Nicholas II of Saint Omer

Nicholas II of Saint Omer was the lord of half of Thebes in Frankish Greece from 1258 to his death in 1294. From his two marriages he became one of the richest and most powerful barons of his time, building a splendid castle at Thebes as well as the Old Navarino castle. He also served as bailli of the Principality of Achaea on behalf of the Angevins of Naples between 1287 and 1289. Life Nicholas was the son of Bela of Saint Omer and Bonne de la Roche, sister of the Lord of Athens and Thebes, Guy I de la Roche. Upon their marriage, in 1240, Guy gave Bela the lordship over half of Thebes. Along with his brothers, Otho and John, he participated in the War of the Euboeote Succession in the ranks of the coalition of most of the princes of Frankish Greece, who opposed the expansionist policies of the Prince of Achaea, William II of Villehardouin. In 1273, Charles I of Naples sent him as his envoy to the Bulgarian and Serbian courts, but he soon fell into disfavour with Charles, and was forced to exchange his holdings in the Morea with others in Sicily, under Charles' immediate control. His position and domains were not restored until after the death of Charles I in 1285. During this time, Nicholas often resided in Italy, where Charles used him and other visiting Moreote barons as counsellors on the affairs of the Principality.\ In 1287, the Neapolitan regent Robert of Artois named him the Angevins' representative governor (bailli) in the Principality of Achaea, in succession of William I of Athens, who had just died and whose heir, Guy II, was still under-age. At the time, Nicholas was the second richest and most influential baron living in the Latin East after Guy. He continued William's policy of fortification of Messenia and built the castle at Navarino and a smaller fortress at Maniatochori near Modon. His regime was remembered for its peace and prosperity: according to the Chronicle of Morea, "He governed with nobility and wisdom, and kept the country at peace". He was succeeded in 1289 by the Baron of Vostitsa, Guy de Charpigny.