall pay on these the *commertion* as has been said above. But other merchandise which is from Romania, you shall sell as Romans, and you shall pay as Romans. The letters of our empire shall be sent to its lands in which you shall dock, so that the dukes existing in them recognize your pure faith and servitude and what things have been constituted for you by our empire and what by you to our empire, in so far as the dukes and the rest who are under the power of our empire do not transgress what has been agreed upon by our empire. And if it shall happen that anything unjust is done, it shall be avenged by them, and just emendation shall be made. So that also by our empire in all the lands of our power and islands in which

they arrive, the same places shall be kept for you and the same emendation shall be made. If any Pisan, under our empire, shall have suffered some atrocious disgrace or foul injury, or damage to his goods, our empire shall make emendation, once it has been proven, if it has been reported to our serenity within a legal and convenient time in all its territory. Your ships and your men wishing to return to Pisa will not be prohibited; nor shall our empire, nor its most desired son the Emperor Porphyrogenitus, nor anyone by the command of our empire, do anything unjust in any way to your goods or men. If, however, for some causes it shall happen at times, it will be amended in a convenient time. If any of you shall make a complaint, he will not be turned away, if the deed is known to our empire, but his complaint will be received and will be judged according to law, and it will be judged after proof of the truth, if it appears that he has suffered injustice. Those who toward God's service journey to Jerusalem with your men for the sake of fighting against the pagans will not sustain any impediment on the journey or on the return, nor will they or their ships be troubled, or the stipends or war instruments which they carry, security being provided to those who receive them into your ships, by the certification of an oath, insofar as they neither aid any enemy of our empire and the Roman land, nor act there ^B against our empire.

"These things, therefore, shall remain as immutable forever, as long as you and all the inhabitants of your land and city keep those things which have been noted above, firm and incorrupt toward our empire and its most desired son and emperor, the lord John Porphyrogenitus, and the Roman land, just as our empire understands these for its own honor and profit and that of the Roman land, and without fraud and any evil intent. For on account of this, the present chrysobull, as a word and mutual instrument of your written agreement, confirmed by your oath and corroborated by your own subscriptions, was sent by you to all the inhabitants of the city and land of Pisa.

"Done in the month of October, in the fifth indiction, in the six thousand six hundred and twentieth year, in which our pious and God-ordained empire also signed. ^D "ALEXIUS, in Christ our God the faithful emperor and moderator of the Romans, Comnenus."

Concerning the lord Manuel, it is thus:

"The most faithful Pisans to our empire have already obtained in the great city, through the chrysobull of the ever-memorable grandfather of our empire, and again the ever-memorable lord and father of our highness, an embankment, a landing, and a church, just as they are 44. Since, indeed, before the time, for certain causes, our empire wished to change such places for them, and for them to be given in their stead others further away in the great parts of the city opposite, they however, approaching our clemency, supplicated that this should not be done, but that they should be in possession of those things which they held before, the serenity of our empire conceded that it be done so. And because it was necessary that an oath be made by them to our empire for the sake of such business, corroborating the prior agreement and their oaths, and indeed, legates from such land arrived before our serenity, namely the most prudent consul of this land, Albert, and with him the judge Burgundius and Count Marcus, and they made an oath to our empire, the consul indeed noting the oath, thus containing the words: 'I, the consul of the Pisans, legate to our lord the Emperor of the Romans and always august lord Manuel Porphyrogenitus Comnenus, swear by the command and will of our archbishop, the consuls, senators, and the rest of the land of Pisa this present oath: since for certain reasons it happened that we were removed for a little while from those things which we held in the great city, namely the church, the embankment, and the landing, with others having been given to us for restoration in the parts which are beyond, now however by the command of the emperor we have been restored to those which we held: that we shall observe, we and the entire Pisan land, having notified the Emperor Porphyrogenitus Lord Manuel Comnenus, his heirs and successors, and the Roman land, the faith and duty which the Pisan land owed to his empire from previously made agreements and oaths, to the ever-memorable emperor, Lord Alexius Comnenus, and to him, the Porphyrogenitus and Emperor Lord Manuel Comnenus; and if anything was done by the Pisan land to anyone crowned or uncrowned which tends to the irritation of such agreements and oaths, that shall be reputed as not done. This present oath, however, the consuls and the rest of the inhabitants of Pisa must make and renew according to custom. And as I swear these things without fraud and evil intent, so may God help me, the holy gospels of God, and the honorable and life-giving cross.' — The judge Burgundius and Count Marcus thus swore as well — 'We, Judge Burgundius and Count Marcus, sent as legates to the powerful Emperor of the Romans, Porphyrogenitus Lord Manuel Comnenus from the city of Pisa, swear upon the holy gospels of God and the honorable and life-giving cross, that the agreement made to the ever-memorable Emperor Lord Alexius Comnenus, and to our lord the Emperor and Porphyrogenitus Lord Manuel Comnenus from the city of Pisa, which the consul of the Pisans

has sworn to observe faithfully for the honor of the emperor, and we shall cause this to be confirmed by the entire Pisan city without fraud. And thus we swear to observe this firmly without fraud or evil intent. So may God help us, ^A and the holy Gospels and the honorable and life-giving Cross.

