Michael II. Comnenus Dukas Angelos

Michael II. Komnenos Dukas

Michael II Komnenos Dukas Angelos Nothos. (* 1205 , † 1266 / 68 ) was Archon of Epirus and Aetolia from 1237 to 1266. He was the illegitimate son of the despot Michael I Komnenos Dukas Angelos (1204-1214).

Life

After his father was murdered in 1214, Michael went into exile, from which he did not return to Epirus until after 1230. He managed to take advantage of the political turmoil after the Mongol invasion, to establish his rule in Epirus and parts of Thessaly against the Bulgarians and the Kingdom of Thessaloniki and to assert his independence against the emperor in Nicea . Michael II and John III signed a friendship treaty in 1249, which was to be reinforced by the marriage of a granddaughter of the emperor to Michael's son, and with which Nicaea got her back free to turn against the Latin Empire in Constantinople .

But when Michael took up arms against Nicaea two years later (1251), John III hesitated. not to return the attack, so that Michael II was forced to surrender in 1253. He had to cede not only the conquered territories, but also parts of western Macedonia, and send his son to the court of the enemy, where the agreed marriage was also concluded, but not without a further armed conflict beforehand (Theodor had the surrender of the City of Durazzo demanded), which for Michael led to the siege of Thessaloniki - and then almost failed due to an attack by the new King of Sicily , the Staufer Manfred , who invaded Epirus in 1258, occupied Corfu and some coastal towns.

However, Michael succeeded in persuading Manfred and shortly afterwards also Wilhelm II of Villehardouin , the prince of Achaia , to form an alliance to which he gave one of his daughters as a wife (and the Sicilians as dowry what they had already conquered had).

In 1259 there was a decisive argument. At the Battle of Pelagonia that followed in September , Michael betrayed his allies (probably after a dispute) by overflowing to the enemy the evening before. Nicaea won the battle, and Michael's territory was occupied by them despite the defection.

Michael succeeded in recapturing his principality, then fought with varying success against his opponents until a peace between the opponents could be concluded in 1264, which then also lasted in this direction.

Instead, a new threat arose in the west: Manfred had been defeated by Charles of Anjou in the battle of Benevento in 1266 and had fallen himself, Karl had succeeded him, which he then wanted to extend to the possessions east of the Adriatic . In 1267 he conquered Corfu and large parts of the Epirotian mainland, but did not prevent that after Michael's death in 1271 his son Nikephorus I could succeed as despot.

progeny

Michael II was married to Theodora Petraliphaina , who later became saint Theodora of Arta, daughter of John Petraliphas . Your children were:

• Demetrios-Michael , † 1304
• Anna Komnene Dukaina, † November 4, 1286, ∞ I 1259 Wilhelm II of Villehardouin , † May 1, 1278, 1246 Prince of Achaia ; ∞ II Nicholas II of St. Omer, † 1294
• Helena Dukaina Angelina , * probably 1242, † July 1271 in prison in Nocera , heiress of Corfu, Durazzo, Valona and Berat; ∞ Trani June 2, 1259 Manfred , * 1232, † February 26, 1266 in the battle of Benevento , 1250 Prince of Taranto , 1254 regent, Palermo August 10, 1258 King of Sicily and Apulia ;
• Nikephorus I Angelos , † 1296; ∞ Maria, daughter of Theodor II Laskaris
• Johannes Dukas, † around 1289 by suicide after he had been imprisoned and blinded in 1280 ; ∞ NN Tornikissa, daughter of the Sebastokrator Konstantin
• Johannes I. Dukas Komnenos (illegitimate), Sebastokrator, † 1289
• Thamar ∞ Philip I of Taranto

literature

• Günter Prinzing: Michael II. Angelos Komnenos Dukas , in: Biographical Lexicon for the History of Southeast Europe . Vol. 3. Munich 1979, pp. 180-182

Web links

• material collection

predecessor	Office	successor
Theodoros I. Angelus	Despot of Epiros 1230-1266 / 68	Nikephorus I. Angelus