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Gautier V de BrienneCount of Brienne (Gaultier V) and of Lecce (under the name of Gautier II) from 1296, Duke of Athens (under the name of Gautier I) from 1308, son of Hugo, Count of Brienne, and Isabella de La Roche, daughter of Guy I de La Roche, Duke of Athens.
Date of Birth: 01.01.1278
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Content:
- Early Life and Inheritance
- Military Service and Captivity
- Duke of Athens
- The Catalan Company
- Battle of the Cephissus and Death
- Marriage and Legacy
Early Life and Inheritance
Walter V of Brienne(also known as Walter II of Lecce) was born as the son of Hugh of Brienne, Count of Brienne, and Isabella de la Roche, daughter of Guy I de la Roche, Duke of Athens. His first recorded appearance was in 1287 when his father, captured by the Sicilians, left Walter as a hostage at the Castle of Agosta in Sicily until he could secure his release.
Upon his father's death in 1296, Walter inherited his French and Italian possessions, including the County of Brienne in Champagne and the Counties of Lecce and Conversano in the Kingdom of Naples. He also claimed the throne of Cyprus, a claim inherited from his father. He resided at the Neapolitan court.
Military Service and Captivity
Like his father, Walter joined the Neapolitan forces against the Sicilian Kingdom. However, he was captured in battle in 1300 and remained a prisoner until the Treaty of Caltabellotta in 1302.
Duke of Athens
On October 5, 1308, Walter's cousin, Guy II de la Roche, Duke of Athens, died without issue. As Walter's mother was a member of the House of La Roche, he inherited the Duchy of Athens.
He traveled to his newly acquired domain but faced a precarious situation. His duchy was wedged between the territories of John II, Despot of Epirus, and Andronicus II Palaiologos, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
The Catalan Company
To bolster his defenses, Walter hired the Almogavars, a mercenary army known as the Catalan Company, in 1310. With their help, he evicted the Byzantines and Epirote forces. However, when he attempted to dismiss his mercenaries without paying their arrears, they turned against him.
Battle of the Cephissus and Death
Walter raised a large army to combat the Catalans. However, his forces were defeated, and he was killed in battle at the River Cephissus in Boeotia on March 15, 1311. The Catalan Company installed one of its surviving knights, Roger Deslaur, as the new Duke of Athens, and the Catalan Company ruled the duchy for over 70 years.
Marriage and Legacy
Walter V was married to Jeanne de Châtillon from October 1305 until her death on January 16, 1354. They had a son, Walter VI, who succeeded his father as Count of Brienne and unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the Duchy of Athens.