«Lo, our Empire confirms by this present chrysobull its own seal, the gift which they had in the aforementioned right from the ever-memorable emperor, his lord and father, and commands that the chrysobulls made for them regarding the collation of such immovable property remain firm and inviolable, if the Pisan land also well observes the pacts and its oaths which it made to our empire, its heirs and successors, for the honor and profit of our empire and Romania. For upon this matter also this present seal of our empire has been conferred upon them, to be kept in the appropriate secret archives for notification, in the month of July, of the third indiction.»

Since the envoys of the aforementioned Pisan city have entered into the pacts written above with the relevant chrysobulls, and have confirmed them by their own subscription and by oath, or as it has been officially notified, our empire commands that those things which are contained in the aforementioned chrysobulls, both those that were made by the Pisan city of Romania and those that were conferred upon them by Romania, should have efficacy and inviolability. And thus they are to be regarded as confirmed and collated; and it commands that the Pisans be restored to all those things which were granted to them in the great city long ago by the ever-memorable emperor and the pro- ^B -tossebastos of our empire, Lord Alexius, and by the most desired paternal uncle of our highness, Lord Manuel: namely, dwellings, a church with the church erected within their rights, and a landing place, according to what was granted to them and according to the practical documents made for them regarding the tradition of these things. Moreover, our empire grants them the pensionary rights of the monastery of Lord Antonius, and in the making of the practical announcement for them, having for the annual entry 246 *nomismata* of *hyperpyra*, and the landing place predetermined in the site of the location by our serenity, the building by the same [Pisans] in the venerable temple of the holy forty Martyrs. It also allows to be given to the Pisan church its established annual ^C solemnity, namely 500 *hyperpyra* and two palls, as it is now established for it by our empire, on account of the faith which the Pisan city and land owe to our empire and its service. It also adds to them other *hyperpyra*, 100 similarly, and a re-established annual salary for the most honorable Archbishop of the Pisans, 60 *hyperpyra* and one pall, as it is now established for him by our empire. It also adds to the person of the archbishop who now is other *hyperpyra* for 40 years. And it commands that all such things be possessed by the city and land of Pisa in this manner for all time and for continuous years, according to the practical document of their tradition; which shall be made known to their envoys by the grammarians of our empire, Pediadita Constantinus and the most illustrious protonobilitissimus Sergius Coliva, and by the *desunotatus* Constantinus Petiota, which also must be kept in the appropriate secret archives with the present chrysobull of our empire; and the Pisans shall have their present and future entry from their superstructures, which they shall make within the limits granted to them, as long as the city, which owes faith and service to our empire, its heirs and successors and to Romania itself, and the Pisan land and its own commune, preserves it inviolably and without diminution, according to the agreement written by their aforementioned envoys and recited above, which also must be sworn to by the authority of the same city and Pisan land and the better sort of Pisans and the entire Pisan multitude in the presence of the men of our empire sent for this purpose, and annually renewed, according to what was specifically agreed upon regarding the matters of this chapter with the ever-memorable emperor, the uncle of our empire, Lord Manuel.

They shall further enjoy all the liberty of commerce contained in the two recited chrysobulls, and of all the other chapters contained in them, exhibiting 4 out of every hundred, both in the great city and in the other lands of our pious tranquility: not only on all those goods which are brought by them from foreign parts into Romania, but also on those which are bought by them from the lands of Romania and sold in the great city or other lands of Romania. For although it was determined from the chrysobull made for them by our ancestor, the ever-memorable Emperor Lord Alexius Comnenus, that they should be regarded as Romans in the merchandise which they buy from Romania, and that they should pay the same commercial tax that the Romans pay; yet our empire, rewarding their great devotion and faith, acts liberally toward them even on this point, and commands that they pay only 4 out of every hundred even on the goods which they buy from Romania. Therefore, the Pisans shall enjoy the liberty conferred upon them by our serenity and all things granted ^D to them, as was made manifest above, and they shall never be removed from these. For although all such things had already been handed over to the monasteries and persons from whom these were taken and handed over to the Pisans, yet because these same Pisans have been ordained under the service of Romania and have sworn to observe their pristine faith and service to our empire, its heirs and successors and to Romania, they have been taken back from them and restored to the Pisans, because they themselves ought to have satisfaction from the fisc; but if they do not have it, they ought not to proceed against the Pisans, but against the fisc itself, within the legitimate time. And if they have obtained restitution, they shall have satisfaction for what shall be given; but if they have not obtained it, they shall have it in proportion: because our empire

