principality · Greece and the Aegean

Despotate of the Morea

1349 CE – 1460 CE · capital Mystras

Late Byzantine principality based at Mistras in the Peloponnese, a last flowering of Byzantine culture and the home of the philosopher Plethon.

Origins

Byzantium regained Mistras, Monemvasia and the Mani in 1262 from the Principality of Achaea and slowly expanded from there. In 1349 John VI Kantakouzenos made his son Manuel Kantakouzenos despot of the province, giving it a permanent ruler. From 1383 it passed to members of the Palaiologos family, beginning with Theodore I.

Rule and society

Despots, usually younger sons of the emperor, ruled from Mistras, whose churches with their frescoes survive. They gradually conquered the Frankish principality, completing it in 1432. Greek, Albanian and Slavic farmers formed the population. The philosopher Gemistos Plethon proposed radical reforms there. The Hexamilion wall across the Isthmus was rebuilt in 1415 against the Ottomans.

Decline and legacy

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the despots Thomas and Demetrios Palaiologos quarrelled and faced Albanian revolts. Mehmed II conquered the Morea in 1460, the last Greek fortresses falling in 1461.

Lineage

Despotate of the MoreaVenetian Monemvasia 1464 CE – 1540 CE

Connections (6)

Despotate of the Morea was part of Byzantine Empire1349 CE – 1453 CE
Barony of Chalandritsa was conquered by Despotate of the Morea1429 CE
Latin Archbishopric of Patras was conquered by Despotate of the Morea1430 CE
Principality of Achaea was conquered by Despotate of the Morea1432 CE
Despotate of the Morea paid tribute to Ottoman Empire1446 CE – 1460 CE
Despotate of the Morea was conquered by Ottoman Empire1460 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Despotate of the Morea. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/despotate-of-the-morea
MLA: “Despotate of the Morea.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/despotate-of-the-morea. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Despotate of the Morea.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/despotate-of-the-morea.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Despotate of the Morea’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/despotate-of-the-morea (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