Angelos

TheAngelosfamily (pl.Angeloi,Greek:Ἄγγελος, fem. Άγγελίνα) was a noble Byzantine lineage which gave rise to threeByzantine emperorsfrom 1185 to 1204. From the 13th to the 15th century, a branch of the family ruledEpiros,ThessalyandThessalonikiunder the name ofAngelos Komnenos Doukas.

The family name Angelos is derived either fromangel(messenger) or from the toponymAngel(Agel), a district nearAmida.

The lineage was founded byConstantine AngelosfromPhiladelphia(Asia Minor), who marriedTheodora Komnene(born 1096), a daughter of emperorAlexios I Komnenos.According to a 12th-century historian, Constantine was handsome but of lowly origin. Constantine and Theodora had three sons: thesebastokratorJohn Angelos,Andronikos AngelosandAlexios "Komnenos" Angelos,who erected a church inNereziin 1164, famed for its frescoes. During the reign ofManuel I Komnenos,several Angeloi attained rank as military commanders and officials of the Byzantine empire.

In 1185, Andronikos Angelos' sonIsaac II AngelosdeposedAndronikos I Komnenosand was proclaimed Byzantine Emperor. He was succeeded by his brotherAlexios III Angelosand his sonAlexios IV Angelos.Under the weak reign of the Angelos dynasty, the Byzantine empire deteriorated and soon fell prey to Latin crusaders and Venetians in theFourth Crusade.

After thefall of Constantinopleand the establishment of theLatin Empirein 1204, members of the Angeloi assumed power in Epiros and Thessaly, naming themselvesAngeloi Komnenoi Doukaiin order to distinguish themselves from the "humble" Angeloi, who were known as officials, physicians and clergymen.

Michael I Angelos,an illegitimate son of thesebastokratorJohn Angelos,founded theDespotate of Epiros,choosing the city ofArtaas its capital. In 1224, Michael's half-brotherTheodorecaptured theKingdom of Thessalonicafrom the crusaders and proclaimed himself as the legitimate Byzantine emperor (basileus) in Thessalonica. However, Theodore was defeated and captured byJohn II Asenin theBattle of Klokotnitsain 1230. During Theodore's captivity, his brotherManuel Angelosruled over Thessalonica, succeeded by Theodore's sonsJohnandDemetrios.Eventually, the city was lost to theNicaeal emperorJohn III Doukas Vatatzesin 1246, marking the end of the rule of the Angeloi in Thessalonica.

In 1230, Theodore's nephewMichael II,son of Michael I, established himself as ruler of Epiros and Thessaly. After the death of Michael II in 1271, Epiros was ruled by his legitimate sonNikephoros I,while Thessaly was given to his illegitimate sonJohn I Angelos.In 1318,Nicholas Orsinimurdered Nikephoros' sonThomas I Angelos,ending the rule of the Angeloi in Epiros. In Thessaly, John I Angelos was succeeded by his sonConstantine,followed byJohn II,who ruled from 1302/03 until his death in 1318. In the same year, Thessaly was seized by theCatalan Grand Companyand annexed to theDuchy of Athens.

Having re-established Byzantine control over Epiros and Thessaly in 1340, emperorAndronikos III Palaiologosappointed thepinkernes(cup-bearer) John Angelos, a nephew ofmegas domestikosJohn Kantakouzenos,to the governorship of Epiros. John extended his rule to Thessaly in 1342, but died from the plague in 1348. Epiros 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 of Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos, thekaisarofGreat Wallachia.Alexios' brother Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos was the last Byzantine 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 toEdirne,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.

References

• A. Kazhdan:"Angelos". In: TheOxford Dictionary of Byzantium,New York/Oxford, 1991.
• G. Ostrogorsky:"Anđeli". In:Enciklopedija Jugoslavije,1st ed., Zagreb, 1955.
• G. Prinzing: "Angeloi". In:Lexikon des Mittelalters,Stuttgart/Weimar, 1999.