Nicholas I Sanudo (or ''Niccolò''; died 1341) was the fifth Duke of the Archipelago from 1323 to his death. He was the son and successor of

William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...

of the House of Sanudo. Nicholas fought under his brother-in-law

Walter Walter may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...

Duke of Athens The Duchy of Athens (Greek language, Greek: Δουκᾶτον Ἀθηνῶν, ''Doukaton Athinon''; Catalan language, Catalan: ''Ducat d'Atenes'') was one of the Crusader states set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during ...

, at the disastrous

Battle of Halmyros The Battle of Halmyros, known by earlier scholars as the Battle of the Cephissus or Battle of Orchomenos, was fought on 15 March 1311, between the forces of the Frankish Greece, Frankish Duchy of Athens and its vassals under Walter V of Brienn ...

on 15 March 1311. He was one of the few knights on the losing side to escape with his life and liberty. When John of Gravina, the

Prince of Achaea The Prince of Achaea was the ruler of the Principality of Achaea, one of the crusader states Frankokratia, founded in Greece in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade (1202–1204). The principality witnessed various overlords during its more than tw ...

, came to the

Morea Morea ( or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used by the Principality of Achaea, the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the O ...

in 1325 in an attempt to reverse the recent Byzantine gains, Nicholas, as a vassal of Achaea, went to his assistance. He fought in John of Gravina's futile siege of the castle of

Karytaina Karytaina or Karitaina () is a village and a community in Arcadia, Greece. Karytaina is situated on a hill on the right bank of the river Alpheios, near its confluence with the Lousios. The village dates back to the Middle Ages, but its history ...

, and when John left the Morea in spring 1326, he entrusted Nicholas with the conduct of military operations. At some point thereafter, he scored a success against a numerically superior Byzantine army that was raiding the Principality. After that, he left the Morea. Nicholas was the last Duke of Naxos to command troops in the mainland. He was succeeded by his brother

John I John I may refer to: People Religious figures * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John I of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope from 496 to 505 * Pope John I, P ...

. His other brother was Marco Sanudo, Lord of Milos.

Family

Nicholas was married to Joanna of Brienne, the daughter of Hugues de Brienne, Count of Lecce (c. 1240 – 1296) and Helena Komnene Doukaina, a daughter of John I Doukas of Thessaly.

References

Sources

* * * * * 1341 deaths Nicholas 01 Nicholas 01 Year of birth unknown 14th-century Venetian people {{Italy-noble-stub