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Alexios Palaiologos (Despot)
Alexios Palaiologos (; died 1203) was a Byzantine nobleman, the son-in-law of Emperor Alexios III Angelos () and his heir apparent from 1199 until his death. Throughout this time, he was actively involved in the suppression of several revolts and riots against the emperor. Through his daughter, he became one of the progenitors of the Palaiologan dynasty (1261–1453). Life Although the Palaiologos family was wealthy and mostly known for serving as civil and military officials under the Komnenian emperors, Alexios's own origins are obscure. Alexios's father was the '' sebastos'' and '' megas hetaireiarches'' George Palaiologos, the son or grandson of Alexios I Komnenos's staunchest supporter, George Palaiologos. Through his grandmother, Alexios shared in the blood of the Komnenian house. In 1199, Alexios was chosen by Emperor Alexios III, who was without male offspring, to wed his eldest daughter, Irene. She was a widow of Andronikos Kontostephanos, and Alexios Palaiologos was f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th centuryAD, it endured until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The term 'Byzantine Empire' was coined only after its demise; its citizens used the term 'Roman Empire' and called themselves 'Romans'. During the early centuries of the Roman Empire, the western provinces were Latinised, but the eastern parts kept their Hellenistic culture. Constantine I () legalised Christianity and moved the capital to Constantinople. Theodosius I () made Christianity the state religion and Greek gradually replaced Latin for official use. The empire adopted a defensive strategy and, throughout its remaining history, experienced recurring cycles of decline and recovery. It reached its greatest extent un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Krichim
Krichim ( ) is a town in Bulgaria, located in the southwestern part of Plovdiv Province close to Perushtitsa. It lies at the foot of the Rhodopes' northern slopes in the plains of Thrace, 20 km southwest of Plovdiv. The river Vacha, an important tributary of the Maritsa, runs through the town. Krichim is the only place in Krichim Municipality. Inhabited since early Byzantine times as evidenced by the remains of two ancient fortresses on both banks of the river in the beginning of its gorge, Krichim was contested by the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire during most of the Middle Ages. It was conquered by Tsar Ivan Asen II in 1230 and a stone inscription from this period is preserved, saying 'On this stone sat Tsar Asen, when he conquered Krichim'. During the early Bulgarian National Revival, the village was one of the few in the region to have a monastery school. Two monasteries, one of the Holy Theotokos and one of St Vrach, worked during the Ottoman rule and hel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theodora Angelina Palaiologina
Theodora Angelina Palaiologina (Greek: Θεοδώρα Άγγελίνα Παλαιολογίνα) was a Byzantine noblewoman and mother of the future Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty. She was the daughter of the ''despotes'' Alexios Palaiologos and Irene Komnene Angelina, the daughter of Alexios III Angelos and Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera. Family She was married with Andronikos Palaiologos, the ''megas domestikos'' of the Empire of Nicaea.Europäische Stammtafeln Band 3.1, Tafel 198 Theodora and Andronikos had four children: *Maria Palaiologina (monastic name Martha), married with Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes. *Irene Komnene Palaiologina (monastic name Eulogia), wife of John Kantakouzenos; mother of Anna, consort of Epirus and Maria Palaiologina Kantakouzene, Empress consort of Bulgaria. *Michael VIII Palaiologos (1223 – 11 December 1282), first Byzantine Emperor of the Palaiologan dynasty. * John Palaiologos (1225/1230 � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid Sultanate. However, a sequence of economic and political events culminated in the Crusader army's 1202 siege of Zara and the 1204 sack of Constantinople, rather than the conquest of Egypt as originally planned. This led to the Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae or the partition of the Byzantine Empire by the Crusaders and their Venetian allies leading to a period known as Frankokratia, or "Rule of the Franks" in Greek. In 1201, the Republic of Venice contracted with the Crusader leaders to build a dedicated fleet to transport their invasion force. However, the leaders greatly overestimated the number of soldiers who would embark from Venice, since many sailed from other ports, and the army that appeared could not pay the contracted price. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Siege Of Constantinople (1203)
The siege of Constantinople in 1203 was a crucial episode of the Fourth Crusade, marking the beginning of a series of events that would ultimately lead to the fall of the Byzantine capital. The crusaders, diverted from their original mission to reclaim Jerusalem, found themselves in Constantinople, in support of the deposed emperor Isaac II Angelos and his son Alexios IV Angelos. The besieging forces, primarily composed of Western European knights faced initial setbacks, but their determination and advanced siege weaponry played a pivotal role in pressuring the Byzantine defenders. Amidst the chaos, the Byzantine emperor was overthrown, leading to a power vacuum and setting the stage for the more infamous events of 1204 when the crusaders, frustrated by unpaid debts and political turmoil, eventually sacked the city. This marked the first time in nearly nine centuries that Constantinople fell to an external force, forever altering the course of Byzantine history. Siege T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theodore Skoutariotes
