John I de la Roche
John I de la Roche (French: Jean, † 1280 ) was a Duke of Athens from the family la Roche. He was a son of Duke Guido I of Athens and the Agnes de Bruyeres.
John followed his late father in 1263 as Duke after and could hold out his duchy from the confused situation of Greece in the early years. By the Treaty of Viterbo ( May 23, 1267 ) of Prince William II of Achaia Johann came because of Argos and Nafplio cities in an indirect feudal relation to Charles of Anjou, but this did not perform military service.
In the year 1275 turned the Despot of Thessaly, John I Angelos, to John and asked him for an alliance against Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus, who in his quest to build, the Byzantine Empire again, Thessaly threatened. Johann pulled together an army of three hundred knights and moved to Thessaly, where already besieged a Byzantine army Neopatria. According to the Knight Nicolas de St. Omer Johann should have quoted the Greek historian Herodotus at the sight of superior enemy: Lots of people, but few men. In a surprise attack succeeded Johann the Byzantines in the escape strike. With this victory he could expand his duchy to Othrys. The alliance with Thessaly was deepened it by a marriage between John's brother, William, a daughter of the despot.
This, however, Johann fell into a direct confrontation with the Byzantine Emperor, who in 1278 an army under the traitor Licario in Euboea ( Negroponte ) land and the local three men had capture. John sat with its own army across to the island, but was defeated by Licario and yourself caught. He wore an arrow wound it. Johann was brought to Constantinople Opel before the emperor. However, on the Union's policy with the Roman Church favored Johanns position so that he pay as a condition of a peace treaty only 30,000 gold solidi, but had to cede no country.
Soon after its release in 1279 gave John the marriage of his sister with Hugh of Brienne Brienne out of the house. Shortly thereafter, he died. Johann suffered all his life from a severe gout disease, which is why he never married. He was succeeded by his brother William I..