10 Must Brutal Acts Of Revenge In History

6. Blinded Enrico Dandolo Sacked Constantinople

The 42nd Doge of Venice, Enrico Dandolo is most famous for being blind - and, despite his disability, being able to take a leading role in the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople in the early 13th Century.

Legend has it that Dandolo was blinded by the Byzantines during an 1171 expedition to the empire, under the orders of Emperor Manuel Comnenus. This is almost certainly untrue, however, due to the fact it was illegal for anyone who was blind to sign documents in Venice, something which a Doge had to do daily. Instead, it is likely Comnenus suffered a blow to the head during his time in Byzantium, probably during a street brawl, and this is what led to his cortical blindness.

With Venice the major financial backer of the Fourth Crusade, Dandolo decided to take up the cross himself - and exact his revenge upon the Byzantine Empire. So, on April 12, 1204, the blind Dandolo managed to lead the Crusaders into Constantinople - sacking the city over the next three days, destroying priceless artworks and holy sanctuaries, as well as killing up to 15,000 Byzantines, and establishing the Catholic state named "The Latin Empire".

As a result, the Byzantine Empire was never as strong as it had been before - and a blind man had managed to gain vengeance after losing his sight in Constantinople...