Alexios IV Angelos (; – February 1204),
Latinized as Alexius IV Angelus, was
Byzantine Emperor
The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of Emperor
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos or Angelus (; September 1156 – 28 January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and co-Emperor with his son Alexios IV Angelos from 1203 to 1204. In a 1185 revolt against the Emperor Andronikos Komnenos, Isaac ...
and his first wife, an unknown
Palaiologina, who became a nun with the name Irene. His paternal uncle was his predecessor Emperor
Alexios III Angelos. He is widely regarded as one of the worst Byzantine emperors for calling upon the
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 S ...
to help him gain power, which ultimately led to the
sack of Constantinople.
Prince in exile
The young Alexios was imprisoned in 1195 when Alexios III overthrew Isaac II in a coup. His father was ultimately blinded, but Alexios was largely unharmed. In 1201, two Pisan merchants were employed to smuggle Alexios out of
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
to the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
, where he took refuge with his brother-in-law
Philip of Swabia,
[Philip was married to Irene Angelina a sister of Alexios IV.] King of Germany.
According to the contemporary account of
Robert of Clari it was while Alexios was at Philip's court that he met with Marquis
Boniface of Montferrat, Philip's cousin, who had been chosen to lead the
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 S ...
, but had temporarily left the Crusade during the
siege of Zara in 1202 to visit Philip. Boniface and Alexios allegedly discussed diverting the Crusade to Constantinople so that Alexios could be restored to his father's throne. Montferrat returned to the Crusade while it wintered at Zara and he was shortly followed by Prince Alexios's envoys who offered to the Crusaders 10,000 Byzantine soldiers to help fight in the Crusade, maintain 500 knights in the Holy Land, the service of the Byzantine navy (20 ships) in transporting the Crusader army to
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, as well as money to pay off the Crusaders' debt to the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
with 200,000 silver marks. Additionally, he promised to bring the
Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Christianity in Greece, Greek Christianity, Antiochian Greek Christians, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christian ...
under the authority of the pope. The Venetians and most of the leaders were in favour of the plan; however, some were not, and there were defections, including
Simon de Montfort. In 1202, the fleet arrived at Constantinople. Alexios was paraded outside the walls, but the citizens were apathetic, as Alexios III, though a usurper and illegitimate in the eyes of the westerners, was an acceptable emperor for the Byzantine citizens.
Emperor
On 18 July 1203, the Crusaders launched an assault on the city, and Alexios III immediately fled into
Thrace
Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...
. The next morning the Crusaders were surprised to find that the citizens had released Isaac II from prison and proclaimed him emperor, despite the fact that he had been blinded to make him ineligible to rule. The Crusaders could not accept this, and forced Isaac II to proclaim his son Alexios IV co-emperor.
Despite Alexios' grand promises, Isaac, the more experienced and practical of the two, knew that the Crusaders' debt could never be repaid from the imperial treasury. Alexios, however, had apparently not grasped how far the empire's financial resources had fallen during the previous fifty years. Alexios did manage to raise half the sum promised (100,000 silver marks), by appropriating treasures from the church and by confiscating the property of his enemies. He then attempted to defeat his uncle Alexios III, who remained in control of Thrace. The sack of some Thracian towns helped Alexios' situation a little, but meanwhile hostility between the restive Crusaders and the inhabitants of Constantinople was growing.
In December 1203, violence exploded between the citizens of Constantinople and the Crusaders. Enraged mobs seized and brutally murdered any foreigner they could lay hands upon, and the Crusaders felt that Alexios had not fulfilled his promises to them. Alexios refused their demands, and is quoted as saying, "''I will not do any more than I have done.''" While relations with the Crusaders were deteriorating, Alexios had become deeply unpopular with the
Roman citizenry, and with his own father. Blinded and nearly powerless, Isaac II resented having to share the throne with his son; he spread rumours of Alexios' supposed sexual perversity, alleging he kept company with "''depraved men''". The chronicler
Nicetas Choniates dismissed Alexios as "''childish''" and criticized his familiarity with the Crusaders and his lavish lifestyle. At the beginning of January 1204, Alexios IV retaliated against the Crusaders by setting fire to 17 ships filled with inflammable materials and sending them against the Venetian fleet, but the attempt failed.