^A has the authority by the laws to grant what is public, and it grants this to the fullness of the Pisans. But since the envoys who were made known to our clemency requested that, along with other matters, those rights which were formerly held by the Pisans in the great city, both in the city and the land, as well as those which have now been bestowed upon them by our majesty, should be notified in the present chrysobull of our empire, our empire has consented that it be done thus. And they have that which was formerly held by the Pisans ^B in this way: Therefore, all things written above shall be preserved firmly by our empire, its heirs and successors, and by Romania, if the power that is in the city and land of Pisa—the consuls, councilors, senators, captains, rectors, and the rest of the nobility—and the commune of the Pisans itself, accept what was pledged and sworn to our empire, its heirs and successors, and to Romania itself by their above-mentioned envoys, and have confirmed it by corporal oath, and have composed the writing containing these things and confirmed it in the customary manner, and have sent it to our majesty, and have held these things valid in perpetuity, they and those who shall be after them, the consuls and powers, councilors and senators, captains, rectors, and the commune of the city and land of Pisa itself, remain firmly and inviolably under the present chrysobull ^C by the word of our empire, so long as all those above-mentioned preserve entirely those things which are narrated above.

Done in the month of February of the current tenth indiction, of the year one thousand seven hundred, in which our pious and God-ordained empire has signed.

Isaac, faithful emperor in Christ God and moderator of the Romans, Angelus.

IX. CONCERNING CHURCHES PROMOTED TO A HIGHER RANK. (A. 1193.)

X. CONCERNING THE METROPOLIS OF HYPAEPA.

XI. CHRYSOBULL GRANTED TO THE VENETIANS [47]. (A. 1199.)

Just as animals look at one another intimately and expect embraces; going about in herds with diligence, never being without fellowship, but flying together to heights and depths, moving together, returning, and perhaps sometimes separating out of necessity, looking back at each other very often, and by groaning and moaning and their own respective cries showing their longing for those who are removed from them, and if they have found liberty anywhere, immediately returning with great affection, and it is impossible to state how much they rejoice in the gathering together, and by diligent discourse, as it were, signifying it by non-significant and inarticulate sounds: so too the Venetian race, which is most friendly and serviceable toward Romania for many times now, and even counting a hundred years and more, holds it unshakenly and possesses it indivisibly. And if by chance it pursues those who are removed, bearing their removal quietly, they often return to union, and in every way seek to recall it, and as a child to its mother and to its mistress, those who have found it remain ^D and strive to hold it with indissoluble bonds of love.

Which indeed has now occurred for the Venetians in regard to Romania. For when my empire received the scepter of Romania by divine providence, the most noble Doge of Venice and protosebastos, Henry Dandolo, as well as the very prudence of the Venetian council, did not in any way fall asleep over the request for the union, which had been, as it were, dissolved by the conventions that had existed between Romania and my most beloved brother, the pre-emperor of my empire, lord Isaac Angelus; but they transmitted envoys to our majesty, first of all Ranieri Zeno and the son of the most noble Doge of Venice, the master aurum, Peter Marinus, and they received as an envoy from my empire his grammaticus, the protonobilissimus, the ypertatos, lord John Cataflorus. And because those things that were ambiguous in the convention could not be resolved through him while he was staying sufficiently in Venice, they immediately [sent] other envoys...

to our tranquility: Henry Navagiosus, Andrew Donatus, and Benedict Grillionis. And when these also, by following their own will, did not reflect the matters of the embassy, they sent them back to Venice, receiving from our serenity the envoy, the pansebastos sebastos and familiar to our empire, the acolyth, Lord John Nomucopulus; and he departed with them. And ^A then, even through him, they—the elders of Venice who were presiding there—were unable to bring matters to an end, so they brought other envoys to our clemency, namely Peter Michael and Octavianus Quirinus, men both of great prudence, counsel, and eloquence among the Venetians, who, together with the pansebastos, sebastos, and familiar to my empire, the chancellor and vicedominus Demetrius Trinkius, reasoned many times by order of our magnificence both regarding what had already been transacted and also regarding those to be agreed upon anew. Finally, they stood before our majesty and reported what had been discussed between the aforementioned chancellor and them, and, making great insistence and petition that they might be able to finalize what was pleasing to them, they consented to make a declaration. They took an oath, and even gave a sworn statement, which reads verbatim as follows:

