Angelos

This article is about the noble lineage with the name Angelos. For other uses, seeAngelos (disambiguation).

Angelos Άγγελος Angelid dynasty
Imperial dynasty
Country	Byzantine Empire Despotate of Epirus Empire of Thessalonica
Founded	11th century 1185(as imperial dynasty)
Founder	Constantine Angelos Isaac Angelos (first emperor)
Final ruler	Alexios IV Angelos (Byzantine Empire) Thomas I Komnenos Doukas (Despotate of Epirus) John II Angelos Doukas (Thessaly)
Titles	Byzantine Emperor Despot of Epirus Ruler ofThessaly
Deposition	1204(Byzantine Empire) 1318(Despotate of Epirus)

TheHouse of Angelos(/ˈænɡəloʊs/;pl.Angeloi;Greek:Ἄγγελος,pl.Ἄγγελοι,female versionAngelina,Ἀγγελίνα),LatinisedasAngelus,was aByzantine Greeknoblefamily that produced severalEmperorsand other prominentnoblesduring the middle and lateByzantine Empire.The family rose to prominence through the marriage of its founder,Constantine Angelos,withTheodora Komnene,the youngest daughter of EmperorAlexios I Komnenos.As imperial relatives, the Angeloi held various high titles and military commands under EmperorManuel I Komnenos.In 1185, following a revolt againstAndronikos I Komnenos,Isaac II Angelosrose to the throne establishing the Angeloi as the new imperial family that ruled until 1204. Theperiodwas marked by the decline and fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire, culminating in its dissolution by theFourth Crusadein 1204 underAlexios IV Angelos.

After the Fourth Crusade, another branch of the family managed to establish anindependent stateinEpirus,which quickly expanded to ruleThessalyandMacedonia.The members of this branch largely eschewed the use of the 'Angelos' surname in favour of the more prestigious 'Doukas' and 'Komnenos', and are collectively known as theKomnenodoukas(Κομνηνοδούκας) dynasty.Inc. 1224,Theodore Komnenos DoukasconqueredThessalonica,and founded theEmpire of Thessalonica,claiming the Byzantine imperial title in rivalry to theEmpire of Nicaea.His empire quickly collapsed after theBattle of Klokotnitsain 1230. Thessalonica was lost to Nicaea in 1246, and the prospects of recovering Constantinople were dashed at theBattle of Pelagoniain 1259, followed by the re-establishment of theByzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynastyin 1261. Often in rivalry to the new Byzantine regime, the Komnenodoukai nevertheless secured recognition and titles from Constantinople, and retained their control over Thessaly (ruled by a cadet line) and Epirus until 1318.

Early history

The Angeloi, unlike some other Byzantine families, were not established among the Byzantine nobility and their lineage was not thought of particularly highly until the first half of the 12th century.Despite the odds, the family's rise occurred rather quickly during the period of the Byzantine aristocratization.The lineage, ofGreekorigin,was founded byConstantine Angelos,a minor noble fromPhiladelphia(Asia Minor).According to the 12th-century historianJohn Zonaras,Constantine was brave, skilled and very handsome, but of lowly origin.The family's surname is commonly held to have derived from the Greek word for 'angel' or 'messenger',although such an origin is rarely attested in Byzantine times. Another theory suggests that their name instead derives from A[n]gel, a district nearAmidainUpper Mesopotamia.The historian Suzanne Wittek-de Jongh suggested that Constantine was the son of a certainpatrikiosManuel Angelos, whose possessions nearSerreswere confirmed by achrysobullof EmperorNikephoros III(r. 1078–1081), but this is considered unlikely by other scholars.

Despite his lowly origin, Constantine managed to win the favors ofTheodora Komnene(born 1097), the widow of John Kourtikes and fourth daughter of EmperorAlexios I Komnenos(r. 1081–1118) andIrene Doukaina.Their marriage took place inc. 1122,after the death of Alexios I. As an Imperial in-law, Constantine received the title ofsebastohypertatos,even though he was not considered equal to Alexios' other sons-in-law who were of nobler origin and held more titles.Theodora's mother, Empress-dowager Irene, also appears to have disapproved of the match.Constantine and Theodora had seven children, three sons and four daughters.Through his sons, Constantine was the progenitor of the Angelos dynasty, which produced three Byzantine emperors in 1185–1204, as well as the Komnenos Doukas dynasty that ruled overEpirusandThessalonicain the 13th–14th centuries.

