ABSTRACT
On 13 April 1204 Constantinople surrendered to the Latin soldiers of the Fourth Crusade and the Latin Empire was born. Shortly before their attack onConstantinople, the crusading barons and Doge Enrico Dandolo of Venice agreed to rules that would govern the election of a new emperor and the division of the Byzantine Empire, should the great city fall to them. According to this treaty, commonly called the “March Pact”, six Venetians and six Franks (or non-Venetians) would be chosen to elect the emperor. The new emperor would receive one-quarter of the empire, while the remaining three-quarters would be divided equally between the Franks and Venetians. A commission of twelve Venetians and twelve Franks would later be elected to assign the lands given to each of the greater crusaders.1
