Empire of Thessalonica

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Empire of Thessalonica
1224–1246
Emperor, after 1242 Despot
 
• 1224–1230
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
• 1244–1246
Demetrios Angelos Doukas
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Epirus conquest of Thessalonika
1224
• Fall of Thessalonica to Nicaea
1246
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Despotate of Epirus
Kingdom of Thessalonica
Despotate of Epirus
Empire of Nicaea

The Empire of Thessalonica is a

Komnenodoukas dynasty of Epirus. At the time of its establishment, the Empire of Thessalonica, under the capable Theodore Komnenos Doukas, rivaled the Empire of Nicaea and the Second Bulgarian Empire as the strongest state in the region, and aspired to capturing Constantinople, putting an end to the Latin Empire, and restoring the Byzantine Empire
that had been extinguished in 1204.

Thessalonica's ascendancy was brief, ending with the disastrous

Manuel Komnenos Doukas was unable to prevent the loss of most of his brother's conquests in Macedonia and Thrace, while the original nucleus of the state, Epirus, broke free under Michael II Komnenos Doukas. Theodore recovered Thessalonica in 1237, installing his son John Komnenos Doukas, and after him Demetrios Angelos Doukas, as rulers of the city, while Manuel, with Nicaean support, seized Thessaly. The rulers of Thessalonica bore the imperial title from 1225/7 until 1242, when they were forced to renounce it and recognize the suzerainty of the rival Empire of Nicaea. The Komnenodoukai continued to rule as Despots
of Thessalonica for four more years after that, but in 1246 the city was annexed by Nicaea.

Background

trachy
coin of Theodore Komnenos Doukas as Emperor of Thessalonica

After the

Asia Minor, and the so-called Despotate of Epirus in western Greece under Michael I Komnenos Doukas, while a third state, the so-called Empire of Trebizond, established a separate existence on the remote shores of the Pontus.[5][6] Michael I Komnenos Doukas soon extended his state into Thessaly, and his successor Theodore Komnenos Doukas captured Thessalonica in 1224.[7][8]

Rise and decline

The capture of Thessalonica, traditionally the second city of the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople, allowed Theodore to challenge the Nicaean claims on the

Adrianople from the Latins in 1225, but Theodore quickly marched into Thrace and forced the Nicaeans to leave their European possessions to him. Theodore was free to assault Constantinople, but for unknown reasons delayed this attack. In the meantime, the Nicaeans and Latins had settled their differences, and although formally allied with Theodore, Ivan II Asen also entered talks for a dynastic alliance between the Latin Empire and Bulgaria.[11] In 1230, Theodore finally marched against Constantinople, but unexpectedly turned his army north into Bulgaria instead. In the ensuing Battle of Klokotnitsa, Theodore's army was destroyed and he himself taken captive and later blinded.[12][13]

Trachy coin of Manuel Komnenos Doukas

This defeat abruptly diminished the power of Thessalonica. A state built upon rapid military expansion and relying on the ability of its ruler, its administration was unable to cope with defeat. Its territories in Thrace, as well as most of Macedonia and Albania rapidly fell to the Bulgarians, who emerged as the strongest Balkan power.

fait accompli, and recognized Michael II as ruler of Epirus under his own suzerainty. As sign of this, he conferred on Michael the title of Despot. From the start, Manuel's suzerainty was rather theoretical, and by 1236–37 Michael was acting as an independent ruler, seizing Corfu, and issuing charters and concluding treaties in his own name.[16]

Manuel's rule lasted until 1237, when he was deposed in a coup by Theodore. The latter had been released from captivity and secretly returned to Thessalonica after John II Asen fell in love with and married his daughter Irene. Having been blinded, Theodore could not claim the throne for himself and crowned his son John Komnenos Doukas, but remained the actual power behind the throne and virtual regent.[17][18] Manuel soon escaped and fled to Nicaea, where he pledged loyalty to Vatatzes. Thus in 1239 Manuel was allowed to sail to Thessaly, where he began assembling an army to march on Thessalonica. After he captured Larissa, Theodore offered him a settlement, whereby he and his son would keep Thessalonica, Manuel would keep Thessaly, while another brother, Constantine Komnenos Doukas, would rule over Aetolia and Acarnania, which he had held as an appanage since the 1220s. Manuel agreed and ruled Thessaly until his death in 1241, at which point it was quickly occupied by Michael II of Epirus.[19]

Submission to Nicaea

Trachy coin of John Komnenos Doukas

In 1241, on the assurance of safe conduct, Theodore went to Nicaea, but there Vatatzes held him prisoner, and in the next year he embarked with his army for Europe and marched on Thessalonica. Vatatzes had to break off the campaign and return to Nicaea when he received news of a Mongol invasion of Asia Minor, but managed to browbeat John into submission: in exchange for renouncing his imperial title and recognizing Nicaean authority, John was allowed to remain as ruler of Thessalonica with the title of Despot.[17][20]

In 1244, John died and was succeeded by his younger brother

Vodena.[17][23]

Aftermath

Despite the end of the Thessalonian state, Michael II of Epirus now took up the mantle of his family's claims. Michael tried to capture Thessalonica and re-establish a strong western Greek state able to challenge Nicaea for supremacy and the Byzantine imperial inheritance. A first assault in 1251–53, encouraged by the old Theodore Komnenos Doukas, failed, and Michael was forced to come to terms. This did not long deter Michael, who after 1257 sought alliances with other powers against the growing menace of Nicaea, including the Latin

recapture of Constantinople on 15 August 1261, and the restoration of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty.[24][25]

Rulers

List of the Komnenos Doukas rulers of Thessalonica:

References

  1. ISBN 9780197621752
    .
  2. ^ e.g. Finlay 1877, pp. 124ff.,Vasiliev 1952, p. 522, Bartusis 1997, p. 23, Magdalino 1989, p. 87.
  3. ^ Nicol 1993, pp. 8–12.
  4. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 62–65.
  5. ^ Nicol 1993, pp. 10–12.
  6. ^ Hendy 1999, pp. 1, 6.
  7. ^ Nicol 1993, pp. 12–13.
  8. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 112–114, 119.
  9. ^ Nicol 1993, pp. 13, 20.
  10. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 119–120.
  11. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 122–124.
  12. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 124–125.
  13. ^ a b Nicol 1993, pp. 13, 22.
  14. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 125–126.
  15. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 126–128.
  16. ^ Fine 1994, p. 128.
  17. ^ a b c Nicol 1993, p. 22.
  18. ^ Fine 1994, p. 133.
  19. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 133–134.
  20. ^ Fine 1994, p. 134.
  21. ^ Fine 1994, p. 157.
  22. ^ Fine 1994, p. 156.
  23. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 157–158.
  24. ^ Fine 1994, pp. 157–165.
  25. ^ Nicol 1993, pp. 24, 28–29, 31–36.

Sources

Further reading
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