Imperial Angelos dynasty

Byzantine Empire

Main article:Byzantine Empire under the Angelos dynasty

Aspron trachydepicting the Virgin Mary (left) andIsaac II Angelos(right), first ruler of the imperial Angelid dynasty, crowned by saint Michael the Archangel.

Constantine's third sonAndronikos Doukas Angelos,was the progenitor of the imperial Angelos dynasty.The Angeloi came into conflict with EmperorAndronikos I Komnenoswho had initiated a series of anti-aristocratic policies. In a 1185 coup d'état, Andronikos' sonIsaac II Angelosgained popular support and deposed Andronikos I Komnenos proclaiming himself Byzantine Emperor. The new emperor did not manage to regulate the weaknesses that he inherited, including the abuses in central and provincial administration.Isaac II failed to crush the revolt of the Bulgarians and Walachians and in 1187 he was forced to recognize theBulgarian empire.Despite those military defeats, Isaac succeeded in retrieving imperial fortunes in the Balkans, afterBranas' victory against theNormansat theBattle of Demetritzesin 1185 and the victory againstStephan NemanjaofSerbiain 1190.During Isaac's reign, attempts to usurp imperial power by Byzantine nobles, previously uncommon in the Byzantine history of the 12th century, became a common occurrence preventing the empire's complete recovery.

In 1195 Isaac II was deposed by his brotherAlexios III Angelos,whose coup and misuse of power accelarated the decline of the empire's strength. His reign was marked by abuses in provincial administration and an increasing autonomy of regional magnates who would even defy the emperor's authority.In 1201 Isaac's son,Alexius Iv Angelos,made his way to the west, where he succeeded in bringing about the diversion of the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople in order to restore his father, Isaac II, to power.On 1 August 1203, the blinded Isaac II was crowned co-emperor, after eight years of imprisonment, along with his son Alexios IV, who held the true power during their reign. After his deposition by the Fourth Crusade, Alexios III fled Constantinople with the goal of collecting support and restoring his reign, but was eventually captured inNicaeawhere he died in a monastery in 1211.Despite their initial synergy, the inability of the Angeloi to deal with the Crusaders' demands caused friction between the Crusaders and the co-emperors, who in January 1204 were deposed byAlexios V Doukasand killed shortly after.With their former supporters now dead, the Crusaders had no support in Constantinople, while the anti-Latin sentiment of the citizens was reinforced.Following the brief reign and failed negotiations by Alexios V, the Crusaderssacked Constantinopleand established theLatin Empireofficially terminating the Byzantine rule for nearly half a century.

Komnenodoukas dynasty

Main articles:Despotate of EpirusandEmpire of Thessalonica

Map of theDespotate of Epirus,one the three Byzantine ramp states that emerged in 1205 and laid claim to the Byzantine throne, ruled by theKomnenodoukasbranch of the Angelos dynasty.

The Angelos line was continued by the descendants of Constantine's eldest son, thesebastokratorJohn Doukas.Like John, most of his descendants eschewed the surname "Angelos" and used either "Doukas" or "Komnenos Doukas", after which they are known in modern scholarship as the "Komnenodoukai" (Κομνηνοδούκαι).

After the fall of Constantinople and the establishment of theLatin Empirein 1204, John Doukas' illegitimate son,Michael I Komnenos Doukas,founded theDespotate of Epirusin 1205 choosing the city ofArtaas its capital.Initially a vassal and an ally of the Latins, Michael I went on to expand his territories in north-eastern Greece until his death in 1215, when he was succeeded by his half-brotherTheodore Komnenos Doukas.In 1224, Theodore captured theKingdom of Thessalonicafrom the crusaders and proclaimed himself as the legitimate Byzantine emperor (basileus) inhis holdings.Epirus appeared as a serious contender for the Byzantine throne, but Theodore was defeated and captured byJohn II Asenat theBattle of Klokotnitsain 1230 and his empire quickly declined following the loses in Macedonia and Thrace.During Theodore's captivity, his brotherManuelruled over Thessalonica, succeeded by Theodore's sonsJohnandDemetrios.In 1242 theNicaean emperorJohn III Doukas Vatatzescompelled John to abandon the imperial title (keeping only the title ofdespotes),and by 1246 Thessalonica was captured by Nicaea, marking the end of the Angelid rule in much of northern Greece.