"We, the envoys of the most noble Doge of Venice and the imperial protosebastos Henry Dandolo, Peter Michael and Octavianus Quirinus, swear this present day, which is the twenty-seventh of the current month of September of the current second indiction, in the year six thousand seven hundred and seven, upon the holy Gospels of God and the honorable and life-giving cross, that we have come to an agreement and pact regarding all the things that we have covenanted with the most holy and high Emperor of the Romans and always Augustus, Lord Alexius Comnenus, in accordance with the speech and will of the aforementioned most noble Doge of Venice, and from his written commission made to us by the will of the majority of the lesser and greater council of Venice; and that the same most noble Doge of Venice has granted and entrusted to us that we should swear upon his soul, and that he himself will swear to those things which have been covenanted and agreed upon by us, and will cause the men of Venice to swear. And since he has granted and entrusted this to us, he does not subvert or change it. And just as we swear these things without fraud and evil intent, so may God and His holy Gospels and the honorable and life-giving cross help our aforementioned Doge and us, both in this world and in the future."

Having sworn these things, and those pacts which were made by them to our magnificence—as on behalf of the aforementioned most noble ^B Duke of theirs and of all Venice in a writing subscribed by them—they delivered them to our tranquility, having the following articles:

"No [56] Venice is joined, nor shall it ever be joined, to any crowned or uncrowned person, or to any peoples or nations against the empire of the lord Emperor of the Romans and always Augustus, Lord Alexius Comnenus, as long as he shall live, or his heirs, both male and female, who shall reign, or those who shall reign by their command, to offend Romania particularly or universally; nor shall it ever offend by itself."

"Item, as often as any prince, crowned or uncrowned, or any nation shall come against Romania to offend it with forty galleys or more, up to one hundred, and their empire—or their heirs, male or female, [who] shall reign, or those who shall reign by their command—wishes for the service of the Venetians with forty up to one hundred galleys, they must have it within six months after notice has been given to the Doge of Venice by their empire. And indeed, these galleys must be made and prepared in Venice by the Venetians with all their equipment, through money sent there by their empire, or found there on the part of their highness, with the Venetians being obligated to provide suitable men, so that each of them may oversee the preparation of five galleys; and they must also swear that they will make them and that they are well-made, and that each of them will have one hundred and forty oars and all their equipment, with speed and without fraud, according to how they ought to be made if they were Venetian galleys, or if they were to be made with Venetian money. Each of whom ought to receive from the treasury of the lord Emperor, by way of bounty, sixty gold yperpyra."

"Item, the captains of such galleys shall swear upon the holy Gospels of God that in each of the galleys there will be one hundred and forty men, if such a number of men has been provided for them as a salary (roga), except for those dying and those fleeing without their knowledge. Nevertheless, they shall endeavor in good faith that, as far as the salary provided to the same men permits—namely, those dying or fleeing—they shall recover it; and if they are able to recover it, they shall bring others in their place into their galleys, or return the salary to the man of the lord Emperor."

"Item, each of the captains shall swear that they will conduct the entire equipment entrusted to them for the honor of their empire and the safety of our fleet. The men of the galleys, however, ought to receive such salary as the Venetians received at Corfu."

^A Item, if their empire should wish for the service of one hundred such galleys in the whole of Romania, it must have them with as many galleys, that is to say, as can be armed from the Venetians found there, out of four, three to be taken according to the number of those found among the Venetians, along with the aforesaid pay. However, men twenty years old and under, and sixty years old and over, shall not be forced to board the galleys.

Item, our fleet must have a Venetian captain or captains, who shall swear that they will lead the fleet for the honor of their empire and the safety of our fleet, in good faith and without any fraud or evil intent, as far as the fleet of the highness of their empire.

Item, if, before our fleet is joined to their imperial fleet, it should encounter any fleet of an enemy of their empire and should wish to harm it or attack it, it shall do so without any fraud or evil intent. But after our fleet has been united with the fleet of the imperial highness, those who are in the galleys ought to be counted by the captain of their ^B imperial fleet, if he so desires; and those found shall indeed be in the service of the highness of their empire; as for the absent ones, the Venetians shall diligently and in good faith seek to find them, if they are able, and to complete the number.

