[30] It is well to see this familiar title in Greek. The Duke (δοὺξ Βενετίας) was δεσποτικῷ ἀξιώματι τιμηθεὶς, ἔχειν τε ἐξ ὅλου πρὸς τὸ ὅλον ὃ τὸ τῶν Φράγκων ἐκτήσατο γένος τὸ τέταρτον καὶ τοῦ τετάρτου τὸ ἥμισυ. George Akropolitês, 15. ed. Bonn.
[31] If this is what is really meant by Laza or Lacta in the Act of Partition. Muratori, xii. 357.
[32] See the Venetian Chronicle in Pertz, viii. 29, 32. After the Venetian conquest the Duke’s name is placed after that of the Emperor in religious ceremonies. But we see how slight was the real hold of the Empire on these distant dependencies, when we find that, on the submission of Croatia and Dalmatia to Basil the Macedonian, the tribute of the cities was assigned to the Croatian prince.
[33] Negroponte—a wild corruption of Euripos—is strictly the name of one of the Latin baronies in Euboia, and has been carelessly transferred to the whole island, as Crete used often to be called Candia.
[34] Ἄσπρη θάλασσα, as distinguished from the Euxine, the μαύρη θάλασσα.
[35] Fallmerayer gives the name a Slavonic origin; Hopf and Hertzberg make Μωραία a transposition of Ῥὡμαία. Neither derivation is satisfactory; but either is better than the mulberry-leaf.
[36] Grand Sire, Megaskyr, = μέγας κύριος. See Nikêphoros Grêgoras, vii. 5, vol. i. p. 239.