["La Conquête de Constantinople," Geoffrey de Villehardouin, 13th century]
[Source: Wikimedia Commons]
The Venetians agreed to remit part of the debt if the crusaders would help them re-conquer the city of Zara. As a result of this attack, the Pope excommunicated the entire expedition and demanded they continue on to Jerusalem. This, however, was not to be as they were persuaded by Alexios, son of the recently deposed Byzantine Emperor, to return him to Constantinople. He told them the Byzantines would welcome him with open arms and he would pay off the crusaders’ debt to the Venetians. Once again, the expected did not happen, and the expedition ended up besieging and conquering Constantinople in 1203, putting Alexios and his father on the throne, and still not getting paid.
["Horses of Basilica San Marco," possibly 4th century]
[photographed by Morn, Source: Wikimedia Commons]
* There is significant scholarly debate as to whether this was the Venetians' aim all along. While I am strongly inclined to think it was not, that is a topic for another time.
Further Reading:
Geoffrey de Villehardouin, "Chronicles of the Fourth Crusade or the Conquest of Constantinople"
Fourth Crusade - Wikipedia
Pertusi, Agostino. “Venezia e Bisanzio: 1000-1204.” Dumbarton Oaks Papers 33 (1979):1-22.
Queller, Donald E and Thomas F. Madden. The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997.
Wikipedia. "Fourth Crusade." Accessed 7 Nov 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Crusade