Item, the captain or captains of our fleet and the counts and sailing masters, as well as the *prodenses* and ten men from each of the galleys, shall swear that they will obey the order of the captain of the fleet of their imperial highness, for the honor and safety of our fleet, without fraud or evil intent; and that together with their imperial fleet they will pursue the fleet of any enemy of the imperial majesty, whether they be Christians or pagans; and they will offend him and attack him and pursue him, and will inflict upon him whatever evil they are able to inflict, in good faith, without fraud or evil intent; and they will attack him as long as their imperial fleet attacks him, in good faith, without fraud. And if it captures any of the lands of the enemy of the imperial highness, we must have in it a church, a warehouse, and a wharf, and keep them without any charge. However, their imperial fleet must be as large as ours, or larger. But after they have performed such service for their empire, they must have from the galleys which have come out of Venice, upon their return, as many galleys as will be necessary and convenient for them, in good faith and without fraud.

Item, after such galleys have reached Venice, if their empire should wish to have them led back to Romania by the Venetians, it shall be done thus; and each of those who leads them back must have, by way of his own proper salary, what is reasonable according to the time. But if their empire should wish for their return to the land of its highness to be effected by other persons or by some other arrangement, this shall also be permitted to it. But if it should wish for them to be kept there, they shall be guarded for the honor of their empire, just as if they were properly Venetian, but at imperial expense.

Item, if, on account of some gravity, such galleys cannot come from Venice within the prescribed term, all the Venetians found in Romania must enter into the service of their imperial fleet, according to what was declared above, that is to say, three out of four, with the above-written pay.

Item, if it is expedient for their empire to have aid for the defense of the land of the imperial highness because some enemy is about to enter into Romania with forty or more galleys, and their empire is unable to send for help to Venice, the imperial majesty ought to induce the Venetians to defend their own land against such an enemy, from those found in the great city, that is to say, and around it, and from those places lying around it towards the east and towards the west as far as Abydos, and there likewise those found, and in the lands which are within, as far as Philadelphia and in it, and as far as Adramyttium and in it, three out of four, with as many galleys as they are able to arm, found according to the aforesaid order, along with the manifest pay. Thus and in such wise shall the Venetians help and defend Romania against every man, crowned or not crowned, and against every race wishing to harm Romania, just as was declared above; and against the king of Germany himself.

Item, if their imperial empire should wish to send to Venice men or garments, for the purpose of leading soldiers either from Lombardy or from any other land, and of spending for the honor and utility of the land pertaining to their highness, this shall also be permitted to them, unless this be against Venice. But the Venetians must receive the men and the money and the garments of their empire, and protect both the men and their money from all enemies. Nevertheless, out of clemency, their empire ought not to lead a Venetian fleet or army against anyone with whom the Venetians have union and love.

Item, if the empire should wish, by way of the Venetians, to lead soldiers into Romania, this shall also be permitted to their empire, unless they are manifest enemies of Venice, or Venice is hindered, without any fraud or evil intent. For once the impediment has passed, it will be lawful for them to cross, whether they are alone or with their families. But the Venetians must owe these services to their empire and to Romania, unless they have manifest enmities from some crowned person or some great land, in such a way that they cannot perform the service, without fraud and evil intent.

Item, those who shall from time to time be Doges of Venice must observe faith to their empire and to their heirs, male and female, who shall be reigning, or to those who by their command shall be ruling the empire, and shall observe it also against every man, crowned and not crowned, saving that which by oath they owe to Venice, as we, Henry Dandolo, now Doge of Venice, have sworn.

[489] Item, if any enemy of the empire makes an assault to attack any of their lands of highness in which the Venetians are, they ought to defend it [489B] and expel the enemies from such land, as they can, in good faith and without fraud.

This agreement the Venetians shall keep firm, and this oath firm, and neither on account of anger moved against them by the ever-memorable emperor lord Manuel Porphyrogenitus, nor even for any other occasion offered to them, nor for any precept or fear of any crowned or uncrowned person, nor of the king of Germany himself, nor on account of any ecclesiastical excommunication or absolution of any pontiff, or of the Pope of Rome himself, shall they violate this convention or oath. These things, however, all the Venetians shall keep in good faith, without fraud and evil intent, as long as their empire and the emperors who hereafter shall be, are maintained whole, which things were promised to us by the most holy emperor lord Alexios Komnenos through the chrysobull of his empire. »