Deposition
At the end of January 1204, the populace of Constantinople rebelled and tried to proclaim a rival emperor
Nicholas Canabus who took sanctuary in the
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...
. Alexios IV attempted to reach a reconciliation with the Crusaders, entrusting the anti-western courtier
Alexios Doukas Murzuphlus with a mission to gain Crusader support. However, Alexios Doukas imprisoned both Alexios IV and his father on the night of 27 January 1204. Isaac II died soon afterwards, possibly of old age or from poison, and Alexios IV was strangled (probably on 8 February). Alexios Doukas was proclaimed emperor as Alexios V. During Alexios IV's brief reign, the empire's territories along the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
coast declared independence, leading to the Byzantine successor state known as the
Empire of Trebizond. The volatile situation in Constantinople at the time ensured that the empire lacked the wherewithal to maintain control of Trebizond, resulting in a de facto recognition of its independence, although it de jure remained an imperial possession.
The Fourth Crusade
In March 1204, Constantinople was in the middle of a succession crisis. Alexios IV had recently deposed the previous emperor, Isaac II. At the same time, a new crusade was starting to form with the intent to resolve the problem in Constantinople. The Byzantines were split among two factions; one that supported the crusade and one that went against the crusade. Eventually however, after the deposition of Alexios IV, who was in favor of the crusade, the Byzantines continued to lack the ability to pay off its debt. The current emperor, Alexios V, was attempting to strengthen the city's defense by the time the crusaders arrived, but ultimately the city was sacked. The chaos caused by these events ultimately led to a treaty establishing the Latin Empire which would last until 1261 AD.
Legacy
Alexios IV and his actions brought the empire to a state considerably worse than it had been ever before. It had lost a great deal of territory and would continue to do so due to the power struggle and subsequent crusade. By the end of the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine empire had been reduced to a regional power. It would recuperate somewhat, as the capital of Constantinople would eventually be recovered in 1261, nearly six decades after the short reign of Alexios. However, the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade would ultimately be a key factor in the empire's demise to the
Ottoman empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
two and a half centuries later.
Whether or not Alexios is directly to blame for the decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire is arguable, but due to a number of factors, such as his short reign and dangerous external factors to the safety of the empire, he lacked both the funds and experience necessary to properly handle the situation. He lacked a typical upbringing and education for royalty due to his imprisonment and exile which likely contributed to his lack of experience.
Ancestry
See also
*
List of Byzantine emperors
The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
Notes
References
* Angold, Michael, ''The Fourth Crusade'' (London and New York, 2004), ISBN 9780582356108.
* Brand, C.M., 'A Byzantine Plan for the Fourth Crusade', ''Speculum'', 43 (1968), pp. 462–475.
* Harris, Jonathan, ''Byzantium and the Crusades'' (2nd ed. London and New York, 2014).
* ''
Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
The ''Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'' (ODB) is a three-volume historical dictionary published by the English Oxford University Press. With more than 5,000 entries, it contains comprehensive information in English on topics relating to the Byzan ...
'',
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1991, pp. 65–66.
* Phillips, Jonathan, ''The Fourth Crusade And The Sack Of Constantinople'' (London and New York, 2004), ISBN 9781448114528.
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Angelos, Alexios 04
Alexios 04
1180s births
Year of birth uncertain
1204 deaths
12th-century Byzantine people
13th-century Byzantine emperors
13th-century murdered monarchs
Alexios IV Angelos
Deaths by strangulation
Byzantine prisoners and detainees
Assassinated Byzantine emperors
Sons of Byzantine emperors