Doge of Venice

The Doge of Venice (doʊdʒ ) sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian Duca), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 and 1797. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the Venetian nobility. The doge was neither a duke in the modern sense, nor the equivalent of a hereditary duke. The title "doge" was the title of the senior-most elected official of Venice and Genoa; both cities were republics and elected doges. A doge was referred to variously by the titles "My Lord the Doge" (Monsignor el Doxe), "Most Serene Prince" (Serenissimo Principe), and "His Serenity" (Sua Serenità). The office of doge goes back to 697. The first historical Venetian doge, Ursus, led a revolt against the Byzantine Empire in 726, but was soon recognised as the dux (duke) and (a honorific title derived from the Greek word for consul) of Venice by imperial authorities. After Ursus, the Byzantine office of magister militum ( in Greek) was restored for a time until Ursus' son Deusdedit was elected duke in 742. Byzantine administration in Italy collapsed in 751. In the latter half of the eighth century, Mauritius Galba was elected duke and took the title magister militum, consul et imperialis dux Veneciarum provinciae, 'master of the soldiers, consul and imperial duke of the province of the Venetias'. Doge Justinian Partecipacius (d. 829) used the title imperialis hypatus et humilis dux Venetiae, 'imperial hypatos and humble duke of Venice'. These early titles combined Byzantine honorifics and explicit reference to Venice's subordinate status. Titles like , , , and were granted by the emperor to the recipient for life but were not inherent in the office (ἀξία διὰ βραβείου, ), but the title belonged to the office (ἀξία διὰ λόγου, ). Thus, into the eleventh century the Venetian doges held titles typical of Byzantine rulers in outlying regions, such as Sardinia. As late as 1202, the Doge Enrico Dandolo was styled , a title granted to him by Alexios III Angelos.