Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria
(Redirected from
Ivan Asen III
) |
| Ivan Asen III | |
|---|---|
Ivailo | |
| Successor | Georgi Terter I |
| Born | c. 1259/1260 |
| Died | 1303 |
| Spouse | Irene Palaiologina |
| Father | Mitso Asen |
| Mother | Maria Asenina of Bulgaria |
Ivan Asen III (
Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria and Irene of Thessalonica
. He was probably born in about 1259/60, and died in exile in 1303.
Fearing the rapid success of
Mongol allies of Michael VIII. In the interval a Byzantine force besieged the Bulgarian capital Tarnovo
and, hearing a rumor of Ivailo's death in battle, the local nobility surrendered and accepted Ivan Asen III as emperor in 1279.
To strengthen his position in
Tarnovo, Ivan Asen III married his sister Maria (Kira Maria) to the Bulgaro-Cuman nobleman George Terter, but failed to assert himself throughout the country. Ivailo reappeared before the walls of the capital and defeated two Byzantine attempts to relieve Ivan Asen III. Despairing of success, Ivan Asen III and Irene Palaiologina secretly fled Tarnovo with choice treasures from the palace treasury, including pieces captured from defeated Byzantine Emperors in former victories. Reaching Mesembria (Nesebar), the imperial couple sailed for Constantinople
, where the enraged Michael VIII refused to receive them for days for their cowardice.
In 1280 or 1281 Ivan Asen III traveled to the Golden Horde, competing with Ivailo in a bid to win support for restoration in Bulgaria. The Mongol chieftain Nogai Khan eventually had Ivailo murdered, but failed to restore Ivan Asen III in Bulgaria. The latter returned to his family possessions in the Troad, and died in 1303.
Family
Ivan Asen III and Irene Palaiologina became the progenitors of the large and influential family Asan (or Asanes) in the
Byzantine emperors
.
By his marriage with Irene Palaiologina, Ivan Asen III had the following children:
- Michael Asan, titular emperor of Bulgaria.
- John VI Kantakouzenos.
- Isaac Asan.
- Manuel Asan.
- Constantine Asan.
- Theodora Asanina, who married Fernan Jimenez d'Aunez and then Manuel Tagaris.
- Maria Asanina, who married Roger de Flor.
References
- John V.A. Fine, Jr., The Late Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1987.
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
