Constance of Antioch
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Constance of Hauteville (1128–1163) was the ruling Princess of Antioch from 1130 to 1163. She was the only child of
Bohemond II of Antioch Bohemond II (1107/1108 – February 1130) was Prince of Taranto from 1111 to 1128 and Prince of Antioch from 1111/1119 to 1130. He was the son of Bohemond I of Antioch, Bohemond I, who in 1108 was forced to submit to the authority of the Byzantin ...
by his wife, Alice of Jerusalem. Constance succeeded her father at the age of two, after he fell in battle, although his cousin Roger II of Sicily laid claim to Antioch. Her mother assumed the regency, but the Antiochene noblemen replaced her with her father (Constance's grandfather),
Baldwin II of Jerusalem Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Bourcq or Bourg (; – 21August 1131), was Count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and King of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death. He accompanied his cousins Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin of Boulogne to th ...
. After he died in 1131, Alice again tried to take control of the government, but the Antiochene barons acknowledged the right of her brother-in-law Fulk of Anjou to rule as regent for Constance. Constance was given in marriage to
Raymond of Poitiers Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1105–29 June 1149) was Prince of Antioch from 1136 to 1149. He was the younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, and his wife Philippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began hi ...
in 1136. During the subsequent years, Raymond ruled Antioch while Constance gave birth to four children. After Raymond was murdered after a battle in 1149, Fulk of Anjou's son
Baldwin III of Jerusalem Baldwin III (1130 – 10 February 1163) was King of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem. He became king while still a child, and was at first overshadowed by his mother Melisende, whom he eventu ...
assumed the regency. He tried to persuade Constance to remarry, but she did not accept his candidates. She also refused to marry a middle-aged relative of the
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 Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
Manuel I Komnenus. Finally, she found a love interest and was married to
Raynald of Châtillon Raynald of Châtillon (french: Renaud; 11254 July 1187), also known as Reynald or Reginald, was a Crusader knight of French origin but also Prince of Antioch from 1153 to 1160 or 1161, and Lord of Oultrejordain from 1175 until his death. He w ...
, a knight from France, in 1153. After her second husband fell into captivity around 11601161, Constance wanted to rule Antioch alone, but BaldwinIII of Jerusalem declared her fifteen-year-old son,
Bohemond III Bohemond III of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the Child or the Stammerer (french: Bohémond le Bambe/le Baube; 1148–1201), was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to 1201. He was the elder son of Constance of Antioch and her first husband, Raymond of ...
, the lawful prince. Constance disregarded this declaration and took control of the administration of the principality with the assistance of Emperor Manuel. Constance was dethroned in favor of her son shortly before her death.


Early life

Born in 1128, Constance was the only child of Prince
Bohemond II of Antioch Bohemond II (1107/1108 – February 1130) was Prince of Taranto from 1111 to 1128 and Prince of Antioch from 1111/1119 to 1130. He was the son of Bohemond I of Antioch, Bohemond I, who in 1108 was forced to submit to the authority of the Byzantin ...
and Alice, the second daughter of King
Baldwin II of Jerusalem Baldwin II, also known as Baldwin of Bourcq or Bourg (; – 21August 1131), was Count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and King of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death. He accompanied his cousins Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin of Boulogne to th ...
. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Constance of France. Bohemond was killed in a battle at the Ceyhan River in February 1130. After his death, Alice assumed the regency for Constance. According to rumors spreading in Antioch, Alice was planning to send Constance to a monastery or to marry her off to a commoner. Bohemond's cousin, Roger II of Sicily, regarded himself as Bohemond's lawful successor because he was the senior member of the
House of Hauteville The Hauteville ( it, Altavilla) was a Normans, Norman family originally of Seigneur, seigneurial rank from the Cotentin. The Hautevilles rose to prominence through their part in the Norman conquest of southern Italy. By 1130, one of their members, ...
. The Antiochene noblemen sent envoys to Baldwin II, urging him to come to the principality, but Alice decided to resist her father. The 12th-century historian,
William of Tyre William of Tyre ( la, Willelmus Tyrensis; 113029 September 1186) was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I, the Englishman, a former ...
, also accused her of seeking assistance from
Imad ad-Din Zengi Imad al-Din Zengi ( ar, عماد الدین زنكي;  – 14 September 1146), also romanized as Zangi, Zengui, Zenki, and Zanki, was a Turkmen atabeg, who ruled Mosul, Aleppo, Hama, and, later, Edessa. He was the namesake of the Zengid dyna ...
,
Atabeg Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince. The first instance of the title's use was wit ...
of
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
. According to William of Tyre's account, her envoys were captured by BaldwinII's soldiers, who had meanwhile reached Antioch. Before long, Alice was forced to beg for mercy from her father. He removed Alice from the regency, ordering her to leave Antioch.


