page_title: Catalan Company
section_title: Byzantine betrayal and Catalan revenge
hierarchical_section_title: Catalan Company / Byzantine betrayal and Catalan revenge
caption_attribution_description: Seal of the Catalan Grand Company (1305) En cera verge vermella; Anvers: (Sant Jordi) Sigillum felicis exercitus francorum in Romanie parti comorantis / Revers: (Quatre Pals) Sigillum felicis exercitus francorum // Alternate names in other documents: Felix Francorum exercitus in Romanie finibus comorans // Felix Francorum exercitus in Romania // Universitas felicis Francorum exercitus in partibus imperit Romanie // societatis exercitus catalanorum // Societas Catalanorum quae et Universitas fœlicis Francorum exercitus existentis in partibus imperii Romania // filiis societati cathalanorum conmorantium in partibus Romanie.
context_page_description: The Catalan Company or the Great Catalan Company was a company of mercenaries led by Roger de Flor in the early 14th century and hired by the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos to combat the increasing power of the Anatolian beyliks. It was formed by almogavar veterans of the War of the Sicilian Vespers, who had remained unemployed after the signing in 1302 of the Peace of Caltabellotta between the Crown of Aragon and the French dynasty of the Angevins.
context_section_description: Following the important victory of Kibistra, the Company decided to return to Ania and spend the winter there, as a lack of knowledge of the terrain made an advance very dangerous. During this retreat, crossing country previously conquered by the Turks, Greek historians report numerous examples of looting, abuses and cruelty by the almogavar soldiers, worse according to them than was suffered under the Ottoman yoke.
caption: Seal of the Grand Catalan Company, c. 1305
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