In 1230, Theodore's nephewMichael II,son of Michael I, established himself as ruler of Epirus andThessalyand was partially successful in recapturing holdings lost to Nicaea.After the death of Michael II in 1268, Epirus was ruled by his legitimate sonNikephoros I,while Thessaly – now separated from Epirus – was given to his illegitimate sonJohn I Doukas.The Komnenodoukas family lost both Epirus and Thessaly in 1318;Nicholas Orsini,Count of Cephalonia,murdered Nikephoros' sonThomas I,ending the rule of the family in Epirus, while in Thessaly John I Doukas was succeeded by his sonConstantine,followed byJohn II,who ruled from 1302/03 until his death in 1318.In the same year, the south of Thessaly was seized by theCatalan Grand Companyand annexed to theDuchy of Athens,while the north passed to a series of autonomous magnates.

Later family

Having re-established Byzantine control over Epirus and Thessaly in 1340, emperorAndronikos III Palaiologosappointed thepinkernes(cup-bearer)John Angelos,a nephew ofmegas domestikosJohn Kantakouzenos,to the governorship of Epirus. John extended his rule to Thessaly in 1342, but died from the plague in 1348. Epirus and Thessaly were conquered by the Serbian rulerStefan Dušansoon afterwards.

Descendants of John Angelos continued to govern Thessaly underSimeon UrošandJohn Uroš.John Uroš, the lastNemanjić,abdicated in favour ofAlexios Angelos Philanthropenos,thekaisarof Thessaly. Alexios' brotherManuel Angelos Philanthropenoswas the last Byzantine Greek ruler of Thessaly.

After theOttomanconquest of Thessaly in 1394, the Angeloi Philanthropenoi took refuge inSerbia.A grandson of either Alexios or Manuel,Mihailo Anđelović,served as an official at the court ofĐurađandLazar Branković.Mihailo's brotherMahmud,captured in his infancy by Ottoman soldiers, was brought toAdrianople,where he converted to Islam. He later rose to the highest ranks of the Ottoman Empire, becomingbeylerbeyofRumeliain 1451 andGrand Vizierin 1455. Thus, in the negotiations between Serb despot Lazar Branković andMehmed IIin 1457, the two sides were represented by the brothers Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović.

Family tree

House of Angelos

Irene Doukaina Alexios I Byzantine emperor (1081–1118) HOUSE OF KOMNENOS Theodora Komnene Constantine HOUSE OF ANGELOS John sebastokrator BRANCH OFEPIRUS (KOMNENOS DOUKAS) Zoe Doukaina Andronikos general Isaacios Angelos Doukas (illeg.)Michael I ruler of Epirus (2)Constantine Despotof Acarnania & Aetolia (2)Theodore ruler of Epirus ruler of Thessalonica BRANCH OFTHESSALONICA (2)Manuel Doukas ruler of Thessaly Constantine sebastokrator Alexios III Byzantine emperor (1195–1203) Isaakios II Byzantine emperor (1185–1195, 1203–1204) Constantine usurper (illeg.)Michael II despot of Epirus John ruler of Thessalonica Demetrios ruler of Thessalonica Anna ∞Theodore I Laskaris Emperor of Nicaea(1205–1222) HOUSE OF LASKARIS Eudokia ∞Alexios V Doukas Byzantine emperor (1204) Alexios IV Byzantine emperor (1203–1204) John duke of Syrmia Nikephoros I despot of Epirus John general Demetrios (Michael) "Koutroules" general (illeg.)John I sebastokrator, ruler of Thessaly (1268–1289) BRANCH OF THESSALY Thomas I despot of Epirus Andronikos protosebastos Constantine ruler of Thessaly (1289–1303) Theodore co-ruler of Thessaly (1289-1299) Anna ∞John II Orsini count palatine of Cephalonia & Zakynthos despot of Epirus (1323–1335) John II ruler of Thessaly (1303-1318)

See also

• History of the Byzantine Empire

References

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