Reign


Childhood

The Antiochene noblemen acknowledged Baldwin II as regent, swearing fealty to him and Constance. He made
Joscelin I, Count of Edessa Joscelin of Courtenay (or Joscelin I) (died 1131), Prince of Galilee and Lord of Turbessel (1115–1131) and Count of Edessa (1119–1131), ruled over the County of Edessa during its zenith, from 1118 to 1131. Captured twice, Joscelin continued ...
, her guardian to rule the principality until her marriage. BaldwinII died on August21, 1131, and JoscelinI died a week later. Alice again laid claim to the regency. However, most Antiochene lords remained hostile to the idea of a female ruler and sent envoys to BaldwinII's successor, Fulk of Anjou, who was Alice's brother-in-law. Alice made an alliance with
Joscelin II, Count of Edessa Joscelin II of Edessa (died 1159) was the fourth and last ruling count of Edessa. He was son of his predecessor Joscelin I of Edessa and Beatrice, daughter of Constantine I of Armenia. Biography In 1122, Joscelin I was captured by Belek Ghazi. ...
, and
Pons, Count of Tripoli Pons ( 1098 – 25 March 1137) was count of Tripoli from 1112 to 1137. He was a minor when his father, Bertrand, died in 1112. He swore fealty to the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in the presence of a Byzantine embassy. His advisors sent hi ...
, in early 1132. Fulk had to travel to Antioch by sea, because Pons did not allow him to march through the
County of Tripoli The County of Tripoli (1102–1289) was the last of the Crusader states. It was founded in the Levant in the modern-day region of Tripoli, northern Lebanon and parts of western Syria which supported an indigenous population of Christians, Druze ...
. Fulk landed at St. Symeon where the Antiochene barons acknowledged him as regent. He appointed
Rainald I Masoir Rainald I Masoir, also known as Renaud I Masoir (died around 1135), was constable of the Principality of Antioch from around 1126, and also baillif (or governor) of the principality from 1132. Although he was a prominent military commander and he ...
, Constable of Antioch, to administer the principality. Fulk returned to Antioch when Zengi dispatched Sawar, governor of Aleppo, to invade the principality in 1132 or 1133. After defeating the invaders, Fulk entered Antioch. Since the principality needed a firm government, the Antiochene noblemen approached Fulk to select a husband for Constance. He chose
Raymond of Poitiers Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1105–29 June 1149) was Prince of Antioch from 1136 to 1149. He was the younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, and his wife Philippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began hi ...
, the younger son of
William IX, Duke of Aquitaine William IX ( oc, Guilhèm de Peitieus; ''Guilhem de Poitou'' french: Guillaume de Poitiers) (22 October 1071 – 10 February 1126), called the Troubadour, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Gascony, Gascony and Count of Poitou (as William VII) ...
. He did not announce his decision in public because he wanted to prevent Alice and RogerII of Sicily from intervening. Alice's sister, Melisende, Fulk's wife, persuaded Fulk to allow Alice to return to Antioch in 1135. Alice wanted to tighten the relationship of the principality and the
Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
; therefore, she offered Constance's hand to Manuel, a son of the
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 Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
,
John II Komnenos John II Komnenos or Comnenus ( gr, Ἱωάννης ὁ Κομνηνός, Iōannēs ho Komnēnos; 13 September 1087 – 8 April 1143) was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as "John the Beautiful" or "John the Good" (), he ...
. To prevent the Byzantine marriage, Fulk sent his envoy to France to Raymond of Poitiers to urge him to come to Antioch, which he did, traveling in disguise, because RogerII of Sicily wanted to capture him in southern Italy.


First marriage

Raymond of Poitiers arrived at Antioch in April 1136.
Ralph of Domfront Ralph of Domfront (or Radulph, la, Radulfus; died c. 1146) was the archbishop of Mamistra and second Latin patriarch of Antioch (as Ralph I) from 1135 until 1140. William of Tyre describes him as "a military man, very magnificent and generous, a g ...
,
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem ( la, Patriarchatus Latinus Hierosolymitanus) is the Latin Catholic ecclesiastical patriarchate in Jerusalem, officially seated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was originally established in 1099, wit ...
, made Alice believe that Raymond came to Antioch to marry her instead of her eight-year-old daughter. However, Constance was kidnapped from the palace, and Ralph of Domfront blessed her marriage to Raymond in the cathedral. With the marriage, Raymond became the ruler of the principality, and Alice retired to Lattakieh. In early 1147 Roger II of Sicily extended an offer to
Louis VII of France Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...
to transport the French crusaders to the Holy Land during the
Second Crusade The Second Crusade (1145–1149) was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa in 1144 to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusa ...
. Fearing that Roger only wanted to assert his claim to Antioch, LouisVII and his wife
Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor ( – 1 April 1204; french: Aliénor d'Aquitaine, ) was Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II, and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right from ...
(niece of Raymond of Poitiers) declined. Louis and his crusaders came to the principality in March 1148. Before long, rumors spread among the crusaders about a love affair between Raymond and Eleanor. The crusaders tried to convince her husband to launch a campaign against
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, the capital of Nur ad-Din, but LouisVII decided to leave Antioch to Jerusalem, forcing Eleanor to accompany him.