And because the aforementioned most prudent ambassadors, most noble and most faithful to my empire, the protosebasts of Venice, Henry Dandolo, have made terms and sworn to my empire and to Romania, and have delivered to the empire in writing [489C] that which comprises the requirements of the oath (57) and the Doge himself of them and all Venice. But my empire, accepting these things as present, has transmitted its own chrysobull word to the most noble and most faithful to my empire, the protosebast and Doge of Venice and to all Venice, through the legate of my empire directed there, the most honorable and familiar to my empire, the vicedominus Theodorus Aulicalamus (58), (59), which chrysobull word, namely, he promised to them, since their most noble doge and the great and small council of Venice, and all his plenipotentiaries accepting this, confirming [489D] the oath also according to their custom, and placing in writing that all these things contained, and completing them with the subscriptions of their own hands, and with the aforesaid protosebast sending them to my empire, there shall be delivered to them this present chrysobull word of my empire, corroborating and confirming to those most faithful to my empire, the chrysobulls made of old by the ever-memorable emperor and ancestor of my empire, lord Alexios Komnenos, and his son the emperor, lord John, and the beloved uncle of the empire, lord Manuel Komnenos; furthermore, also the chrysobulls made to them before the most beloved brother of my empire, lord Isaac Angelos, concerning these things which were promised to them, as well those completed as those not yet [490A] had, and as facts made by my empire, and shall be deemed as if done by my empire. It strengthens and confirms them, my empire, by this present chrysobull word of its own, and commands them to dwell safe and without fear in all the regions of my empire, in their persons and money, as much from the men of my empire as from the empire itself, to have also them and all the tenements which they had in the time of the emperor preceding them, ever-memorable, the uncle of my empire, lord Manuel Komnenos. And if on account of service which they have performed for my empire or the emperors, as is declared in the above-ordered writing of the Venetian ambassadors, and if there should supervene upon them from a crowned person or great nation [490B] a war, my empire or those who shall be emperors, as is declared in that same convention, ought to assist them, as it ought to assist one of the great cities of Romania. Furthermore, if my empire or those who shall be emperors makes love or a truce with any enemy against whom they have served our empire, our empire ought to induce them into such love or truce.

It promises to them also to have permission in all the regions of my empire, as much in those which are around the shore as in those which are within the land, and in the islands themselves, and simply in all parts which are under the power of our pious tranquility, to exercise all trade [490C] and to buy and sell every species born in the regions of my empire, and from other regions brought into them, whether by ships by sea, or by pack animals or wagons by land; and neither commercial tax, nor toll, nor passage, nor the *samariaticon*, nor the *pertuaticon*, nor the *savuraticon*, nor for the cause of loading, nor *scalaticum*, nor any other demand for tribute from ships coming into Romania, or from pack animals or wagons passing through all the regions of my empire, shall be exacted as by custom (60).

Furthermore, and because in certain regions of my empire, annoyance and [490D] no small harassment were caused to the Venetians, most faithful to my empire, the aforementioned most prudent ambassadors of Venice, Peter Michael and Octavian Quirinus, suggested to my empire that because clearly in the chrysobulls previously made for them, these were not specifically ordered: it pleased my empire, wishing to free the most faithful Venetians from such annoyance, and to order specifically all the regions which are under Romania in which they ought to trade, in this present chrysobull of my empire. Which are these, namely: The Province of Dyrrachium (62) with those things that are in it, both of persons and of immovable churches. The Province of Jericho and Caninon with all things existing in it as immovables. The Province of Joaninon. Drynupoleos. Similarly the province of Dyavoleos.

