Constantine Aspietes ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Ἀσπιέτης, ) was a

Byzantine 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 ...

general active in the late 12th century. A member of the

Aspietes Aspietes ( gr, Ἀσπιέτης, from hy, ասպետ, aspet, rider, knight), feminine form Aspietina () or Aspietissa (), was the surname of a Byzantine noble family of Armenian origin active in the 12th–15th centuries. Despite the mention of ...

family, of noble Armenian origin, Constantine was probably a close relative of his contemporary

Michael Aspietes Michael Aspietes ( el, Μιχαήλ Ἀσπιέτης, ) was a distinguished Byzantine general serving under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. A member of the Aspietes family, of noble Armenian origin, Michael Aspietes is most likely the Aspietes whom Jo ...

, a distinguished general killed in 1176. Like his relative, Constantine too had earned distinction during

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine empero ...

' campaign against the

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...

in 1167. The historian

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 ...

records that he held the rank of ''

sebastos ( grc-gre, σεβαστός, sebastós, venerable one, Augustus, ; plural , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th-ce ...

''. He is next recorded as being active in 1190/1, during the Byzantine efforts to suppress the Bulgarian–

Vlach "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen. The historian

Niketas Choniates Niketas or Nicetas Choniates ( el, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης; c. 1155 – 1217), whose actual surname was Akominatos (Ἀκομινάτος), was a Byzantine Greek government official and historian – like his brother Michael Akominatos, w ...

records that, in an effort to sustain the troops and bolster their morale, Aspietes decided to distribute to them their delayed annual salaries. This act, however, enraged Emperor

Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos or Angelus ( grc-gre, Ἰσαάκιος Κομνηνός Ἄγγελος, ; September 1156 – January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204. His father Andronikos Doukas Angelos was a ...

, who saw in it almost an attempt to bribe the army to support Aspietes in overthrowing him. The emperor had Aspietes arrested and blinded, after which nothing further is known of him. He possibly died in the early years of the 13th century.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aspietes, Constantine 12th-century births 13th-century deaths 12th-century Byzantine people Constantine Byzantine generals Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars Generals of Manuel I Komnenos Sebastoi