Alamanikon
The Alamanikon (
, a tribute of 1,600 pounds of gold.Henry had originally demanded 5,000 pounds from Alexios after Alexios usurped the throne from Alexios's brother Isaac II in 1195. Henry, after his conquest of the Kingdom of Sicily, had taken custody of Isaac's daughter, Irene Angelina, widow of Roger III of Sicily. He proceeded to marry her to his younger brother Philip, Duke of Swabia, and proclaim himself the defender of his brother's rights in Byzantium through his wife. He threatened to invade Alexios's empire unless he received tribute.[1]
In order to get support for taxing
Although the capital had exempted itself, the Alamanikon continued to be collected in the provinces.[6] The total collection came to 7,000 pounds of silver and some gold, but because of the death of Henry VI on 28 September 1197 the tribute was never sent.[2] Although later chroniclers, such as Niketas Choniates, claimed that Henry's crusade was actually intended to subjugate Byzantium, there is no contemporary evidence to suggest this.[5]
Notes
- ^ Fuhrmann 1986, p. 184.
- ^ a b c d e f Brand 1991, pp. 50–51.
- ^ a b Brand 1968, p. 121.
- ^ Brand 1968, p. 148.
- ^ a b Brand 1968, p. 193.
- ^ Brand 1968, p. 154.
Sources
- Brand, Charles M. (1968). Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180–1204. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. OCLC 795121713.
- Brand, Charles M. (1991). "Alamanikon". In ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
- Fuhrmann, Horst (1986). Germany in the High Middle Ages: c.1050–1200. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.