Throughout the Middle Ages, the courts
of the rulers played a crucial role in the administration of the country becoming
the center of political and cultural events, the place where intrigues and coups took shape and
were conducted, supporting the rulers to greatness or bringing them down. In this video, we will
talk about the courts of the Eastern Roman Empire, Venice, Holy Roman Empire, England, and France.
The sponsor of this video Crusader Kings III has always been the best strategy game for
recreating the Middle Ages and feudalism, but with the upcoming Royal court expansion,
it will allow you to experience all the danger and brilliance of the courtly life. All kings
and emperors will now have access to a fully visualized courtroom, with tons of new mechanics.
Have the most grandiose court to gain bonuses, obtain and showcase various religious and
cultural artifacts for additional benefits, hold court to hear the complaints of your subjects
and judge them, conduct events to make the royal court come alive with conspiracies, commission,
and fund projects! The expansion comes with a free update that will overhaul the cultural system,
and adds an inventory system – a favorite from Crusader Kings 2 in a new and improved form!
Support our channel and experience all the intrigue of the medieval court by clicking the
link in the description or the pinned comment! The Imperial court in Constantinople was by far
the most prestigious, luxurious, and sophisticated in the medieval world. But behind all the splendor
and magnificence a delicate balance existed, aimed to appease the strongest figures in the
Empire. On one hand, this was done by a display of power through symbols, architecture, art,
regalia, ceremonies, as well as a remarkable level of corruption. For the Eastern Roman Emperors,
nothing was more important than legitimacy and they attempted to obtain it by any means
necessary. Marriage alliances, generous gifts on each coronation, annual salaries for all key
figures of the state in the form of gold and silk, and building projects were all necessary to
gain favor with the aristocracy and clergy, but additionally, the ruler had to prove their
military prowess by going on campaigns. This led to the often catastrophic idea of bringing the
entire royal family and key advisors on the march, which potentially served to boost the popularity
of the emperor or end in a disaster. The Basileus also had to show Piety and mediate religious
conflicts, host public events like chariot races and festivals to appease the commoners, while
avoiding plots and conducting foreign affairs. But as long as the head of state was popular, they
had an incredibly efficient bureaucratic system that was quite capable. The government consisted
of many offices in charge of different aspects of the state: The sakellarios was the general fiscal
adviser, the prefect was the supreme judge, while the quaestor supervised travels, forgery, and
wills, and the parakoimomenos was the chamberlain. Lesser ranks such as pinkernes or the cupbearer,
kanikleios, or keeper of the inkstand were also very valuable, because of their proximity to the
monarch. To reduce intrigue, most of these roles were reserved for eunuchs and despite the practice
being officially banned many noble families castrated their children in the hope of climbing
the social ladder. The court also featured many strategoi or thematic generals, admirals,
physicians, astrologers, and other courtiers. A good example of all these factors in play is
the rise of the founder of the Macedonian dynasty Basil I who started out as a peasant, before
becoming the Protostrator or imperial stable master. After catching the eye of Emperor
Michael III, he became his chamberlain, and killed his co-Emperor Bardas. A year
later Basil brutally murdered his benefactor, took the crown for himself, and got busy
gaining supporters with the usual bribes. Once firmly in command, Basil proved to
be a successful administrator and general, and used his victories and massive building
projects to establish a new dynasty. From a position of power, his successors
rewrote his origin and nicknamed his predecessor “the drunkard” while ushering
the Empire into the Macedonian Renaissance. But the sophistication and fragile stability
were easy to exploit, especially by enemies who could avoid the massive, but sluggish state,
by hiding behind mountains, utilising mobility in the form of raiding from horseback or ships as
the bureaucratic apparatus turned in on itself. Ever since the Huns robbed them of their homeland,
the refugees of Aquileia who founded Venice were obsessed with the idea of independence.
