Social stratification

The head of the social hierarchy was the Latin emperor followed by the barons of the empire and the other vassals (vassalli), such as the liege lords and the people of simple homage (homini plani homagii). Into the latter category had been incorporated the Byzantine lords who complied with the new status.

The great majority of the Greek inhabitants of the empire formed the base of the social pyramid. The rural population consisted of free and dependent land cultivators, among whom some belonged to the state and others belonged to private individuals (serfs or villani).

For fiscal reasons, the Latin conquerors maintained the division of the population into the zeugaratoi, the voidatoi, the aktimones (landless) and the aporoi (destitute). This division was already familiar to Byzantium and was based on their workforce and the expanse of land that they could cultivate using this force. In the empire lived also Venetian merchants, Jews and Armenians.