SOME REMARKS ON THE OFFICE OF DUKE IN THE CRUSADER STATES OF THE NEAR EAST
SOME REMARKS ON THE OFFICE OF DUKE IN THE CRUSADER STATES OF THE NEAR EAST

Summary/Abstract: This article considers the office of duke in the crusader states of the Near East as an example of the Frankish reception of Byzantine militaryadministrative institutions. The office existed in two of the four crusader states of the Near East: the Principality of Antioch and County of Edessa. In contrast to Byzantium, where the duke was a governor of a military region, in the crusader states the duke was a head of city administration. The duke possessed authority primarily over civil matters and may have also had limited military power in the city where he was the head of administration. Quite unusual for the crusader states is the case of the city of Edessa where the position of duke was occupied by the Count of Edessa himself. Since the crusaders seized control over Edessa not by force, but were invited to the city by its citizens, this was the display of respect of the Frankish lords for the local traditions of city self-governance.

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