The Byzantine city of Patras in the Peloponnese
Patras, located in the northwestern Peloponnese at the mouth of the Gulf of Corinth, was a city of strategic and religious importance in Byzantine times. Positioned along key east-west trade routes and home to the cult of St. Andrew, it held both economic and spiritual significance.
The city appears to have withstood the Slavic invasions, remaining under Byzantine control. Around 805, an Arab-Slavic attack on Patras was thwarted, an event attributed to the miraculous intervention of St. Andrew. Following this, the Slavs in the region were required to support officials and envoys passing through the city, relieving Patras of this obligation. During this time, a prominent local figure, the noble widow Danelis, amassed great wealth and owned numerous slaves. She famously welcomed Basil I, foreseeing his future as emperor, during his visit to the city on behalf of Michael III.
The ecclesiastical status of Patras rose significantly in the early 9th century. Previously a suffragan of Corinth, its bishopric was elevated to metropolitan rank, possibly around 805, granting it authority over Achaia. By the 10th century, the metropolitan of Patras exercised influence over bishops in Sparta, Methone, Korone, and Bolaine. This rise in religious stature was accompanied by notable political and economic power, making the metropolitan a key figure in the region.
In 1205, the Crusaders captured Patras, establishing it as a barony within the Principality of Achaia. A Latin archbishopric was founded around 1207. In 1267, the last baron, William II Aleman, sold his holdings to the Latin archbishop for 16.000 hyperpyra, effectively transforming the archbishop into an independent ruler of the city. This arrangement lasted until the early 15th century, when Venetian influence increased. Patras briefly fell to Constantine XI Palaiologos in 1430 but was ultimately captured by the Ottomans in 1460.
Considering the importance of modern Patras, the historical and archaeological remains attesting to its medieval past are relatively limited. Near the modern Church of St. Andrew lies a subterranean fountain adorned with polychrome marble, where 4th-century coins and a tomb have been discovered. The city also features a 15th-century hagiasma (sacred spring) and the ruins of an Early Christian basilica. The citadel, likely first fortified in the 6th century, saw substantial reconstruction during the 13th and 15th centuries.