After centuries of pressure from the Eastern Roman Empire, Papal States, and Holy Roman Empire,
the small lagoon transformed itself into the Queen of the Adriatic as the Most Serene Republic of
Venice. The success story of this city can be attributed to its complex government which
featured more checks and balances than its contemporaries, making sure that the powers of the
state were always equal to its responsibilities. At the foundation of this state was the
Great Council where 100 freemen, traders, and nobles could propose legislation, discuss
politics, and be elected into the other councils. The council of six represented each district
and acted as advisers to the Doge, who could only open his personal correspondence and discuss
hearings in the presence of at least four of them. The most senior among them acted as Vice-Doge
and their term only lasted for eight months. The Council of Ten was secretly the most powerful
branch of government that was responsible for state secrets, minting coins, state security,
and espionage. No more than one member of the same family could sit on the council and
re-election to successive terms was not allowed. The council of forty was the supreme court of the
republic and finally, the council of the invited was the legislative body made up of sixty men who
were in charge of taxation, commerce, diplomatic and military operations. Even in battle, Venetian
captains voted on how to approach the enemy. At the top of this structure was the Venetian
Doge, who, compared with other monarchs at the time, was more of a figurehead. Like other
republics, the leader was a member of a powerful family, but in order to put the state before
the individual and stay away from nepotism and tyranny, the leader was forced to abide by strict
laws. He was only allowed to leave the luxurious Doge’s palace with the permission of the council,
could not accept gifts or favors, could not personally correspond with the Pope or other
rulers. He could not let anyone kiss his hand or kneel before him, attend theatres, or engage
in commercial activities. His wife or Dogaressa held no political power and after his death,
an audit was made over his family assets which were confiscated if any irregularities were
found. And yet it was how every Doge was elected that tells us exactly how strict the Republic was
in order to prevent it from becoming corrupted. First, the Great Council gathered together and
put the names of all the councilors who were older than 30 in an urn. That urn was taken to
the main square and given to the first boy they encountered. 30 names were drawn, shuffled,
and drawn again, reducing the number to 9. The selected members then formed a conclave that
elected 40 councilors with a majority vote of 7/9. The 40 names were once again randomized
and reduced to 12, who elected 25 others, which were again reduced to 9. The new 9 would
elect 45, randomly reduced to 11, who would pick the final 41 candidates. The 41 gathered in a
special room would cast their names in an urn, ballots would be drawn one at a time, with
the merits of each candidate discussed. Then all members voted until one received at least
25 votes making them Doge for life. These measures might seem extreme, but 11 centuries of history
with very little instability or succession crisis speak for themselves. Venice was a crowded island
that excelled in espionage, trade, glassmaking, art, and naval warfare, but it was its court that
unified all of the moving pieces into one body. After the split of the Carolingian Empire, what
would become known as the Holy Roman Empire transformed itself into an elective monarchy
in 1002 due to the dynastic crisis, taking inspiration from the Germanic tribes. In practice,
however, this unruly beast had no constitution, no centralized authority, permanent seat, unified
military or purpose, and electors were mostly ceremonial holders who voted on a new dynasty
after the previous had no more male successors. So how did this conglomerate
of hundred of feudal states, over four thousand cities and towns function
amidst conflicts with the Papacy, internal infighting, crusades, and external rivalries?
Feudalism dominated Western Europe, but its effects were strongest and endured the
longest because the Holy Roman Empire was so decentralized. The Ministeriales were
at the bottom of the social hierarchy, as members of society who had very few rights
and could only receive, but not grant fiefs. They received their property from the counts
and barons, who themselves got it from secular or ecclesiastical princes, who swore oaths to the
King or Emperor. But there were many exceptions, most notably the free imperial cities,
which answered directly to the Emperor but were for the most part independent. The
serfs had many responsibilities and duties, but beyond not assaulting their wives or daughters
the lords could do whatever they wanted as there was no legal code outlining or restricting
their power. Coupled with the rough geography and the rise and fall of various dynasties,
this led to the fragmented nature of the Empire, making it nearly impossible to control. And
yet the Golden Bull of 1356 attempted to give some form of structure to the Empire by selecting
seven electors, who convened in Frankfurt and had 30 days to elect their leader, if they failed to
do so their diet was restricted to bread and water until they agreed upon the candidate. Each
elector also held an important office at court. Once selected the Emperor was crowned as King
of Germany in Aachen, and later Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in Rome. His first Imperial
diet was fixed to always be held in Nuremberg, which acted as the unofficial capital of the
Empire, and contained most of the precious artifacts like the royal regalia, holy lance,
and imperial crown. In reality, most Emperors had the difficult task of touring the Empire with
their court and solving local disputes. They had the power to appoint imperial officers, write
and enforce laws, judge trials, impose tolls, mint coins, legitimize children, grant arms,
collect taxes, and found mines. Very notably the Emperor could not impose new taxes, start wars or
interfere with the Imperial Diet and in reality, most of his responsibilities were delegated to
his vassals, especially when he was on campaign. The struggle to win elections and whether the Pope
would crown the selected candidate led to bribery, dynastic rivalries, and open warfare all across
the Empire, keeping It mostly fixed on itself. It is difficult to define the Holy Roman Empire’s
court, as the imperial court was constantly on the move, and smaller feudals held their own
courts due to their relative independence in comparison to their English and French
counterparts. Habsburg centralization changed it somewhat, as this dynasty that would
rule the Empire the longest would attempt to solidify their control over the nobles by
having a more stable court system in Vienna. Between the 5th and 8th century England was
