Michael Taronites ( el, Μιχαήλ Ταρωνίτης) 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 ...

aristocrat and brother-in-law of Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

. He was involved in a conspiracy against him and was banished in 1094.

Biography

Michael belonged to the aristocratic family of the Taronitai, a princely clan of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

origin from Taron. His father, the ''

patrikios The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned aft ...

'' Gregory Taronites, had been involved in a conspiracy against the ''

megas domestikos The title of grand domestic ( grc-gre, μέγας δομέστικος, ''mégas doméstikos'') was given in the 11th–15th centuries to the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army, directly below the Byzantine Emperor. It evolved from the earl ...

'' Constantine, brother of Emperor

Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael IV the Paphlagonian ( el, , ''Mikhaēl ho Paphlagōn''; c. 1010 – 10 December 1041) was Byzantine Emperor from 11 April 1034 to his death on 10 December 1041. The son of a peasant, Michael worked as a money changer until he was fou ...

(). In he married Maria Komnene, the oldest daughter of the ''megas domestikos'' John Komnenos and

Anna Dalassene Anna Dalassene ( el, ; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. As '' Augusta'', a title bestowed upon her by her son, A ...

, and sister of the future emperor

(). In 1070, Michael accompanied his brother-in-law,

Manuel 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 ...

, on campaign against the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

, and was taken prisoner with him and

Nikephoros Melissenos Nikephoros Melissenos ( el, Νικηφόρος Μελισσηνός, – 17 November 1104), Latinized as Nicephorus Melissenus, was a Byzantine general and aristocrat. Of distinguished lineage, he served as a governor and general in the Balkans ...

by a Turkish warband. However, Manuel soon persuaded the Turkish leader, Chrysoskoulos, to enter Byzantine service, and the three were set free. His career until the rise to the throne of Alexios I in 1081 is otherwise unknown. As emperor, Alexios swiftly promoted Michael to the highest court dignities: Michael was named ''

protosebastos The title of ''protosebastos'' ( el, πρωτοσέβαστος, ''prōtosébastos'', "first ''sebastos''") was a high Byzantine court title created by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. History Although the title first appears in a document of 1049, whe ...

'' and ''

protovestiarios ''Protovestiarios'' ( el, πρωτοβεστιάριος, "first ''vestiarios''") was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period (12th–15th centuries), it denoted the Empire's senior-most fina ...

'', before receiving the newly created title of ''

panhypersebastos The title of ( gr, πανυπερσέβαστος, , venerable above all) was a Byzantine court title created by Alexios I Komnenos () using the imperial root (the Greek translation of ). It was always conferred to members of aristocratic familie ...

'', which placed him on par with the ''

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'' Nikephoros Melissenos. Despite these high honours, he became involved in the conspiracy of

Nikephoros Diogenes Nikephoros Diogenes ( el, Νικηφόρος Διογένης), Latinized as Nicephorus Diogenes, was presumably a junior Byzantine emperor from 1070–1071. He was born in 1069 to Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and Empress Eudokia Mak ...

, the son and briefly co-emperor of

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 ...

(). The conspiracy was discovered in June 1094, and its leaders, Diogenes, Michael Taronites, and

Katakalon Kekaumenos Katakalon Kekaumenos ( el, Κατακαλὼν Κεκαυμένος) was a prominent Byzantine general of the mid-11th century. Biography Katakalon Kekaumenos was born in Koloneia, and although apparently a member of the noble Katakalon family, ...

, were banished and their properties confiscated. The other conspirators were soon after blinded, but Taronites escaped this fate due to the intervention of his wife. His fate after that is unknown, as is that of Maria Komnene; she may have become a nun with the

monastic name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign ...

Anna. Both were certainly dead by 1136. The couple had two sons, and possibly a daughter, who may have been named Anna, but is otherwise unknown. The sons were: * John Taronites (born ), who served as provincial governor and commander, he suppressed the revolt of his cousin

Gregory Taronites Gregory Taronites ( gr, Γρηγόριος Ταρωνίτης, Grēgorios Tarōnitēs) was an Armenian prince of Taron, who went over to Byzantine service and held senior commands and governorships under Emperor Basil II. He was killed by the Bu ...

. *

(born ), ''protovestiarios'' and chief minister during the early reign of

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 ...

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taronites, Michael 11th-century births 11th-century Byzantine people Byzantine prisoners of war Byzantine rebels Family of Alexios I Komnenos Michael Year of death unknown Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Seljuk wars Protovestiarioi Komnenos dynasty Panhypersebastoi Protosebastoi