Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras
The Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras took place in the summer of 1205, in Messenia in the Morea peninsula, between the Frankish Crusaders and the local Byzantine Greeks, resulting in a victory of the Franks and the collapse of the local resistance.
| Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Fourth Crusade | |||||||||
An olive grove in Greece | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Frankish Crusaders | local Greeks and Melingoi | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
William of Champlitte Geoffrey I of Villehardouin | Michael I Komnenos Doukas | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 500 or 700 foot and horse | c. 4,000 or 5,000 foot and horse | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Light | Heavy | ||||||||
In 1204, Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire was taken by the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade and the Republic of Venice. This led to the collapse of the Byzantine Empire and the establishment of the Latin Empire and other Crusader states in Greece.
Meanwhile, a Crusader force of between 500 and 700 knights and infantry under the command of William of Champlitte and Geoffrey I of Villehardouin advanced into the Morea to deal with Byzantine resistance. In the olive grove of Kountouras in Messenia, they confronted an army of around 4,000–5,000 local Greeks and Slavs under the command of a certain Michael, sometimes identified with Michael I Komnenos Doukas, the founder of the Despotate of Epirus. In the ensuing battle, the Crusaders emerged victorious, forcing the Byzantines to retreat and crushing resistance in the Morea. This battle paved the way for the foundation of the Principality of Achaea.