Theodore Skoutariotes ( Latinized as Scutariotes; ; born ) was a Byzantine cleric and official during the reign of Michael VIII Palaiologos (). Skoutariotes was born in the latter half of the mid. As a deacon, he served as ''epi ton deeseon'' (receiver of petitions) and was named as '' dikaiophylax'' in 1270. He served as Michael VIII's ambassador to the Pope in 1277, and was metropolitan bishop of Kyzikos from 1277 until he was deposed in 1282 by Andronikos II (because he supported Michael VIII's efforts at union between the Catholic and Orthodox churches). Skoutariotes owned a rich library and is known from the notes in his collection of manuscripts. The German historian A. Heisenberg identified Skoutariotes with the anonymous author of the ''Synopsis Chronike'', a chronicle preserved in the Marcian Library in Venice (''Marc. gr.'' 407) which begins with the Creation and reaches to 1261. The chronicle is particularly valuable for its additions to the narrative of George Akr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottoman Empire, Ottomans in the late 14th century. Until 1256, the Second Bulgarian Empire was the dominant power in the Balkans, defeating the Byzantine Empire in several major battles. In 1205, Emperor Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan defeated the newly established Latin Empire in the battle of Adrianople (1205), Battle of Adrianople. His nephew Ivan Asen II defeated the Despotate of Epiros and made Bulgaria a regional power again. During his reign, Bulgaria spread from the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic to the Black Sea and the economy flourished. In the late 13th century, however, the Empire declined under constant invasions by Mongols, Byzantine Empire, Byzantines, Hungarians, and Serbia in the Middle Ages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia ( ) is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time; however, it came to be defined as the modern geographical region by the mid-19th century. Today the region is considered to include parts of six Balkan countries: all of North Macedonia, large parts of Greece and Bulgaria, and smaller parts of Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo. It covers approximately and has a population of around five million. Macedonia (Greece), Greek Macedonia comprises about half of Macedonia's area and population. Its oldest known settlements date back approximately to 7,000 BC. From the middle of the 4th century BC, the Kingdom of Macedon became the dominant power on the Balkan Peninsula; since then Macedonia has had a diverse history. Etymology Both proper nouns ''Makedṓn'' and ''Makednós'' are morphologically derived from the Ancient Greek adjective ''makednós'' meaning "tall, slim", and are related t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Spyridonakes
John Spyridonakes (, ) was a Byzantine governor and rebel in the region of Macedonia during the reign of Emperor Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203). Spyridonakes was born in Cyprus. Originally a low-born handicraftsman, he secured the favour of Emperor Alexios III Angelos and rose to the post of head of the imperial privy purse (the ''oikeiakon vestiarion''). Subsequently, he was appointed governor of the theme of Smolena in eastern Macedonia. In 1201, he rebelled against the Byzantine emperor, taking advantage of a series of raids and rebellions – such as those of Dobromir Chrysos and Ivanko – then occurring in the Byzantine Empire's Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ... provinces. He was soon defeated by imperial forces under the Emperor's son-in-law ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippodrome Of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople (; ; ) was a Roman circus, circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square (). The word ''hippodrome'' comes from the Greek (), horse, and (), path or way. For this reason, it is sometimes also called ("Horse Square") in Turkish. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Ancient Rome, Roman, and Byzantine eras. History and use Construction Although the Hippodrome is usually associated with Constantinople's days of glory as an imperial capital, it actually predates that era. The first Hippodrome was built when the city was called Byzantium, and was a provincial town of moderate importance. In AD 203 the Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city and expanded its city wall, walls, endowing it with a hippodrome, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blachernae
Blachernae () was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It is the site of a water source and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great Church of St. Mary of Blachernae (''Panagia Blacherniotissa''), built by Empress Pulcheria in c. 450, expanded by Emperor Leo I (r. 457–474) and renovated by Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565) in the 6th century.. Etymology The Romanian philologist Ilie Gherghel wrote a study about Blachernae and concluded that it possibly derived from the name of a Vlach. (sometimes written as Blach or Blasi) Gherghel compared data from old historians like Genesios and from the Greek lexicon '' Suidas'' and mentioned the existence of a small colony of Vlachs in the area of today Blachernae. Similar opinions were sustained by Lisseanu. The name Blachernae appeared in a work of Theophanes the Confessor in connection with a revolt of Flavius Vitalianus against Emperor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Palace Of Constantinople
The Great Palace of Constantinople (, ''Méga Palátion''; ), also known as the Sacred Palace (, ''Hieròn Palátion''; ), was the large imperial Byzantine palace complex located in the south-eastern end of the peninsula today making up the Fatih district of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), in modern Turkey. It served as the main imperial residence of the Eastern Roman emperors until 1081 and was the centre of imperial administration for over 690 years. Only a few remnants and fragments of its foundations have survived into the present day. History When Constantine I (emperor), Constantine I refounded Byzantium as Constantinople in 330, he planned out a palace for himself. The palace was located between the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. The complex of palaces was rebuilt and expanded several times during its history. Much of the complex was destroyed during the Nika riots of 532 and was rebuilt lavishly by the emperor Justinian I. Further extens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
