John II (Athens)

John II of Sicily (* 1317 - † April 3, 1348 ) was Duke of Athens and Neopatria . He was the youngest son of King Frederick II of Sicily and Eleonore d'Anjou , daughter of King Charles II of Naples . From his father he received the title of Marquis of Randazzo .

When his older brother, Duke Wilhelm II, died childless in 1338 , Johann succeeded him as Duke of Athens and Neopatria. In contrast to his brothers, he intended to travel personally to Greece to rule there instead of the vicars who had been appointed up until then. In 1344 he set up an army of 400 knights and over 4,000 Almogàvers , but then took part in the reign in Sicily for his underage nephew, King Ludwig . During this time, the Serbs expanded under their Tsar, Stefan Uroš IV. Dušan , and in Constantinople the power struggle between the Palaiologists and Kantakuzenen , from which the Ottomans profited in particular . The rule of the Catalans in Athens itself deteriorated noticeably. In 1348 the Sicilian court provided Johann with 17,000 gold ounces to support his government in Athens.

Before he could set sail, he died of the plague . He was buried in the Cathedral of Catania .

Johann was married to Cesarina Lancia, the children were:

• Frederick I (around 1340 - 11 July 1355), Duke of Athens and Neopatria
• Eleonore (* around 1346; † after 1369), ∞ with Guillén de Peraltá, Conde de Castelbellotta

literature

• Kenneth M. Setton (Ed.): A History of the Crusades. 6 volumes. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison WI et al. 2005.
• Ferdinand Gregorovius : History of the City of Athens in the Middle Ages. From the time of Justinian to the Turkish conquest. 2 volumes. Cotta, Stuttgart 1889, ( digitized volume 1 , digitized volume 2 ; numerous editions).

predecessor	Office	successor
William II of Sicily	Duke of Athens Duke of Neopatria 1338–1348	Frederick I of Sicily