Constanze (Antioch)

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Konstanze (* 1127 ; † after 1163 , before 1167 ) was Princess of Antioch from 1130 until her death. She was the only daughter of Prince Bohemond II and his wife Alice of Jerusalem , a daughter of King Baldwin II.

Life

childhood

Konstanze was only two years old when her father Bohemond died in 1130 on a campaign against the Armenians and their allies, the Danishmanids - Emir Ghazi , on the Ceyhan River . Her mother Alice then took over the reign, in order to consolidate her claim to rule she tried to enter into a marriage alliance with the Seljuk rulers of Mosul and Aleppo Zengi . With the help of the Antiochene nobility, however, she was deposed by her father Baldwin II and Joscelin I of Edessa . Alice was banished from the city of Antioch , but was allowed to keep Latakia and Jabla for herself, the cities that had been her dowry for her marriage to Bohemond. Joscelin took over the guardianship of Konstanze, but died in 1131 after the relief of Kaisun . His son Joscelin II was not recognized as regent, probably due to the influence of Constance's mother Alice.

Pons of Tripoli , Joscelin II and Alice conspired against the new king of Jerusalem, Fulko , who nevertheless managed to defeat their allies at Chastel Rouge in 1131. Fulko was then recognized as regent for Konstanze and appointed Reinald Mansoer von Margat as his local representative. Konstanzes mother had to stay in Latakia.

In the south, too, properties such as the Bisikra'il and Qadmos castles were lost . The latter was sold in 1132 by the Emir of Kahf to the assassins , who in 1135 also acquired Kahf themselves and in 1136 conquered Kahriba. The Armenians under Leo I (1129–1140) had conquered Mamistra , Tarsos and Adana in 1131 , followed by Sarventikar in the Amanos Mountains in 1133 . Sis and Anazarbos had already been taken under Thoros I in 1107 . When Sawar, the governor of Aleppo , marched against Antioch in 1133 , Fulko came to the rescue and repulsed Sawar and his Turkmen mercenaries at Qinnasrin . Although he was able to capture Sawar's tents, he continued to raid the area of ​​Antioch after Fulko moved back to Palestine in the summer.

In 1135 Zengi himself marched against Antioch and took the border fortresses in the east. The government in Antioch was headed by Patriarch Bernhard , who died in 1135. With the help of her sister, Queen Melisende of Jerusalem , Alice then obtained permission to return to Antioch. Fulk of Jerusalem was still regent, but the actual power was now back with his cousin Alice, Constance's mother.

Marriage to Raimund von Poitiers

In 1135 Alice offered the Byzantine heir to the throne Manuel I the hand of her seven-year-old daughter Konstanze, which aroused unrest among the French barons. They got in touch with Fulk, who thereupon Raimund von Poitiers , a younger son of William IX. of Aquitaine , chosen as future husband for Constanze. At that time he was at the English court, and the hospitaller Gerhard Jebarre was secretly sent to offer Constance's hand. Neither Alice nor Roger of Sicily should know about it. The thirty-seven-year-old Raimund, famous for his beauty and physical strength but uneducated, accepted the proposal. In order to get to Antioch, Raimund had to disguise himself as a pilgrim and servant to avoid the Norman scouts who had learned of the agreement. In 1136 Raimund landed in Antioch. With the help of Patriarch Radulph von Domfort , the rumor was spread that Raimund wanted to ask for Alice's hand and kidnap Konstanze. While Alice was waiting in the palace for the applicant, Konstanze and Raimund were married in a hurry. Alice then withdrew to Latakia.

In 1137, Emperor John II moved against Cilicia and Antioch, which was a Byzantine fiefdom according to a treaty concluded during the First Crusade. In August 1137 he began the siege. Raimund only barely managed to get back to Antioch before the ring of siege closed. After no help could be expected from Jerusalem and Edessa, Raimund reluctantly recognized the imperial suzerainty.

In 1138 the Byzantines, the troops of Antioch, Edessa and the Templars marched together against Zengi. While the emperor stood out on the battlefield, the Latin princes mainly sat playing dice. After the conquest of Shaizar , John II made a solemn entry into Antioch; Raimund and Joscelin had to lead his horse. Because of the unsafe situation, however, he soon withdrew to Cilicia. In 1142 John II stood again at the gates of Antioch, but had to postpone the siege because of the late season and died in 1143 of blood poisoning . Thereupon Raimund demanded the return of Cilicia from the new emperor Manuel I, but this refused.

The troops of Antioch and Edessa did not join the second crusade, but concentrated on the war against Nur ad-Din . On August 29, 1149, Raimund was slain at the well of Murad east of the Orontes ( Battle of Inab ).

Konstanze and Raimund had four children. Her son Bohemond was just five years old when his father died. Therefore, the Patriarch Aimerich of Limoges took over government in Antioch. Constance's 19-year-old cousin Balduin was appointed regent and soon suggested that she remarry. Ives von Nesle, Graf von Soissons ( House Nesle ), Walter von Falkenberg and Ralph von Merle were proposed as candidates . But Konstanze did not want to make a decision and asked Emperor Manuel I to choose a husband for her. Presumably in this way a counterweight against the power of Jerusalem was to be formed, which could guarantee the further independence of Antioch. Manuel sent the Norman Johannes Roger Dalassenos , who had been married to his late sister Maria. Konstanze refused him, however, and he had to return to Constantinople . In 1152 Baldwin ordered Konstanze to Tripoli in order to ask her to remarry with the help of his mother, Queen Melisande . But this time too there was no success.

Marriage to Rainald von Châtillon

In 1153 Konstanze decided to marry the French knight Rainald von Châtillon . He came to Antioch in 1151 in the service of King Baldwin. However, the marriage was unpopular as Rainald was considered an upstart.

Rainald was captured by Maj-ed-Din , the governor of Aleppo , on a raid into the Anti-Taurus in 1160 . Konstanze then claimed the rule. However, the popular party supported their son from their first marriage, the 15-year-old Bohemond . Baldwin made him prince and appointed the rich and immoral patriarch Aimerich of Limoges, an old opponent of Rainald, as regent. Konstanze protested against this decision at the court in Constantinople .

When Empress Irene , Manuel I's first wife, died at the end of 1159 , the Emperor married Maria of Antioch , daughter of Konstanze and Raimund, in 1160 . The marriage strengthened the position of Constanze, which now retained the reign over Antioch. Rainald was not released until 1176.

When Bohemond wanted to rule by himself at the age of 18 in 1162, Konstanze turned to the imperial governor of Cilicia, Konstantin Koloman , and asked for assistance. However, this led to an uprising in the city of Antioch, by which Constanze was ousted in 1163 in favor of her son and exiled to Latakia and Jabla. She died in 1167 at the latest and was buried in the monastery of S. Maria in the Josaphat valley .

family

Her first marriage to Raimund has four children:

From his second marriage to Rainald von Chatillon (1153) there are two daughters:

literature

Web links

predecessor Office successor
Bohemond II. Princess of Antioch
1130–1163 		Bohemond III.
personal data
SURNAME Constance
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Constance of Antioch
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Princess of Antioch
DATE OF BIRTH 1127
PLACE OF BIRTH Antioch
DATE OF DEATH between 1163 and 1167