VENICE
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VENICE
command was vested in a magistcr militum. The
third doge, Ursus I (726-37), at the request of
Gregory III delivered Ravenna, which had fallen
into the hands of the Lombards (735); he, however,
was killed (737) in a popular tumult. For five years
the state authority was entrusted to the viagister
militum, instead of doges; but that functionary held
office for only one year, with the title of hypatos, or
consul. In 742 the office of doge was restored and
entrusted to Deusdedit, son of Ursus I, who trans-
ferred the capital to Malamocco. He was slain (755)
by a certain Galla, who, after a dogeship of fourteen
months, was slain in his turn. Dominicus Mone-
garius (756-64) became doge, two tribunes, however,
being associated with him. He was expelled by the
Byzantine party, and Maurizio Galbaio (764-87)
was elected. For security against the Lombards
and Franks, Galbaio leaned on Byzantium, and
obtained that his son Giovanni should be associated
with him in office and have the right of succession.
Giovanni (787-805) also had an associate in his son
Maurizio. By reason of the slaying (803) of Joannes,
Patriarch of Grado, his nephew and successor, For-
tunatus, organized a conspiracy; the doges were
driven out, and the Frankish party brought about
the election of Obelierus (805-10). In the ninth
century the commerce of the Venetians was very
extensive. Their flag was respected even by the
Saracens, and their factories sprang up in all the ports
of the East. From that time they traded with the
Christian Slavs, and sold to the Mussulmans of Spain
and Africa. Popes Zacharias and Adrian tried to
prevent this, while for some time Charlemagne ex-
cluded them from the markets of the Empire.
In 775 took place an event which may be called the foundation of the State of Venice, the "establishment of an episcopal see on the little island of Olivolo, the jurisdiction of which extended over the islands of Luprio, Dorsoduro, and Rialto, taken from the Diocese of Malamocco. These islands thus formed a new polity. With the conquests of Charlemagne in Italy and Islria, the Venetian islands were threat- ened on all sides. Obelierius pursued a i)olicy of
alliance with the Franks, and helped them to gain
pos.session of the maritime cities of Istria; but a
Byzantine fleet aided the Byzantine party to expel
Obelierius, and Angelo I Participazzo was made doge
(810). Pipin, son of Charlemagne, then attempted
the conquest of the Lagoon; Brandolo and Mala-
mocco fell into his hands, but the Venetians made
head against him on Rialto. Protracted negotiations
followed between Charlemagne and Byzantium. The
Venetian Lagoon remained under the Byzantine
sway, and Charlemagne granted the Venetians free-
dom of commerce throughout the Empire. From
this period the doge's seat was the island of Rialto;
the city, formed by the combination of the surround-
ing islands, including Olivolo, the episcopal see, began
to call itself Venetian. Then followed the reign of
Participazzo (864-81) and of his sons Giustiniano
(829) and Giovanni (deposed, 836). Doges Pietro
Tradonico (836-64) and Orso Participazzo (864-81)
fought victoriously against the Croats and Saracens.
Giovanni Participazzo (881-88), son of Orso, was
deposed for his Francophihsm. Pietro (888-911)
defended the state against the Hungarians (906).
After Orso Participazzo II (912-32) there began,
with Pietro Candiano (932-39), the policy of expan-
sion on the mainland: Comacchio, at the mouths of
the Po, and Capo d'Istria. Then followed Pietro
Badoario (932-42) and Pietro Candiano III, who was
I < need to abdicate in favour of his son Pietro Candiano
1\' (959-76).
Under the latter we meet for the first time with the Cirand Council, the assent of which was necessary to all laws; besides the laity, it also included the bishops of the Venetian States. The new Government pro- hibited the sale to Saracens of slaves and of any mer- chandise which could be used in war against Chris- tians. But in 976 the doge's palace was set on fire, and he himself killed a-s he attempted to escape. His partisans, supported by the Emperor Otto II, drove out (978) his successor, Pietro Orseolo I, who became a disciple of St. Romuald. Under Memmo, the next doge, certain rebels attempted to jilace Venice under the sway of Otto II, but the republic defended itself, and in 983 peace was restored. Memmo was obliged to become a monk (992). Under Pietro Orseolo II (992-1009) the prestige of the republic revived. The Latin cities of the Istrian and Dalmatian coasts, inces- santly menaced by the Slavs, voluntarily acknowl- edged the dominion of Venice, and from that time the doge, with the consent of the Emperor of Constanti- nople, was styled Duke of Dalmatia. He gained a splendid victory over the Saracens at Bari (1003). His son Ottone (1009-26) was suspected of wishing to bring the state under Western imperial domination, and died a prisoner at Constantinople. He was suc- ceeded by the weak Pietro Barvolano (1030), under whom Peter, King of Hungary, son of the Doge Ottone, tried to get possession of Dalmatia. After grievous internal conflicts, Flavanico became doge in 1033 and enacted wise laws against hereditary doge- ship. Domenico Contareno (1043-71) was fortunate in the defence of Dalmatia against the Hungarians. At this time the office of procurator of St. Mark was instituted, instead of that of state Irea-surer, making a clear separation between the personal patrimony of the doge and the state revenues. Domenico Silvio married a daughter of the Emperor (\)nstantinc Du- cas, and, at the reiniost of .Mcxius Coninenus, made war at sea against I lie Xorinans; lie was fortunate at first, but was dcfealfd at Corfu in 10S4, with the lo.<s of nine large ships and 13,000 men, which led to his deposition. Vitale Faledro (1084-96) retrieved the loss with the victory of Hotrinto. Alexius Comnenus, by the famous Golden Bull (lOSt). granted the Vene- tians freedom from tributes and iiiiposls. full liberty of conimerce, exeniplion from (inck jiirisdiciion. an appropriation for the Cluiich of St. Mark, and an
