John IV (Byzantium)
John IV Laskaris ( Middle Greek 'Ιωάννης Δʹ Λάσκαρης , * 1250 ; † after 1290) was only eight years old when he was raised to the rank of Byzantine emperor in the empire of Nikaia on the death of his father Theodor II . He was the last of the Laskarid emperors who had established the Nicaea Empire after the conquest of Constantinople at the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Due to his age-related immaturity, the despot Michael Palaiologos took over the reign. However, he himself was proclaimed and crowned emperor in 1259. At his command, John was blinded after the reconquest of Constantinople and then imprisoned on an island in the Sea of Marmara .
Little is known about the rest of John's life. However, it was reported that he recognized the emperor Andronikos II as late as 1290 .
literature
- Donald M. Nicol : John IV. Laskaris . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages . Volume 5, Col. 534.
- Alexios G. Savvides, Benjamin Hendrickx (Eds.): Encyclopaedic Prosopographical Lexicon of Byzantine History and Civilization . Vol. 3: Faber Felix - Juwayni, Al- . Brepols Publishers, Turnhout 2012, ISBN 978-2-503-53243-1 , p. 363.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Theodore II |
Emperor of Byzantium 1258–1261 |
Michael VIII |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | John IV |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | John IV Laskaris; 'Ιωάννης Δ' Λάσκαρης (Greek) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Emperor of Byzantium in exile in Nikaia (1258–1261) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1250 |
| DATE OF DEATH | after 1290 |