^A Likewise, nothing shall be required of anyone by anyone [in the regions of my empire, and neither the pack-animals or wagons hired by them, nor those acting as guides for them, shall be asked for anything; nor shall those who sell them any goods or buy from them be charged any commercial tax or *pratikion* for such goods, which the treasury or the magistrate of that region where the trade occurs ought to receive, unless it were sold to Venetians, but rather to men who are obligated to provide commerce. For it is the will of my empire that none of those who are under the power of the Roman empire and trade with the Venetians, in all the regions of my empire, whether they sell to them or buy anything from them, pay anything for commerce or for any other exaction; but that they be free, ^B just as those who are responsible for paying commerce are themselves. If, however, anyone should dare to molest them in any matter, or take anything from them, he shall be visited with the great wrath of my empire, and shall return fourfold what was taken. And these things indeed concern the freedom of the most faithful Venetians of my empire, which they shall have in every holding of my empire. ^A The Province of Chonia. The Province of Achrida. The Province of Prespa. The Province of Kastoria. The Province of Servia. The Province of Triaditza and Velebusdus. The Province of Nisa and Vranisova. The Province of Skopje with the *episkepsis* of Koritos. The Province of Zagorion. The Province of Malesova and Morovizdos. The Province of Strumitza. The Province of Prilapos and Pelagonia and Molyzkos, as well as Mogrena. The Province of Veroia with the *panikion* of Ketros. The Province of Voleron, Strymon, and Thessaloniki. The Province of Nikopolis with the personal, ecclesiastical, and monastic *episkepses* existing therein, and with those *episkepses* themselves subject to the intimate blood-relations of my empire, the ever most felicitous *sebastokratores*, Caesars, and the beloved daughters of my empire, and my most desired Empress herself. The island of Corfu, Kephalenia, Zakynthos, Leukas, Ithaca. The region of Patras and Methone. The region of Corinth, Argos, and Nauplia. The region of Thebes and Euripus, with the islands of Andros and Karystos, Keos, Milos, and the other islands which are under Antros and Karystos. The Dodecanese. Mytilene. Chios. Samos. Rhodes. Kos. Strovilos. Crete. Cyprus. The region of Athens. The Province of Velechavia. The Province of Wallachia. The *episkepsis* of Demetrias. The two Almyroi. The *episkepsis* of Krevenikon and Phersala. The *episkepsis* of Domokos and Vesena. The *chartularata* of Ezeros, Dobrochuvysta, and the villages that are under it. Trikala. ^B The Province of Larissa. The *episkepsis* of Platamon. The Province of Thrace and Macedonia, and the fiscal and personal *episkepses* that are in it. The *episkepsis* of Kerovachia. Selymbria. The *episkepsis* of Zourlon and Theodoroupolis. The *episkepsis* of Messene, Arcadioupolis, and Vulgarophigon. The Province of Chersonesus. The Province of Adrianople and Didymoteichon. The Province of Branchialion, the Province of Philippopolis, Veroia, Moras, and Achridion. The Province of Mesothynia, the *episkepsis* of Damatrios. The Province of Nicomedia, the *episkepsis* of the Pillars and Pithion. The Province of Opsikion and the Aegean, with the *episkepsis* of Lopadion and Apollonias. The Province of Achyraous. The Province of Adramyttion. The Province of Mylasa and Melanoudion. The Province of the Maeander. The Province of Neokastron. The Province of Philadelphia. The Province of Attaleia, Seleucia, Antioch, Laodicea; and as far as Antioch itself; and simply in every holding which is under my empire, whether by the sea coast or inland. For in all such regions of my empire and Romania, whether they be fiscal or ecclesiastical or subject to the departments of the sacred houses or to the intimate blood-relations of my empire, the ever most felicitous *sebastokratores* and Caesars, the beloved daughters of my empire, and also my most beloved Empress herself, they shall trade without impediment, and even in the Queen of Cities herself, suffering no annoyance from anyone, nor being required to pay even a single obol for commerce, or passage, or transport service, or wharfage, or port dues, or for any other title: they shall have the same freedom also regarding the pack-animals and ^D wagons hired by them, and nothing shall be required of them by anyone. Furthermore, since the aforementioned most prudent ambassadors of Venice, Peter Michael and Octavian Quirinus, represented to my empire that because of unwritten customs, until now, causes brought by any Greek against any Venetian have been judged and resolved by the ambassador of Venice from time to time residing in the great city, while sometimes certain Greeks, approaching certain civil judges or those guarding the palace of my empire, inflict most grievous trials upon the Venetians most faithful to my empire, and cause them to be thrown into prison, and subject them to all other humiliations; they therefore entreated my empire that this article be resolved by the present chrysobull of my imperial word, and that it be granted to them that, when a Greek initiates an action against a Venetian in a pecuniary case, judgment should be made by the ambassador of Venice who is then in the great city; but when a Venetian initiates an action against a Greek, likewise, if the *logothetes* of the dromos, who is then in the great city, is present, the case should be moved and judged before him; but if by chance he is not in the great city, then the causes should be judged before the great *logariastes*. My empire indeed received such a petition of theirs, and was not willing to grant its completion in its entirety. But since the aforementioned ambassadors made many entreaties to my empire, and in order that such a petition of theirs might not go unheard, they begged with great pleas that by this sole article they might separate Venice from Romania, and while my empire ignores not the pure faith and good will of Venice toward Romania, and furthermore, [in view of] the great instance and supplication of the aforementioned most prudent ambassadors of Venice, Peter Michael and Octavian Quirinus...

