Johannes Dukas Komnenos

Johannes Dukas Komnenos (* 1128 ; † shortly after September 17, 1176 ) was a nephew of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I from the house of the Komnenen . Komnenos was strategist (military commander) of Serdica ( Sofia ) and from 1155 to 1176 imperial governor of Cyprus . He fell at the Battle of Myriokephalon .

origin

Johannes Dukas Komnenos came from the Byzantine ruling house of the Komnenes. He was the eldest son of Sebastokrators ("Venerable Regent") Andronikos Komnenos († 1142) and Eirene Aineiadissa, († 1150/51) and a grandson of John II , Emperor of Byzantium (1118–1142) and his wife, Piroska Princess of Hungary (as Empress "Irene"). The additional name Dukas is based on the Byzantine tradition of combining one's own family name with that of more famous families that appear among the ancestors in order to increase one's own prestige. His grandfather, Emperor Johannes II, was called Johannes Komnenos Dukas to commemorate his mother, Irene Dukaina († 1123), who came from the older imperial family of the Dukas .

Life

The fact that this tradition was resumed for Johannes Dukas Komnenos shows that his parents calculated a good chance that their son would one day wear the imperial crown: his father Andronikos Komnenos was only the second eldest son of Emperor Johannes II, but had his older brother Alexios , who was crowned co-emperor in 1122, no male heirs, just a daughter. Alexios, John's eldest uncle, died prematurely in the summer of 1142. His own father, Andronikos Komnenos, was promoted to crown prince, but died a few months later, in autumn 1142, also before his father, Emperor Johannes II. Johannes was crown prince at the age of 14, but was passed over by his grandfather, Emperor Johannes II, when choosing his successor, as he still had two adult sons: Isaak and Manuel. Since the emperor was convinced that Isaac was "of unstable temperament", he decided to appoint Manuel, the youngest of his sons, as his successor. To be on the safe side, he personally placed the crown on his head and obliged his generals to recognize him as the new emperor.

Johannes grew up with his younger brother Alexios at the imperial court in Constantinople , received several titles reserved for members of the imperial family, such as "Protosebastos", "Protobestiarios" (1148), and became strategos (military commander) of Serdica (Sofia ) appointed. In 1155 he received his most important function as " Dux " ("Duke") and imperial governor of the island of Cyprus .

Since Cyprus had been spared wars during the past century, not only the governor, but also the population lived in satisfaction and prosperity.

The crusader Rainald von Chatillon , originally a poor knight and younger son from a good family, was in 1153 through his marriage to Konstanze Princess of Antioch (1130–1163), the heir daughter of Bohemond II. Prince of Antioch (1126–1130) from the Norman House of Hauteville and his wife, Alice von Rethel , Princess of Jerusalem, became Prince of Antioch. In order to get his recognition by Emperor Manuel I of Byzantium as a prince, he had undertaken a campaign against the principality of Lesser Armenia and promised to hand over Prince Thoros II (1140–1169) from the house of the Rubenids to Manuel. After a battle near Alexandrette (today İskenderun in southern Turkey), from which he drove the Armenians, he asked Manuel to pay him money, which Manuel refused because the task had not yet been completed. Rainald then changed sides, allied himself with the Knights Templar and King Thoros II and decided to attack and loot Cyprus together with them. In the past, Cyprus had played an important role in supporting and supplying the crusaders, so there were good relations with the crusader states . As soon as King Baldwin of Jerusalem learned of the planned attack, he sent couriers to the island to warn them. But it was not possible to send reinforcements in time.

In the spring of 1156, the combined troops of Prince Raimund and Thoros II of Armenia landed on Cyprus. John sent his military commander, Michael Branas, to the coast. After initial success, his troops were defeated and he himself was taken prisoner. Johannes rushed to his aid with the rest of his troops, but was also defeated and taken prisoner. The victorious Franks and Armenians then swarmed across the island to rob, plunder, burn and rape.

When, after three weeks, rumors of the approach of an imperial fleet surfaced, the ships were loaded with the booty brought in from all sides. What could not be taken due to a lack of space - such as the large flock of sheep rounded up from the island - was sold to the robbed owners at high prices. Every Cypriot was forced to buy himself out with ransom. Since there was not enough money for this on the whole island, the governor Johannes, the military commander Michael Branas, together with the most important clergy, landowners and merchants - including their families - was brought on the ships, shipped to Antioch and locked up there until the required ransom was paid. Some were even mutilated and sent to Constantinople for ridicule. The Latin historian Wilhelm von Tire regretted this act of war by Christians against Christians and described Rainald's atrocities in detail. The devastation wrought by Rainald and his Armenian allies was compounded by an earthquake in 1157.

Shortly thereafter, the Egyptians, whose fleet had not ventured into Cypriot waters for decades, undertook several raids on the island. Among the prisoners they took was the governor's brother, Alexios Komnenus, who was honored in Cairo and sent back to Constantinople.

In the autumn of 1158, Emperor Manuel I forced Rainald to formally submit, after he had marched with an army to Antioch: Rainald had to throw himself barefooted and in his shirtless at the feet of the emperor in front of the assembled population. At this point at the latest, Johannes Dukas Komnenos should also have been released and returned to Cyprus. In 1160 there was a new raid on Cyprus. Emperor Manuel I, King Baldwin III. of Jerusalem had asked for the nomination of two candidates for his second marriage and had chosen Mary of Antioch , angered the brother of the other candidate Melisande Melisande of Tripoli , Count Raimund III. of Tripoli in such a way that he decided to take revenge for this setback by converting the twelve galleys built for his sister's wedding into warships and attacking Cyprus.

