John VI Kantakouzenos

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John VI Kantakouzenos
Greek Orthodox

John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene

Byzantine emperor in his own right from 1347 to 1354. Deposed by his former ward, he was forced to retire to a monastery under the name Joasaph Christodoulos (Greek
: Ἰωάσαφ Χριστόδουλος) and spent the remainder of his life as a monk and historian. At age 90 or 91 at his death, he was the longest-lived of the Roman emperors.

Early life

Born in Constantinople,[3] John Kantakouzenos was the son of Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea; Donald Nicol speculates that he may have been born after his father's death and raised as an only child.[5] Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was related to the then-reigning house of Palaiologos.[6] He was also related to the imperial dynasty through his wife Irene Asanina, a second cousin of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos.[7] Kantakouzenos became a close friend to Andronikos III and was one of his principal supporters in Andronikos's struggle against his grandfather, Andronikos II Palaiologos. On the accession of Andronikos III in 1328, he was entrusted with the supreme administration of affairs and served as grand domestic throughout his reign. He was named regent to Andronikos's successor, the 9-year-old John V, upon the emperor's death in June 1341.[3]

Kantakouzenos apparently began with no imperial ambitions of his own, having refused several times to be crowned

Didymoteichon in Thrace as John VI.[9]
He accepted this, while continuing to style himself as the junior ruler to John V.

Civil War

Main article: Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347

The

Umur of Aydin broke the regency's siege of his headquarters at Didymoteichon
.

During another attempt on Thessalonica the following year, the Serbians switched sides to support the regency, leaving John stranded once more before that city. Yet again, Umur came to his rescue, and their combined forces broke out of Macedonia to return to Didymoteichon. The war dragged on another four years as neither side could dislodge the other, although time was on John VI's side. He struck a bargain with the

Greek Christians as slaves. The Greco-Turkish force prevailed and John VI entered Constantinople in triumph on 8 February 1347.[10][9][a] Empress Anna and John VI agreed that the latter would rule as senior emperor for ten years, after which John V would reach seniority and share power as an equal to Kantakouzenos. The formal coronation of John VI took place on 21 May.[10][11]

Reign

15th century portrait of John VI Kantakouzenos from the codex mutinensis.

During John's reign, the empire—already fragmented, impoverished, and weakened—continued to be assailed on every side.[3]

The

1350 war against Genoa, but Paganino Doria was able to force John VI (and the twelve ships he had fielded) out of the war by a Pyrrhic victory off Constantinople the next year.[citation needed
]

In 1351, Kantakouzenos oversaw the

Barlaam of Calabria and other Byzantine philosophers.[12]

By this time,

Albania, Macedonia, and Epirus. John VI secured help against further incursions by again allying with the Turks. Following an earthquake, they annexed Callipolis (Gallipoli)—their first foothold in Europe—in partial payment of his many debts in 1354.[3]

He made his son Matthew Kantakouzenos another co-emperor in 1353,[13] but John VI's attempts to expand taxation to repay the government's debts had long been displeasing. He was soon removed from power by John V, becoming a monk on 10 December 1354.[b]

Retirement

John VI as emperor (left) and monk (right)

Kantakouzenos retired to a monastery, where he assumed the name of Joasaph Christodoulos and occupied himself with literary labors, which have been called eloquent.[3] His 4-volume History of the years 1320–1356 served as an apologia for his actions. They are therefore not always trustworthy, including defects in matters where he was not personally involved, but are supplemented by the contemporary work of Nicephorus Gregoras.[9] It is nevertheless remarkable for being the only surviving account any Byzantine emperor gave of his own reign.

In 1367 Joasaph was appointed the representative of the

Roman Catholic Churches. They agreed to call a grand ecumenical council to be attended by the pope and all the patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops of both the eastern and western churches.[15] This plan was subsequently refused by Pope Urban V and eventually nothing came of it.[citation needed
]

Kantakouzenos died in the

Mistra in Laconia.[3]

Family

By his wife Irene Asanina, a daughter of Andronikos Asen (son of Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria by Irene Palaiologina, Empress of Bulgaria, herself daughter of Michael VIII Palaiologos), John VI Kantakouzenos had several children, including:

  1. Despot of the Morea
  2. Manuel Kantakouzenos, Despot of the Morea
  3. Andronikos Kantakouzenos (died of the
    Bubonic Plague (specifically the Black Death
    ) in 1347)
  4. Maria Kantakouzene, who married Nikephoros II Orsini of Epirus
  5. Theodora Kantakouzene, who married Sultan Orhan of the Ottoman Empire[16]
  6. Helena Kantakouzene, who married John V Palaiologos

Works

Kantakouzenos's 4-volume History was published by J. Pontanus in 1603, by

Ethics and several controversial theological treatises, including a defense of Hesychasm and a work Against Mohammedanism printed in Migne.[18][9]

See also
Wikiquote has quotations related to John VI Kantakouzenos.

Notes

  1. Constantine Cavafy
    's poem "John Kantakouzenos Triumphs".
  2. ^ Some sources give the date as 3/4 December, such as in the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.[11] However, 9/10 December is most definitely the correct date.[14] The Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit gives 9 December,[10] the day in which John announced his abdication. The actual ceremony took place the day after, during sunrise.

References

  1. ^ EB (1911), p. 438.
  2. ^ McLaughlin (2017), p. 14. "Kantakouzēnos inherited the names of Angelos and Palaiologos from his mother, and was occasionally addressed as Komnenos too."
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i EB (1878).
  4. ^ John VI Cantacuzenus at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  5. ^ Nicol 1968, p. 35f.
  6. ^ Nicol 1968, p. 30f.
  7. ^ Nicol 1968, p. 104.
  8. ^ History of John VI Kantakouzenos, Book II.
  9. ^ a b c d EB (1911), p. 439.
  10. ^ a b c PLP, "Kantakauzenos, Ioannes VI."
  11. ^ a b ODB, p. 1050
  12. ^ Sherrard 1966, pp. 74–75.
  13. ^ Teteriatnikov 2013, p. 67.
  14. ^ Failler, Albert (1976). «Nouvelle note sur la chronologie du règne de Jean Cantacuzène». Revue des études byzantines 34: 119–124.
  15. ^ Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Decline and Fall (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) p. 332
  16. ^ Sugar 1996, pp. 15–16.
  17. Migne
    (ed.), Patrologia Graeca (in Latin), vol. CLIII & CLIV & (in Greek)
  18. Migne
    (ed.), Patrologia Graeca (in Latin), vol. CLIV & (in Greek)

Sources

John VI Kantakouzenos
Born: 1292 Died: 15 June 1383
Regnal titles
Preceded by Byzantine emperor
1347–1353
with John V Palaiologos (1341–1376)
Matthew Kantakouzenos (1353–1357) 		Succeeded by
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