ABSTRACT
The chapter focuses on the views held by the Byzantines regarding the peoples of Western Europe with whom they had relations of co-operation or rivalry and conflict. An attempt is made to trace the image of the Westerner (or the Latin) as it emerges from the literary sources and to also differentiate such images, depending on the type of relations between the two sides. The Fourth Crusade and the Capture of Constantinople undoubtedly mark a turning point in these relations. A further attempt is made to establish the criteria on the basis of which the Byzantine people showed respect for the Western nations or held them in contempt.