Widowhood

Raymond was killed in the
Battle of Inab The Battle of Inab, also called Battle of Ard al-Hâtim or Fons Muratus, was fought on 29 June 1149, during the Second Crusade. The Zengid army of Atabeg Nur ad-Din Zangi destroyed the combined army of Prince Raymond of Poitiers and the Assassi ...
during an expedition against
Nur ad-Din Zangi Nūr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Zengī (; February 1118 – 15 May 1174), commonly known as Nur ad-Din (lit. "Light of the Faith" in Arabic), was a member of the Zengid dynasty, which ruled the Syrian province (''Shām'') of the Seljuk Empire. He reign ...
on June29, 1149. Since Raymond and Constance's four children were still underage, there was no one to "perform the duties of a prince and raise the people from despair", according to William of Tyre. Nur ad-Din invaded the principality and seized all Antiochene territories to the east of the
Orontes River The Orontes (; from Ancient Greek , ) or Asi ( ar, العاصي, , ; tr, Asi) is a river with a length of in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Turkey. ...
.
Aimery of Limoges Aimery or Aymery of Limoges (died 1196), also ''Aimericus'' in Latin, ''Aimerikos'' in Greek and ''Hemri'' in Armenian, was a Roman Catholic ecclesiarch in Frankish Outremer and the fourth Latin Patriarch of Antioch from c. 1140 until his death. ...
, Latin Patriarch of Antioch, directed the defense, but most noblemen preferred a secular ruler. After learning of Raymond's fate, Constance's cousin,
Baldwin III of Jerusalem Baldwin III (1130 – 10 February 1163) was King of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem. He became king while still a child, and was at first overshadowed by his mother Melisende, whom he eventu ...
, hurried to Antioch and assumed the regency. He also concluded a truce with Nur ad-Din. Baldwin III returned to Antioch in summer 1150. He wanted to persuade Constance to remarry, proposing three candidates (
Yves, Count of Soissons Yves II le Vieux of Nesle (Ives, Ivo) (d. 1178), son of Raoul I, Seigneur of Nesle, and his wife Rainurde (Ermentrude) of Eu-Soissons. Seigneur of Nesle, Count of Soissons. Upon the death of Renaud III, Count of Soissons, Yves was chosen as the ne ...
,
Walter of Saint Omer Walter of Saint Omer (french: Gautier de Saint-Omer; d 1174), also known as Walter of Fauquembergues or Walter of Tiberias, was the son of William II of Saint Omer and Melisinde of Picquigny, and Prince of Galilee and Tiberias. Walter married ...
, and
Ralph of Merle Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...
), but she declined. Urged by BaldwinIII, Constance went to Tripoli in early 1152 to meet him and her two aunts, Melisende and Hodierna. The two ladies tried to persuade Constance to choose among the three candidates, but she returned to Antioch without making a promise to remarry. According to William of Tyre, Patriarch Aimery convinced Constance to resist, because he wanted to control the government of the principality. The Byzantine Emperor ManuelI Komnenos sent his widowed brother-in-law, the middle-aged John Rogerios Dalassenos, to Antioch to marry Constance. However, because of his age, she "regarded him with displeasure", according to the contemporaneous
John Kinnamos Joannes Kinnamos, or John Cinnamus ( el, or Κίναμος; born shortly after 1143, died after 1185), was a Byzantine historian. He was imperial secretary (Greek "grammatikos", most likely a post connected with the military administration) to Em ...
, and refused to marry him. Historian Steven Runciman says that Constance may have refused the candidates proposed by BaldwinIII and ManuelI because she had met
Raynald of Châtillon Raynald of Châtillon (french: Renaud; 11254 July 1187), also known as Reynald or Reginald, was a Crusader knight of French origin but also Prince of Antioch from 1153 to 1160 or 1161, and Lord of Oultrejordain from 1175 until his death. He w ...
, a knight from France. Even though William of Tyre described Raynald as a "knight of common sort", Constance decided to marry Raynald. Their betrothal was kept secret because Constance wanted to obtain BaldwinIII's permission for the marriage.


