principality · Greece and the Aegean

Lordship of Chios

1304 CE – 1329 CE · capital Chios

Genoese lordship of the Zaccaria family on Chios, granted by Byzantium to defend the island against Turkish raiders and lost to a Greek rising in 1329.

Origins

Benedetto I Zaccaria, a Genoese admiral and merchant who already held the rich alum mines of Phocaea from the Byzantines, occupied Chios in 1304 to protect it from Turkish pirates. Emperor Andronikos II, unable to defend the island himself, recognised Zaccaria rule for a fixed term, which was later renewed.

Rule and society

The Zaccaria ruled as nominal Byzantine vassals, but in practice as independent lords. They profited from the island's mastic, wine and silk and from alum trade. Martino Zaccaria built a fleet that fought Turkish raiders successfully, took the title King and Despot of Asia Minor from the Latin pretenders, and struck his own coins.

Decline and legacy

Martino's growing independence alarmed the Byzantines. In 1329 the Chiots rose against him with the support of Andronikos III, who landed with a fleet; Martino was captured and Chios returned to Byzantium. The Genoese came back in 1346, creating the Maona of Chios.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lordship of Chios. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-chios
MLA
“Lordship of Chios.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-chios. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Lordship of Chios.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-chios.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lordship of Chios’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-chios (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