Andronikos Doukas ( el, ), Latinized as Andronicus Ducas, was the third son of

Byzantine emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, to Fall of Constantinople, its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. On ...

Constantine X Doukas (r. 1059–1067) and younger brother of Byzantine emperor

Michael VII Doukas Michael VII Doukas or Ducas ( gr, Μιχαήλ Δούκας), nicknamed Parapinakes ( gr, Παραπινάκης, lit. "minus a quarter", with reference to the devaluation of the Byzantine currency under his rule), was the senior Byzantine e ...

(r. 1071–1078). Unlike his other brothers, he was not named junior co-emperor by his father, and was raised to the dignity only by

Romanos IV Diogenes Romanos IV Diogenes (Greek: Ρωμανός Διογένης), Latinized as Romanus IV Diogenes, was a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy who, after his marriage to the widowed empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa, was crowned Byzantine Em ...

(r. 1068–1071). He is otherwise relatively insignificant, and was not involved in the affairs of state to any degree.

Biography

Andronikos Doukas was born circa 1057, the third son of Constantine X Doukas and

Eudokia Makrembolitissa Eudokia Makrembolitissa ( el, Εὐδοκία Μακρεμβολίτισσα, Eudocia Macrembolitissa) was a Byzantine empress by her successive marriages to Constantine X Doukas and Romanos IV Diogenes. She acted as regent of her minor son, Mich ...

. He studied under Michael Psellos, and several works survive that were compiled by the prominent scholars of the day to aid him in his studies: one treatise on

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is ...

by Psellos and two philosophical essays by

John Italos John Italus or Italos ( el, , ''Iōánnēs ho Italós''; la, Johannes Italus) was a neoplatonic Byzantine philosopher of the eleventh century. He was Calabrian in origin, his father being a soldier. He came to Constantinople, where he became a ...

. Psellos also compiled a laudatory

monody In music, monody refers to a solo vocal style distinguished by having a single melodic line and instrumental accompaniment. Although such music is found in various cultures throughout history, the term is specifically applied to Italian song of ...

on Andronikos after the latter's death. Unlike his other two surviving brothers (the elder, the future

, and the younger Konstantios Doukas, who was a ''

porphyrogennetos Traditionally, born in the purple (sometimes "born to the purple") was a category of members of royal families born during the reign of their parent. This notion was later loosely expanded to include all children born of prominent or high-ranking ...

''), he was not raised by his father to the position of co-emperor. Thus, and unlike them, he did not participate in the short

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of Eudokia that followed his father's death in 1067. It was only Romanos IV, who married Eudokia and thus succeeded Constantine X, who raised him to co-emperor, perhaps at Eudokia's request. This was also done for political reasons: the multitude of co-emperors, which soon included the two sons of Eudokia by Romanos, weakened the position of Constantine X's children in favour of Romanos himself. Furthermore, during his absence from

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

on campaign in the East soon after his accession, Romanos took Andronikos with him as a virtual hostage. During the reign of his elder brother Michael VII, Andronikos continued as co-emperor, and was even possibly raised above Konstantios in precedence. Curiously, despite his apparent lack of ability and purely decorative function as co-emperor, Andronikos is included in some later lists of

s, coming between Romanos and Michael VII. It is unknown when he died; D. Polemis surmised that it was after 1081, but Thomas Conley argues that he died in early 1077, since he is not mentioned during

Nikephoros Botaneiates Nikephoros III Botaneiates, Latinized as Nicephorus III Botaniates ( el, Νικηφόρος Βοτανειάτης, 1002–1081), was Byzantine emperor from 7 January 1078 to 1 April 1081. He was born in 1002, and became a general du ...

's attack on Constantinople in the same year. According to Psellos's

, Andronikos was married and his widow died soon after him. He had no descendants..

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doukas, Andronikos 1050s births Andronikos Andronikos Year of death unknown Byzantine junior emperors Sons of Byzantine emperors