Geoffrey of Villehardouin

A Frenchman born in 1160, Villehardouin later joined the Fourth Crusade at age 39.  He served as soldier, ambassador, and then military leader, ultimately earning the title of Marshal of Champagne and of Romania.  After the Crusade he began writing about his experiences and detailing his eyewitness accounts.  On the Conquest of Constantinople was penned in French rather than in Latin, making it one of the first French historical works to be preserved into modern times.  Villehardouin passed away in 1212.


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