Margaret of Nully (french: Marguerite de Nully) also known as Margaret of Passavant, was the hereditary Lady of Passavant, Akova and Mitopoli in the Principality of Achaea, in Frankish Greece.

Life

Margaret, born some time before 1240, was a daughter of

John of Nully John of Nully (french: Jean de Neuilly or ''Nully'') was a French knight from Nully became the first Baron of Passavant in the Principality of Achaea. The date of his death is unknown. Life John of Nully is generally supposed to have been the ...

Baron of Passavant The Barony of Passavant or Passava was a medieval Frankish fiefdom of the Principality of Achaea, located in the mountains between the Mani peninsula and the plain of Laconia, in the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, centred on the fortress of Pass ...

and Marshal of Achaea, and of a sister of

Walter of Rosières Walter of Rosières (french: Gauthier de Rosières) was a French knight who participated in the Fourth Crusade and became the first lord of the Barony of Akova in the Frankish Principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principalit ...

, the

Baron of Akova The Barony of Akova was a medieval Frankish fiefdom of the Principality of Achaea, located in the mountains of eastern Elis in the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, centred on the fortress of Akova or Mattegrifon (situated near Vyziki in the Tro ...

. Since Walter of Rosières was childless, she was the joint heiress of both baronies. Her first marriage was to

Guibert of Cors Guibert of Cors (french: Gilbert d'Escors/de Cors; died 1258) was a French knight and Baron of Mitopoli in the Principality of Achaea. Guibert was married to Margaret of Nully, daughter of the Lord of Passavas John of Nully. He was killed in 125 ...

, who was killed at the

Battle of Karydi A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

in 1258. In 1261 she was sent as a hostage to the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

court of

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, in exchange for the release of Prince William II of Villehardouin and the majority of his nobles, who had been captured at the

Battle of Pelagonia The Battle of Pelagonia or Battle of Kastoriae.g. ; . took place in early summer or autumn 1259, between the Empire of Nicaea and an anti-Nicaean alliance comprising Despotate of Epirus, Sicily and the Principality of Achaea. It was a decisive ev ...

in 1259. Margaret remained in the

court until ca. 1275, during which time Passavant was lost to the Byzantines, and her uncle Walter died (ca. 1273). On her return to the Principality, she tried to claim her uncle's inheritance but was denied, since by Achaean feudal law, any heir had to bring his claim within at least two years and two days from the death of the last holder, or the claim was forfeit. As Margaret had delayed her arrival, Prince William had already confiscated the Barony of Akova. Margaret's claims became the subject of a celebrated legal dispute, which was abjudicated in a parliament held at

Glarentsa Glarentza ( el, Γλαρέντζα), also known as or Clarenia, Clarence, or Chiarenza, was a medieval town located near the site of modern Kyllini in Elis, at the westernmost point of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Founded in t ...

, probably in 1276. Following the counsel of her supporters, she married

John of Saint Omer John of Saint Omer (Jean de Saint-Omer) was baron of a third of Akova and marshal of the Principality of Achaea. Life He was a younger son of Bela of Saint Omer and Bonne de la Roche, sister of the Lord of Athens and Thebes, Guy I de la Roche. ...

, the younger brother of the very influential lord of Thebes, Nicholas II of Saint Omer, to promote her claims. In the event, the parliament found in favour of the Prince, but William nevertheless ceded a third of the barony (eight knight's fiefs) to Margaret and John, while the remainder, along with the fortress of Akova itself, became a fief of William's youngest daughter,

Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

References

Sources

* {{Authority control Women of the Principality of Achaea 13th-century women rulers Prisoners and detainees of the Byzantine Empire 13th-century births Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown 13th-century people of the Principality of Achaea