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ZARA
  Once, and once only, did Zara emerge into the full blaze of world-history, and that was in 1202, during the Fourth Crusade. But earlier than that, the importance of Zara as a strong place on the great water avenue of the Adriatic could not fail to bring it under the influence of Venice when the growing Republic was beginning to establish its supremacy in those waters. In 998 the great Doge, Pietro II. Orseolo, reduced Zara to dependence and returned home with the title of Dux Dalmatiae. But Venetian hold on the town was precarious, and the Hungarians, who were masters of the mainland, were ever ready to challenge Venetian possession and to stir up Zara to revolt. Venice recovered the city in 1116, but Zara rebelled again in 1178 and was still in revolt when the Fourth Crusade began to assemble at Venice. The Crusaders could not raise the money they had promised for transport to the Holy Land, and then the great Doge, Henry Dandolo, struck his hard bargain. The Republic would forgo her claim, but the Crusaders must stop on their way down the Adriatic and help Venice to recover her revolted city. The proposal met with some opposition among the Crusaders, who objected to diverting the arms of Christendom from their true object, the