city's repayment of loans forced from the wealthier citizens. These measures both angered the Florentines, and helped alleviate the fiscal crisis that had been stewing for years. After only ten months, Walter of Brienne's signoria was cut short by conspiracy. Walter VI was not only forced to resign from office, but barely escaped Florence with his life. Later life and death In 1344 he married Jeanne, the daughter of Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu. She bore him two daughters, Jeanne and Marguerite, both of whom died young. As he had no surviving children, it was evident that his sister's issue would inherit his possessions and claims. He was appointed Constable of France in 1356 and in that capacity died on 19 September 1356 at the Battle of Poitiers. He was succeeded in his titles and pretensions by his sister Isabella and her sons. When the inheritance was divided after Walter VI's death, Sohier d'Enghien received the title of duke of Athens and county of Brienne. Jean gained the county of Lecce, Louis became the Count of Conversano, while Guy received the Lordship of Argos and Nauplia. Cultural legacy The "Duke of Athens" who appears in the seventh tale of Day Two of the Decameron as one of the nine lovers of the Sultan of Babylon's daughter, while not historically accurate, is probably a satirical allusion to Walter VI – his brief, but unforgettable dictatorship in Florence occurred less than ten years before the writing of the Decameron. References Sources The History of Florence from the Founding of the City through the Renaissance, New York: Harcourt Brace, 1936. pp. 217–225. External links Source File from "Brown University" 1304 births 1356 deaths French military personnel killed in action Counts of Brienne Counts of Lecce House of Brienne Lords of Argos and Nauplia People of the Hundred Years' War Constables of France 14th-century French people Rulers of Florence