^A fixed by the present gold-sealed chrysobull, [my] word, that when a Greek acts against a Venetian in a pecuniary case, the ambassador who shall be in the great city for the time being shall investigate such a suit; and upon a document being presented, composed by a Greek *tabularius* [notary/scribe], and certified also by any of the judges of the *velum* and of the *hippodromus*, or by a *semioma* of any of the aforementioned judges, or even by any of the bishops, or by any *tabularius* or judge by whom [the credit] is deemed trustworthy among the Venetians, the decision of the case shall be superinduced according to the comprehension of such a writing. It is ordered, moreover, that at whatever time an ambassador is sent to the great city by the most noble *protosebastos* and Duke of Venice—who is most faithful to my empire—that ambassador, and the judges serving under him, must, immediately after their entry into the great city, be shown to the one who is then the Chancellor of the Way, or if that Chancellor is not then in Constantinople, to the one who is then the Great Logariastes; and it must be sent by him to the Venetian church through the Great Interpreter, or if he is not present, through any other interpreter of the Court, and through one of those who serve the chancery writings, or through one of the *secretikoi* of the Great Logariastes, if such a clerk is not then present; and in the midst of the Venetian church itself, they must swear in the hearing of the entire gathering of Venetians then present in Constantinople, that they will perform the judgments between Greek plaintiffs and Venetian defendants rightly, justly, and without respect of persons, or [the taking of] any gift given or promised, and that they will grant the Venetians no favoritism, but will discern and judge the case of both Greek and Venetian with an equal balance: the Greek plaintiff being bound to grant the Venetian defendant the oath of calumny, while the Venetian alone is bound to swear the oath for the decision of the case, in such a way that the Venetian may, if he wishes, defer the oath for the decision of the case to the Greek, just as the most prudent Venetian ambassadors have implored my empire regarding this. And this, indeed, when a Greek acts against a Venetian. But if a Venetian acts against a Greek, he must bring the complaint before the then-Chancellor of the Way, or if he is absent from the great city, before the Great Logariastes; and the Venetian plaintiff, if he has a trustworthy document composed by a Greek *tabularius* or a judge of the *velum* and *hippodromus*, or by a bishop or Venetian *tabularius* or judge, shall have the case decided according to this. And if the plaintiff does not have a writing, the case shall be judged according to the law itself, and the Venetian plaintiff shall be granted the oath of calumny against the [Greek]; the Greek himself shall also swear the oath for the decision of the case, so that he may, conversely, defer it to the Venetian. And according to this present form of this gold-sealed chrysobull of my empire, pecuniary judgments between Venetians and Greeks shall henceforth be decided. Moreover, if a conflict ^B or contention arises between a Greek and a Venetian, and a great sedition exists, leading to a crowd and perhaps arriving at homicide or serious wounds, then the Chancellor of the Way—or if he is absent from the great city, the one then present—shall investigate the cause of such soldiers, and as it is discovered by him, he shall resolve it and exact vengeance; but if it is small and reduced to one or two persons, if a Venetian has been wounded or suffered a moderate injury, he shall bring the complaint before the then-Chancellor of the Way, or if he is absent from the great city, before the then-Great Logariastes, and he shall have vindication according to the laws. If, however, the Greek is an unlettered man, and not one of the Senate or the illustrious men of the court of my empire, they shall bring the case of injury and insult before the Venetian ambassador and the judges under him, and receive vindication from them. For my empire firmly trusts that the Venetians, to whom judgment is committed, will not despise the oaths intervening for justice regarding such matters, but rather will likewise guard justice in such cases, just as in pecuniary ones, and they will not care so much about the honor or dishonor, or the profit or loss, of the Venetians, as they will care to guard and observe well in all things the oaths which [the Greeks] will take before them for justice. That a long delay may not follow in future judgments between Greeks and Venetians, nor any count of court days or interdicts up to twenty or thirty, as is commonly held according to the laws, it pleases my empire not to count them; but [to proceed] according to the new constitution made by the emperor of eternal memory and beloved uncle of my empire, the Lord Manuel Comnenus, regarding judgments that occur between foreigners and native citizens. ^C Furthermore, the most prudent ambassadors have made to my empire another petition, often declared, [which is] most just and acceptable to my empire. For they requested that when a Venetian dies in any region of my empire, no *praetor* of the land shall make any seizure of the goods of the deceased Venetian, but rather, according to the will of the deceased Venetian, his goods shall be distributed—either by his testamentary executors, if it happens that he died having made a will, or by those who would be found there at that time as Venetians. My empire, therefore, agrees to such a petition of theirs, and by the present gold-sealed chrysobull, [my] word commands: that it is not permitted for anyone in all Romania exercising any lordship—whether it be a *praetor* of a province, or an individual steward of a person or a monastery, or even of the close relatives of my empire, or even of the most blessed *sebastokrators* and *Caesars*, or of the beloved children of my empire, or of my own most beloved Augusta—to lay hands in any way on the property of deceased Venetians, and to take anything from them even down to a single obol, ^D