Politics and diplomacy in the Latin East: The principality of Antioch in historiographical perspective

Abstract

AbstractOne of four “crusader states” formed following the First Crusade, the principality of Antioch was built on turbulent foundations. Its Latin settlers faced not only various Islamic powers, they also had to contend with the Byzantine Empire, whose rulers claimed the city and its environs for themselves; the Armenian Christians of Cilicia; and the rival machinations of the other Frankish states, particularly the kingdom of Jerusalem. The instability this facilitated, and the power of those who vied for influence with Antioch, has had a profound impact on modern historiography. Thus, the principality has been portrayed as a rigorous autocratic state, whose relationships—internal and external—were primarily shaped by outside forces. This article explores these trends, proposing that the principality of Antioch's power structures were far more dynamic than once imagined and that its ruling elites played a more proactive, delicate diplomatic game than historians have recognised.