Angelos

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Angeloi
)
This article is about the noble lineage with the name Angelos. For other uses, see Angelos (disambiguation).
Angelos
Άγγελος

Angelid dynasty
Imperial dynasty
CountryByzantine Empire
Despotate of Epirus
Empire of Thessalonica
Founded11th century
1185 (as imperial dynasty)
FounderConstantine Angelos
Isaac Angelos
(first emperor)
Final rulerAlexios IV Angelos
(Byzantine Empire)
John II Angelos Doukas

(Thessaly)
Titles
Deposition1204 (Byzantine Empire)
1318 (Despotate of Epirus)

The House of Angelos (/ˈændʒəloʊs/; pl. Angeloi; Greek: Ἄγγελος, pl. Ἄγγελοι, female version Angelina Ἀγγελίνα), Latinised as Angelus, was a Byzantine Greek noble family that produced several Emperors and other prominent nobles during the middle and late Byzantine Empire. The family rose to prominence through the marriage of its founder, Constantine Angelos, with Theodora Komnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. As imperial relatives, the Angeloi held various high titles and military commands under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. In 1185, following a revolt against Andronikos I Komnenos, Isaac II Angelos rose to the throne establishing the Angeloi as the new imperial family that ruled until 1204. The period was marked by the decline and fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire, culminating in its dissolution by the Fourth Crusade in 1204 under Alexios IV Angelos.

After the Fourth Crusade, another branch of the family managed to establish an

Thessalonica, and founded the Empire of Thessalonica, claiming the Byzantine imperial title in rivalry to the Empire of Nicaea. His empire quickly collapsed after the Battle of Klokotnitsa in 1230. Thessalonica was lost to Nicaea in 1246, and the prospects of recovering Constantinople were dashed at the Battle of Pelagonia in 1259, followed by the re-establishment of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty
in 1261. Often in rivalry to the new Byzantine regime, the Komnenodoukai nevertheless secured recognition and titles from Constantinople, and retained their control over Thessaly (ruled by a cadet line) and Epirus until 1318.

Early history

The Angeloi, unlike some other Byzantine families, were not established among the Byzantine nobility and their lineage was not thought of particularly highly until the first half of the 12th century.

Nikephoros III (r. 1078–1081), but this is considered unlikely by other scholars.[5]

Despite his lowly origin, Constantine managed to win the favors of Theodora Komnene (born 1097), the widow of John Kourtikes and fourth daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) and Irene Doukaina. Their marriage took place in c. 1122, after the death of Alexios I. As an Imperial in-law, Constantine received the title of sebastohypertatos, even though he was not considered equal to Alexios' other sons-in-law who were of nobler origin and held more titles.[6] Theodora's mother, Empress-dowager Irene, also appears to have disapproved of the match.[7] Constantine and Theodora had seven children, three sons and four daughters.[8][9] Through his sons, Constantine was the progenitor of the Angelos dynasty, which produced three Byzantine emperors in 1185–1204, as well as the Komnenos Doukas dynasty that ruled over Epirus and Thessalonica in the 13th–14th centuries.[3][5]

Imperial Angelos dynasty

Byzantine Empire

Main article: Byzantine Empire under the Angelos dynasty
Aspron trachy depicting the Virgin Mary (left) and Isaac II Angelos (right), first ruler of the imperial Angelid dynasty, crowned by saint Michael the Archangel.

Constantine's third son

Andronikos Doukas Angelos, was the progenitor of the imperial Angelos dynasty.[10] The Angeloi came into conflict with Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos who had initiated a series of anti-aristocratic policies. In a 1185 coup d'état, Andronikos' son Isaac II Angelos gained popular support and deposed Andronikos I Komnenos proclaiming himself Byzantine Emperor. The new emperor did not manage to regulate the weaknesses that he inherited, including the abuses in central and provincial administration.[11] Isaac II failed to crush the revolt of the Bulgarians and Walachians and in 1187 he was forced to recognize the Bulgarian empire. Despite those military defeats, Isaac succeeded in retrieving imperial fortunes in the Balkans, after Branas' victory against the Normans at the Battle of Demetritzes in 1185 and the victory against Stephan Nemanja of Serbia in 1190.[12] During Isaac's reign, attempts to usurp imperial power by Byzantine nobles, previously uncommon in the Byzantine history of the 12th century, became a common occurrence preventing the empire's complete recovery.[13]

