Theodore II (Byzantium)

Theodor II. Laskaris (15th century portrait)

Theodor II. Laskaris ( Middle Greek Θεόδωρος Βʹ Λάσκαρης ; * 1221 in Nikaia ; † August 1258 in Nymphaion ) was Byzantine emperor in the Empire of Nikaia from 1254 to 1258. He belonged to the Laskarid dynasty .

Theodor was born in 1221 as the son of Emperor Johannes III. Dukas Vatatzes was born. His teachers were Nikephoros Blemmydes and Georgios Akropolites .

In 1235 he married the daughter of Tsar Ivan Assen II of Bulgaria, Helena Assen, with whom he had ten children, two boys and eight girls. She died between 1249 and 1254.

Theodor was made co-emperor by his father in 1252. After the death of John III. he became his successor on November 3, 1254. In terms of foreign policy, he is best known for two campaigns in which he occupied Thrace and Macedonia. The main foreign policy goal of the time, the retaking of Constantinople , was not achieved. Domestically, Theodor promoted education and science. He tried to raise the education of broad sections of the population by setting up teaching facilities. The empire flourished under him.

The poor health of Theodor II - he suffered from epilepsy and depression - and his early death in 1258 prevented his abilities as regent from developing to the full. His underage son John IV. Laskaris took over the official rule after the death of his father, but could only hold on to power until 1259. The actual ruling power was exercised by the general Michael Palaiologos , who finally blinded John IV Laskaris and sent him to a monastery.

Theodore wrote a number of philosophical and theological writings including Eight Speeches on Christian Theology , Simple Description of the Universe , The Principles of Natural Community , Compendium of Ethical Observations on the Instability of Life , Treatise on Virtue , Eulogy of Wisdom , Eulogy on the great city of Nikaia and a funeral oration for the king of the "Alemanni" Friedrich (Barbarossa) . Furthermore, over 200 letters have survived from him.

literature

• John A. Demetracopoulos: Theodoros II. Laskaris. In: Laurent Cesalli, Gerald Hartung (ed.): Outline of the history of philosophy . The philosophy of the Middle Ages. Volume 1: Byzantium, Judaism. Schwabe, Basel 2019, ISBN 978-3-7965-2623-7 , pp. 85–90, 262
• Georg Ostrogorsky : History of the Byzantine State (= Handbook of Classical Studies . Department XII, Volume 1,2). 3rd edition, CH Beck, Munich 1963, pp. 367-369 ( excerpt from Google Books ).
• Rainer Walther: Theodoros II. Dukas Laskaris . In: Biographical Lexicon on the History of Southeast Europe . Vol. 4. Munich 1981, p. 300 f.

predecessor	Office	successor
John III	Emperor of Byzantium 1254–1258	John IV