Alexios Raoul ( el, ; died c. 1258) 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 Constantin ...
aristocrat and general of the
Empire of Nicaea. He attained the rank of ''
protovestiarios'' during the reign of Emperor
John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254).
Biography
Alexios Raoul was the scion of a
wealthy aristocratic family with large landholdings around
Smyrna
Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
, and possibly the son of the ''
sebastos'' Constantine Raoul, who had played a role in the usurpation of
Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203). He became the son-in-law of Emperor
John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254), having married a niece of his.
[.][.] Alexios and Vatatzes's niece together had four sons, three of whom are known by name,
John,
Manuel
Manuel may refer to:
People
* Manuel (name)
* Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers''
* Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
* Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire
* Manu ...
and Isaac, and one daughter.
Under Vatatzes, Alexios was raised to the rank of ''
protovestiarios'', and was given command of troops in
Macedonia
Macedonia most commonly refers to:
* North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia
* Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity
* Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
. In 1242, he accompanied the emperor in his campaign against the ruler of
Thessalonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region ...
,
John Komnenos Doukas (r. 1237–1244).
[.] He appears again in 1252, during Vatatzes's wars against the
Despot of Epirus Michael II Komnenos Doukas (r. 1230–1268). After the conclusion of a peace treaty, Alexios apparently remained in Europe along with the future emperor
Michael Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282) at
Vodena, guarding the approaches to Thessalonica.
As a member of the traditional aristocracy, he and his family suffered under
Theodore II Laskaris (r. 1254–1258). Theodore sought to reduce the nobility's power and influence, and favoured men of humble origin, whom he appointed to the highest state offices. In 1255, the emperor stripped him of his title and awarded it to his low-born protégé,
George Mouzalon. Furthermore, Theodore married one of Raoul's daughters to George's brother Andronikos Mouzalon, an act regarded as insulting, given the groom's origin.
In addition, Theodore II imprisoned Alexios's sons (the exact date is not clear).
Consequently, the family actively supported the murder of the Mouzalon brothers in 1258, following Theodore II's death, and the subsequent usurpation of
Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282).
[.]
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raoul, Alexios
1250s deaths
13th-century Byzantine people
Byzantine generals
People of the Empire of Nicaea
Alexios
Year of birth unknown
Protovestiarioi