In 1195 Isaac II was deposed by his brother Alexios III Angelos, whose coup and misuse of power accelarated the decline of the empire's strength. His reign was marked by abuses in provincial administration and an increasing autonomy of regional magnates who would even defy the emperor's authority.[13] In 1201 Isaac's son, Alexius Iv Angelos, made his way to the west, where he succeeded in bringing about the diversion of the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople in order to restore his father, Isaac II, to power.[12][2] On 1 August 1203, the blinded Isaac II was crowned co-emperor, after eight years of imprisonment, along with his son Alexios IV, who held the true power during their reign. After his deposition by the Fourth Crusade, Alexios III fled Constantinople with the goal of collecting support and restoring his reign, but was eventually captured in Nicaea where he died in a monastery in 1211.[14] Despite their initial synergy, the inability of the Angeloi to deal with the Crusaders' demands caused friction between the Crusaders and the co-emperors, who in January 1204 were deposed by Alexios V Doukas and killed shortly after.[15] With their former supporters now dead, the Crusaders had no support in Constantinople, while the anti-Latin sentiment of the citizens was reinforced.[2] Following the brief reign and failed negotiations by Alexios V, the Crusaders sacked Constantinople and established the Latin Empire officially terminating the Byzantine rule for nearly half a century.

Komnenodoukas dynasty

Main articles: Despotate of Epirus and Empire of Thessalonica
Map of the Despotate of Epirus, one the three Byzantine ramp states that emerged in 1205 and laid claim to the Byzantine throne, ruled by the Komnenodoukas branch of the Angelos dynasty.

The Angelos line was continued by the descendants of Constantine's eldest son, the sebastokrator John Doukas.[16] Like John, most of his descendants eschewed the surname "Angelos" and used either "Doukas" or "Komnenos Doukas", after which they are known in modern scholarship as the "Komnenodoukai" (Κομνηνοδούκαι).

After the fall of Constantinople and the establishment of the

Manuel ruled over Thessalonica, succeeded by Theodore's sons John and Demetrios. In 1242 the Nicaean emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes compelled John to abandon the imperial title (keeping only the title of despotes),[18] and by 1246 Thessalonica was captured by Nicaea, marking the end of the Angelid rule in much of northern Greece.[19]

In 1230, Theodore's nephew

Catalan Grand Company and annexed to the Duchy of Athens
, while the north passed to a series of autonomous magnates.

Later family

Having re-established Byzantine control over Epirus and Thessaly in 1340, emperor

megas domestikos John Kantakouzenos, to the governorship of Epirus. John extended his rule to Thessaly in 1342, but died from the plague in 1348. Epirus and Thessaly were conquered by the Serbian ruler Stefan Dušan
soon afterwards.

Descendants of John Angelos continued to govern Thessaly under

Nemanjić, abdicated in favour of Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos, the kaisar of Thessaly. Alexios' brother Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos
was the last Byzantine Greek ruler of Thessaly.

After the

Grand Vizier in 1455. Thus, in the negotiations between Serb despot Lazar Branković and Mehmed II
in 1457, the two sides were represented by the brothers Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović.

Family tree

House of Angelos
Irene DoukainaAlexios I
Byzantine emperor (1081-1118)
HOUSE OF KOMNENOS
Theodora KomneneConstantine
HOUSE OF ANGELOS
Andronikos

general		Isaacios
Angelos Doukas
(illeg.)
Isaakios II
Byzantine emperor (1185-1195, 1203-1204)
Constantine
usurper
(illeg.)
HOUSE OF LASKARIS
Eudokia
∞ Alexios V Doukas
Byzantine emperor (1204)		Alexios IV
Byzantine emperor (1203-1204)		John
duke of Syrmia
Nikephoros I
despot of Epirus		John
general		Demetrios (Michael) "Koutroules"
general		(illeg.) John I
sebastokrator,
ruler of Thessaly (1268-1289)
BRANCH OF THESSALY
Thomas I
despot of Epirus		Andronikos
protosebastos		Constantine
ruler of Thessaly (1289-1303)		Theodore
co-ruler of Thessaly (1289-1299)
Anna
∞ John II Orsini
count palatine of Cephalonia & Zakynthos
despot of Epirus (1323-1335)		John II
ruler of Thessaly (1303-1318)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ also Komnenos Doukas, pl. Komnenodoukai (Κομνηνοδούκαι)
  1. ^ a b c Radivoj 2008, Chapter 1.
  2. ^ a b c Vasiliev 1964, p. 440.
  3. ^ a b c d ODB, "Angelos" (A. Kazhdan), pp. 97–98.
  4. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 260.
  5. ^ a b Varzos 1984a, pp. 260–261 (note 6).
  6. ^ Radivoj 2008, Chapter 2.
  7. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 260–261, esp. note 9.
  8. ^ Stiernon 1961, p. 274.
  9. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 264.
  10. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 656–662.
  11. ^ Radivoj 2008, Chapter 3.
  12. ^ a b "Isaac II Angelus | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  13. ^ a b Radivoj 2008, Chapter 3.1.
  14. ^ "Alexius III Angelus | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  15. ^ Stathakopoulos 2023, p. 120.
  16. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 641–649.
  17. ^ a b c d Stathakopoulos 2023, p. 132.
  18. ^ a b c Radivoj 2008, Chapter 4.
  19. ^ "Despotate of Epirus | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.

References

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angelos&oldid=1208598700"