### q4 Greece during the Byzantine era was in flux > During the 13th century, after the Fourth Crusade, Western crusaders, as well as Venetians, Genoese, Normans and others swept into the old Byzantine empire and took Constantinople itself and split Greece between them into a complex array of shifting states, called the ‘Frankokratia’ or ‘Frankocracy’ in Greece and ‘Latin Empire’ in Constantinople - ‘Latin’ and ‘Frank’ being what the Greeks generally called Western Europeans. Athens was held as a duchy of its own, with its name adding status to its succession of Burgundian, Sicilian, and Florentine rulers. Much of the Peloponnese on the other hand was ruled by a Norman family for some time, including the very military-minded and expansionist William II Villehardouin, who built his capital, a major fort, at Mystras, just a few miles from Sparta. This may have shifted any remaining focus away from Sparta and reduced it further, though again it is unclear what the population actually was over this period. The Byzantines reconquered the region but William II’s fort at Mystras was impressive enough to remain the regional capital. - [[on the longevity of Athens instead of Sparta#q4 Greece during the Byzantine era was in flux|View in Vault]]