Walter V, Count of Brienne

Walter V of Brienne (French Gautier, Italian Gualtiero ) (* 1275 in Brienne- le -Château, † March 15, 1311 ) was the son of Hugh of Brienne and Isabella de la Roche, daughter of Guido II de la Roche, Duke of Athens. He was the heir of the family claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Kingdom of Cyprus, as well as to the Principality of Taranto and the Kingdom of Sicily.

He spent his youth as a hostage in the castle of Augusta in Sicily. When his father Hugo 1296 death he inherited the counties of Brienne, Conversano and Lecce. Like his father, he entered the service of the King of Naples. In 1300, he fell in Gagliano in an ambush. He was only freed in 1302 by the Peace of Caltabellotta.

The death of Guido II de la Roche, a cousin of his mother, in 1308 made ​​him Duke of Athens. Here he found himself under great pressure by the Despotate of Epirus, the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos Palaiologos and the Vlachs. In response, he took 1310, the Catalan Company, under contract who just ravaged the Byzantine Empire to attack the Greeks, who plundered in his field. After the Catalans had defeated his opponents, he tried to get rid of. The Catalans refused to leave, Walter rallied an army of French knights of his duchy, the Principality of Achaia and from Naples, supplemented by Athenian foot soldier.

On March 15, they met at the Battle of Halmyros on Kephissos in Boeotia on the Catalans, and had to suffer a crushing defeat. Walter and most of his knights were killed, the Duchy of Athens walked - with the exception of Argos and Nauplia in the possession of the company over. They appointed one of the surviving knights, Roger Deslaur, the new Duke. Walters decapitated body was probably buried by Bonifacio da Verona in the Monastery of Daphni. But his head was used by the Catalans as a trophy. His descendants succeeded in triggering of the head, buried it in the Cathedral of Lecce. Maria d' Enghien was there erect a monument to Walter, which was destroyed during renovations in 1544.

From his in 1306 to Jeanne de Châtillon, daughter of Gaucher de Châtillon V., Constable of France, closed couple had two surviving children:

  • Walter VI. († 1356), his successor as Count of Brienne and Lecce and Lord of Argos and Nauplia
  • Isabella ( † 1360 ), successor Walters VI. ; ∞ Walter III. of Enghien ( Enghien house )
Hugh, Count of Brienne Guy II de la Roche Augusta, Sicily County of Brienne Andronikos II Palaiologos Dafni Walter VI, Count of Brienne Isabella, Countess of Brienne
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