Richard Orsini Richard Orsini ( ) was the Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from before 1260 to his death in 1303 / 4 , and also Captain - General of Corfu in 1286 – 90 , Count of Gravina in 1284 – 91 . He also served as the Angevin " bailli " in the Principality of Achaea from 1297 to 1300 . Biography . Richard was the son of Matthew Orsini , Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos , and a daughter of the " sebastokrator " John Komnenos Doukas . It is unclear when exactly Richard succeeded his father as Count palatine : it was perhaps as early as 1238 , but more likely some time before 1260 , when he is referred to in Venetian attempts to form an alliance of the Frankish rulers of Greece in aid of the beleaguered Latin Empire of Constantinople . He is not specifically recorded by name in a document until 1264 , however . Already since his father ' s time , the county palatine was a vassal of the Principality of Achaea , and through it , after the Treaty of Viterbo , of the Kingdom of Naples . In this capacity he also held the post of Captain - General of Corfu and Butrint on the Albanian shore in 1286 – 90 . In 1291 – 92 , he participated with 100 knights in a campaign to aid the ruler of Epirus , Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas , against the Byzantines who were besieging Ioannina , along with 400 – 500 cavalry from Achaea under Nicholas III of Saint Omer . In exchange , Nikephoros sent his daughter , Maria , as a hostage to Cephalonia . After the Byzantines were repelled , she was wed to Richard ' s son and heir , John I Orsini . This aroused the indignation of Nikephoros , who had not been consulted , and who was not mollified until 1295 , when the young couple came to live at his court . Following the death of the Prince of Achaea , Florent of Hainaut , his widow , Princess Isabella of Villehardouin appointed Richard to rule in her stead as " bailli " and withdrew to the castle of Kalamata . His tenure appears to have been peaceful as regards the conflict with the Byzantine Greeks of Mystras , but the issue of the succession remained open as Isabella had but one daughter , Matilda of Hainaut ( born 1293 ) . On the suggestion of Richard Orsini , the young heiress of Achaea was engaged to the young Duke of Athens , Guy II de la Roche . Their marriage took place in 1305 . Richard kept his post until 1300 , when he was replaced by Nicholas III of Saint Omer , at the advice of chancellor Benjamin of Kalamata . This began a period of rivalry between Richard and Benjamin ; in 1303 , Richard ' s friends at court persuaded Prince Philip of Savoy to detain Benjamin , who was released after paying 20 , 000 " hyperpyra " as ransom . In turn , Benjamin gained the ear of the Prince , and forced Richard to give up the same sum in exchange for possession of half a village , which returned to the princely domain following Richard ' s death . Richard was killed in 1303 or 1304 by one of his own knights , a man named Lion . Family . Richard married twice : his first wife is unknown , and his second , in 1299 , was Margaret of Villehardouin , sister of Princess Isabella . From the first marriage , he had four children : a son , John I Orsini , and three daughters . His three daughters all married into the high nobility of Achaea : one , Guillerme , married the Grand Constable John Chauderon , who died in 1294 , and after that Nicholas III of Saint Omer ; the second married John of Dournay , Baron of Gritzena ; and the third married Engilbert of Liederkerque , a nephew of the Prince Florent of Hainaut , who succeeded Chauderon as Constable . From the second marriage , Richard had a daughter , but she died as an infant .