divided into seven kingdoms in what is now known as the Heptarchy. Each of these Anglo-Saxon
kingdoms was ruled by a king who assembled his very own advisory council called the witenagemot
or witan. These councils varied over time and place but were an essential element of efficient
governance. King Alfred the Great and his advisers were responsible for the code of laws written in
120 chapters and after the unification of England in 927, the members of the Witan became some of
the most important figures in the realm as they formed policy on administrative, military, and
religious matters. It was composed of archbishops, bishops, earls, and thegns who were appointed
for life as well as members of the royal family. They could only meet after they were summoned by
the king at any given location, which was usually on royal estates, but meetings were also held on
rocks, hills, and meadows, which had religious or historical significance. The council could
confirm successors, elect and depose kings, take control over the kingdom during times of
crisis, and was essential in representing the elite members of society, while also providing
continuity from one monarch to the next. Even after the unification, local witans
were assembled in the former kingdoms which transformed into earldoms. Earls
had authority over their own region and could collect taxes and fines as long as
they paid two-thirds of them to the crown. The title was not hereditary, but assigned
by the king and also required its holder to administer justice in his holdings, raise armies
when called upon and follow the king’s commands. The constant raids and decentralization of
England made it difficult for the monarch to project power over the country without the right
advisers. Such a calamity struck the kingdom when Æthelred the Unready was succeeded by the Dane
Cnut the Great after the witan elected him. Not long after an already unified and stable
English kingdom was annexed by William the Conquer who abolished the Witan and broke down
the earldoms into smaller pieces called shires, which were administered by the sheriffs who
answered directly to the king. As feudal representation in the governing decreased and
lands were confiscated, many rebelled, which led to more land being redistributed until nearly 90
percent of the high-ranking positions were held by Normans. The combination of Norman and Anglo-Saxon
laws, culture, language, and society led to a very distinctive kingdom, the only western
state which was made up of feudal holdings, yet was a centralized polity and also collected
the Danegeld or land tax. A wealthy treasury and permanent administrative center were established
in London, while the rest of the kingdom was surveyed, detailing over 13 000 locations, spread
over shires, each of which had its own justiciary. However, the radical changes enacted by William
which reduced the representation of the elite would come back to haunt the crown as nobles
rebelled against king John Landlack, which led to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.
For most of the Middle Ages, the French crown was a bundle of vassal states that swore to serve
the king but were free to operate their own mines, glassworks, and forges, expand their own domains
and collect taxes in the lands they possessed. Nobles often organized major jousting
tournaments, feasts, religious ceremonies and went on crusades without the approval of the
king. In fact, most of the participants of the First and Fourth crusade were Frankish, yet both
crusades were not sanctioned by the French kings. The crusades, Norman conquests, and the creation
of powerful Holy Orders granted even more powers to the nobility, which coupled with a very
strong clergy, often made up of the second sons of the nobles, meant that the ruling monarch
was often weaker than the most powerful dukes. The nobility also belonged to the
Conseil du Roi or King’s council, made up of the most trusted advisers who helped
govern the large, but decentralized state. These positions were extremely powerful and
could not be transferred or inherited and were appointed for life. The council was made up of
the Constable, Seneschal, Chamberlain, Butler, and Chancellor as well as the crown prince and
most powerful members of the clergy and nobility. The Constable was the leader of the King’s
army and second-in-command after the king, while the Seneschal or royal steward was in charge
of administrative duties of the royal household. King’s chambers and wardrobe were administered
by the Grand Chamberlain, which was a coveted position, as its holder played a key role
during coronation and his constant proximity to the monarch granted him a lot of influence.
The butler maintained the royal vineyards and supplied the court with wine. Finally, the Grand
Chancellor was the supreme judge of the state. Over time this council branched out, forming the
French parliament and the Estates-General which diluted the power of the central government
even further. France was powerful, rich, fertile, and could field a massive army with many
armored knights, but only when under a powerful ruler who could appease the strongest factions
of his domain, which often rivaled each other. If the royal family showed any signs of weakness,
the council would grow larger and disobedient. This problem became the main focus for many
kings, but the progress was slow as neither the clergy nor the nobility was willing to
give up their privileges. Careful maneuvers, squashing down rebellions, buying titles,
expanding the powers of the emerging middle class, and above all strategic marriages slowly expanded
the royal domain, but led to new problems. An excellent example showing all of these pieces
at play is the series of long Capetian reigns spanning 254 years from Philip I to Philip
IV between the 11th and 13th centuries. These 8 French monarchs slowly expanded the
royal domain and made huge improvements with the help of their highly educated civil
servants. A French navy was built, a legal code was established and enforced by the newly
created bailiffs and police force, vassals were annexed and Paris grew to become one of the most
important cities in Europe. But then four monarchs died in the span of eight years just after the
scandalous Tour de Nesle affair, which set the stage for the Hundred Years War. That succession
crisis would once again fragment the country and erode most of the authority of the kings who
desperately fought against English invasions. Next week we will talk about the
non-christian courts and how they operated, so make sure you are subscribed and
have pressed the bell button to see it. Please, consider liking, commenting, and sharing -
it helps immensely. Our videos would be impossible without our kind patrons and youtube channel
members, whose ranks you can join via the links in the description to know our schedule, get
early access to our videos, access our discord, and much more. This is the Kings and Generals
channel, and we will catch you on the next one.
