The Venetian Dukes in Early- and High-Medieval Historical Texts

Between the late sixth and the early thirteenth centuries, Venice underwent huge changes. From the periphery of the Byzantine Empire, Venice acquired complete independence and emerged as one of the major powers in the Mediterranean. In the early Middle Ages, the Venetians avoided absorption by neighboring rulers, all the while progressively extending their trading activities to most of the Mediterranean. The twelfth and early thirteenth centuries were a crucial period for this process. Taking advantage of the conquest of the Holy Land and the weakening of the Byzantines, the Venetians’ policy in the eastern Mediterranean aimed both at strengthening their position in that area and acquiring new markets. Using a chronological and topical approach, this volume presents the annotated English translation and Latin text of all the references to the Venetian rulers in early- and high-medieval Venetians historical texts.