Irene of Hungary (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Είρήνη, born Piroska; 1088 – 13 August 1134) was a Byzantine empress by marriage to

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 ...

. She is venerated as a saint.

Life

The name Piroska was a Hungarian derivation of the Latin name Prisca, literally meaning 'ancient', but implying 'serious' or 'grave' behaviour. She was a daughter of

Ladislaus I of Hungary Ladislaus I ( hu, László, hr, Ladislav, sk, Ladislav, pl, Władysław; 1040 – 29 July 1095), also known as Saint Ladislas, was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary and ...

and Adelaide of Swabia. Her mother died in 1090 when Piroska was still a child. Her father died on 29 July 1095 and was succeeded by his nephew

Coloman Coloman, es, Colomán (german: Koloman (also Slovak, Czech, Croatian), it, Colomanno, ca, Colomà; hu, Kálmán) The Germanic origin name Coloman used by Germans since the 9th century. * Coloman, King of Hungary * Coloman of Galicia-Lodomeria ...

. In an effort to improve relations with

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 ...

of 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 ...

, Coloman negotiated the marriage of Piroska to

. John II was the eldest son of Alexios I and

Irene Doukaina Irene Doukaina or Ducaena ( el, , ''Eirēnē Doukaina''; – 19 February 1138) was a Byzantine Greek empress by marriage to the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. She was the mother of Emperor John II Komnenos and the historian Anna Komn ...

. He was already co-ruler of his father since late 1092 and was expected to succeed him. The negotiations were successful and Piroska married John in 1104. The marriage was recorded by Joannes Zonaras and

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 ...

. Following her conversion to the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

and settlement in

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 ( ...

, Piroska was renamed Irene. Irene played little part in government, devoting herself to piety and her many children. She was, with her husband, the patron of the construction of the Monastery of Christ Pantokrator (

Zeyrek Mosque '' '' tr, Zeyrek Camii'' , image = Molla Zeyrek Camii.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption =The mosque viewed from north east. From left to right, one can see the apses of the ''Church of Christ Pantocrato ...

) in Constantinople. This monastery contained three churches and a hospital of 5 wards, which was open to people of all social classes. Irene died on 13 August 1134 and was later venerated as Saint Irene.

Issue

She and John had eight children. The primary source about their order of births is the chronicle of Niketas Choniates: # Alexios Komnenos (February 1106 – 1142), co-emperor from 1122 to 1142. His birth is recorded in the Alexiad'' Alexiad'' by

Anna Komnene Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...

. # Maria Komnene (twin to Alexios), who married John Rogerios Dalassenos. # Andronikos Komnenos (died 1142). # Anna Komnene, married Stephen Kontostephanos. # Isaac Komnenos (died 1154). # Theodora Komnene (died 12 May 1157), who married

Manuel Anemas Manuel Anemas was an aristocrat and military commander in the Byzantine Empire during the reigns of John II Komnenos and Manuel I Komnenos. Background and life Manuel Anemas was a member of the Anemas family. Four Anemas brothers were involved in ...

. # Eudokia Komnene, who married

Theodore Vatatzes Theodore Vatatzes or Batatzes ( gr, Θεόδωρος Βατάτζης) was an aristocrat and military commander in the Byzantine Empire during the reigns of John II Komnenos and Manuel I Komnenos. Background Theodore Vatatzes was a member of the ...

. # Manuel I Komnenos (died 1180), emperor from 1143 to 1180.

Citations

Sources

* Joannes Zonaras, Extracts of History. *

, Chronicle. *

, Alexiad * Niketas Choniates, Chronicle

External links

Her profile along with her husband in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley
{{Authority control 1088 births 1134 deaths Komnenos dynasty 11th-century Hungarian women 12th-century Hungarian women 12th-century Byzantine empresses 12th-century Christian saints Hungarian princesses Beatified and canonised Árpádians People from Esztergom Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism House of Árpád Christian female saints of the Middle Ages Burials at the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator (Constantinople) Mothers of Byzantine emperors Daughters of kings