John was only indirectly involved in the crusade led by King Amalrich I of Jerusalem against Egypt in 1169, where Saladin recently ruled. Emperor Manuel I had promised King Amalrich the support of the large imperial fleet, which, under the command of Megas Dux , Andronikos Kontostephanos , set sail from the Hellespont on July 10, 1169 and sailed to Cyprus, while a smaller squadron sailed directly to Akkon . Amalrich was asked to notify Cyprus as soon as he wanted the fleet to continue. She stayed in Cyprus for a few months and only sailed to Acre in September to support the attack on Damiette . John was able to increase his protocol title in 1170 by the designation given by Emperor Manuel I as " Sebastokratoronthes ".

Johannes Dukas Komnenos was one of the generals who fought on September 17, 1176 in the Battle of Myriokephalon between the troops of Emperor Manuel I of Byzantium and those of Kilij Arslan II , the Sultan of the Seljuks of Rum . In 1175 a dispute broke out because Kilidsch Arslan II refused to cede territories conquered by the common enemy, the Danischmenden , to Manuel recently . Manuel was determined to finally defeat the Seljuks and to conquer their capital Iconium (today Konya in Central Anatolia). However, the army was ambushed by the Seljuks in the mountain pass between Tzivritze and the fortress Myriokephalon near Beyşehir Lake ( Beyşehir Gölü ) in Central Anatolia and suffered heavy losses. Among the dead were not only Johann Dukas Komnenos, but also several of his relatives, such as his brother-in-law, Johannes Kantakuzenos (husband of his sister Maria Komnene), Andronikos Batatzes (cousin of Emperor Manuel) and Balduin of Antioch (son of Raimund von Poitiers and brother-in-law of the emperor).

Marriage and offspring

Johannes Dukas Komnenos married Ne Taronitissa from the House of Taronites, a branch of the Armenian Bagratids , around 1146 , which is derived from Ashot Bagratuni († 967/68), an illegitimate son of Gregorios Bagratuni, the prince of Taron. As a widow she went to the monastery as sister Maria and died after 1176. The European family tables see her as a possible daughter of Michael II Taronites, according to Jean Claude Chuat she was a daughter of John (III) Taronites. This would coincide with an anonymous poem written on the occasion of their wedding.

Children:

• Maria Komnene, mistress of Nablus , (* 1154, † before February 1217)

oo 1.) Cathedral of Tire August 29, 1167 Amalrich I d´Anjou , King of Jerusalem (1162/63 - 1174), († July 11, 1174)

oo 2.) 1177 Balian of Ibelin († 1193), lord of Ibelin and Nablus, who in 1187, after the battle of Hattin , negotiated the surrender of Jerusalem with Saladin .

• Alexios Komnenos , Pinkernes (imperial cupbearer) before 1180, proclaimed Emperor of Byzantium in 1185 with Norman help, was captured and blinded on November 7th, 1185, † 1187

• Theodora Komnene

oo 1.) 1175 Bohemond III. Prince of Antioch (1163–1201), divorced from the house of the Counts of Poitiers , Dukes of Aquitaine († October 1201), 1180,

oo 2.) Gautier of Bethune Lord of Bessan (Bethanien), 1210

Individual evidence

1. ^ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades, translation by Peter de Mendelssohn, Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich, 2nd edition 1997, p. 528.
2. ↑ //fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTINE% 20NOBILITY.htm # _Toc204583746
3. ^ PP Read, The Templars , 238
4. ^ PP Read, The Templars , 239
5. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades, translation by Peter de Mendelssohn, Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich, 2nd edition 1997, p. 653.
6. ^ William of Tire, Historia , XVIII, 10
7. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades. Translation by Peter de Mendelssohn, Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich, 2nd edition 1997, p. 654.
8. ↑ Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades, translation by Peter de Mendelssohn, Deutscher Taschenbuchverlag, Munich, 2nd edition 1997, p. 657.
9. ^ Steven Runciman History of the Crusades, dtv-Verlag, Munich 7th edition 1997, p. 664.
10. ↑ Steven Runciman History of the Crusades, dtv-Verlag, Munich 7th edition 1997, p. 689.
11. ^ Detlev Schwennike: European Family Tables New Series, Volume II, Verlag JA Stargardt, Marburg 1984, Plate 177
12. ↑ Chuat, JC (2006) De Chemins en Jalons, Vol. II. Jalons vers l´antiquité, self-published), pages 21/22
13. ^ Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Taronites

literature

• Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades . Munich 1978.
• J.-L. Van Dieten (Ed.): Niketas Choniates , Historia . Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 11. Berlin / New York 1975.
• Sturdza, MD (1999) Dictionnaire Historique et Généalogique des Grandes Familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (2nd edition Paris)
• John Julius Norwich: Bisanzio Splendore e Decadenza di un Impero, Arnoldo Mondatori Editore, Milano 2000, (Original title: A Short History of Byzantium, 1997)

Web link

Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Komnenos