Second marriage

After Baldwin sanctioned the marriage, Constance and Raynald married in early 1153. Raynald took charge of the administration of the principality. However, he was unpopular because his subjects regarded him as an upstart. His frequent attempts to raise funds brought him into conflict with Patriarch Aimery and Emperor ManuelI during the subsequent years. The emperor forced Raynald to pay homage to him in the spring of 1159. Raynald was captured and imprisoned by Majd al-Din, governor of Aleppo, during a plundering raid in November 1160 or 1161. After her husband fell into captivity, Constance announced her intention to administer the principality, but most Antiochene noblemen preferred a male ruler. BaldwinIII of Jerusalem hurried to Antioch and declared Constance's fifteen-year-old son,
Bohemond III Bohemond III of Antioch, also known as Bohemond the Child or the Stammerer (french: Bohémond le Bambe/le Baube; 1148–1201), was Prince of Antioch from 1163 to 1201. He was the elder son of Constance of Antioch and her first husband, Raymond of ...
, the lawful prince, charging Patriarch Aimery with the administration of the principality. Constance did not accept Baldwin's decision and protested against it to Emperor Manuel. Manuel dispatched his nephew, Alexios Bryennios Komnenos, and John Kamateros to Antioch to begin negotiations about his marriage to Constance's daughter,
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
. The marriage contract was signed and the emperor's delegates confirmed Constance's position as the ruler of the principality. BaldwinIII, who came to Antioch to meet the imperial envoys, did not protest. Constance's son, Bohemond, reached the age of majority in 1163. To strengthen her position against her son, Constance sought assistance from Constantine Kalamanos, Byzantine governor of Cilicia. However, the Antiochene barons made an alliance with Thoros II of Cilician Armenia and forced her to leave Antioch. After Constance's removal, BohemondIII took control of the principality. Before long, Constance died, probably in Lattakieh or
Byblos Byblos ( ; gr, Βύβλος), also known as Jbeil or Jubayl ( ar, جُبَيْل, Jubayl, locally ; phn, 𐤂𐤁𐤋, , probably ), is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 880 ...
, according to Steven Runciman.


Family

Constance's first husband,
Raymond of Poitiers Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1105–29 June 1149) was Prince of Antioch from 1136 to 1149. He was the younger son of William IX, Duke of Aquitaine, and his wife Philippa, Countess of Toulouse, born in the very year that his father the Duke began hi ...
, was the second son of
William IX, Duke of Aquitaine William IX ( oc, Guilhèm de Peitieus; ''Guilhem de Poitou'' french: Guillaume de Poitiers) (22 October 1071 – 10 February 1126), called the Troubadour, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Gascony, Gascony and Count of Poitou (as William VII) ...
and his second wife,
Philippa of Toulouse Philippa () (c. 1073 – 28 November 1118) was ''suo jure'' Countess of Toulouse, as well as the Duchess of Aquitaine by marriage to Duke William IX of Aquitaine. Life Early life and marriage Philippa was born in approximately 1073 to Count ...
. He was born in 1114. According to William of Tyre, Constance was left with "two sons and as many daughters still underage" when her husband died in 1149. Their elder son, Bohemond, was five at the time of Raymond's death. He seized Antioch from his mother in 1163. Constance and Raymond's daughter
Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...
, famed for her beauty, married the
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 Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...
Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...
in 1161. Another daughter,
Philippa Philippa is a feminine given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend". Common alternative spellings include ''Filippa'' and ''Phillipa''. Less common is ''Filipa'' and even ''Philippe'' (cf. the French spelling of ''Philippa of Guelders'' ...
, was given in marriage to
Humphrey II of Toron Humphrey II of Toron (1117 – 22 April 1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He was the son of Humphrey I of Toron. Humphrey had become lord of Toron sometime before 1140 when he married the daughter of Renier Brus ...
in the late 1160s. Whether the father of Constance's second son, Baldwin, was Raymond of Poitiers or Raynald of Châtillon cannot be determined with certainty. Baldwin died fighting at the head of a Byzantine cavalry regiment in the
Battle of Myriokephalon The Battle of Myriokephalon (also known as the Battle of Myriocephalum, gr, Μάχη του Μυριοκέφαλου, tr, Miryokefalon Savaşı or ''Düzbel Muharebesi'') was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phryg ...
on September17, 1176. It is certain that Raynald fathered Agnes, who became the wife of
Béla III of Hungary Béla III ( hu, III. Béla, hr, Bela III, sk, Belo III; 114823 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a ...
. Raynald and Constance's second daughter, Alice, became the third wife of
Azzo VI of Este Azzo VI (1170 – November 1212), also known as Azzolino, was an Italian nobleman and condottiero. He held the title of Marquis of Este (''marchio Eystensis'') from the death of his father, Azzo V (1190) until his death. Biography He was heavi ...
in 1204.


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Constance Of Antioch 1128 births 1163 deaths 12th-century Princes of Antioch Princesses of Antioch 12th-century women rulers Women of the Crusader states Hauteville family