As The Komnenoi World Turns S2 E2
May. 20th, 2012 12:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
transemacabreLET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAAAAIN
ITS JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT
The year is 1185, the place: Constantinople. So our sordid tale contines with Andronikos I Komnenos as master of the Byzantine Empire, dawdling his child-bride on his knee, and in his off hours making steady progress on thinning out the hordes of younger Komnenoi.
Among these kinsmen was Alexios Komnenos 1, the illegitimate son of Emperor Manuel I by his niece, Theodora Vatatzaina. Alexios had recently married Irene, Andronikos' daughter by Theodora Komnene. Andronikos arrested his son-in-law, had him thrown in prison, and blinded. When Irene appeared in public wearing "tatters with her hair shorn" in mourning, according to Niketas Choniates, Andronikos banished her in disgust. He felt that his daughter should feel as he felt, and if he hated her husband, then Irene ought to hate him, too.
Andronikos should've kept a closer eye on another cousin, Alexios Komnenos (yes, yet another Alexios Komnenos), the cupbearer and nephew of Emperor Manuel I. After Andronikos' rise to power, Alexios the Cupbearer had fled to Sicily, where he found refuge at the court of King William II.
William II of Sicily is an interesting character in his own right. His sobriquet was "The Good", as his father William I was "The Bad", but as their policies did not much differ, it seems that the father simply had the bad luck to rule during "interesting times", as they say. By blood, William II was of Norman, Iberian, and Arab 2 descent, and he ruled a kingdom as culturally diverse as himself. Palaces ringed the royal city of Palermo like necklaces, palaces decorated with gardens, fountains, menageries, and splendid Byzantine mosaics. Within his court, one might've seen William II himself sitting cross-legged, wearing a caftan and surrounded by musicians, dancers, and onlookers playing chess, as depicted in the mosaics. His forebearers had been patrons of art and learning (his grandfather Roger II had commissioned a sort of proto-encyclopedia from the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi) and William II was no different. Royal coins bore inscriptions in both Arabic and Greek, and were dated from the Hegira (Muhammad's flight to Mecca). Ibn Jubayr, a Muslim traveler from Al-Andalus, reported that when he visited Palermo in 1184 that Christian women went about veiled, and that the locals spoke Arabic.
William II had been a suitor for the hand of Maria Porphyrogenita many years ago, and had perhaps at one time fancied himself the future ruler of Constantinople. That was not to be. He married Joan, the favorite sister of Richard the Lion-hearted of England, but their only son died in the cradle. Perhaps when Alexios the Cupbearer appeared at his court, complaining of Andronikos' tyrannies, William saw a chance to seize that which he had long desired.
William II was crowned king by Jesus Christ himself, as faithfully depicted in this tasteful mosaic
The Sicilians landed on Greek territory and captured Thessaloniki with embarassing ease. Andronikos' regime was fraying at the edges. Andronikos sent his heir Ioannes kaisar, the eunuch Nikephoros, and his generals Alexios Vranas, Andronikos Palaiologos, and Theodoros Choumnos to deal with the threat. Of these, only Choumnos tried to come to the aid of Thessaloniki, and his forces were whipped and "fled without a backward glance". Ioannes kaisar busied himself with hunting, preferring warfare against woodland creatures who could not fight back with a sword or bow.
Joining the Sicilian army was Alexios the Cupbearer, "who was unworthy even to lead sheep", prancing about as though he were already emperor and Constantinople itself were already won. With the Sicilian army marching on Constantinople, Andronikos was sinking deeper into vice and paranoia. Surrounded by self-serving sycophants, ambitious nobles, frantic populace, and the rapidly approaching Sicilian army, his ominous words were, "If it is ordained that Andronikos should be dragged down to the halls of Hades, they shall go first to prepare the way; only then shall Andronikos follow."
Still obsessed with the issue of his succession, Andronikos turned to witchcraft. The corrupt courtier, Stephanos Hagiochristophorites, consulted the stars and the dreams and the omens, and asked, Who will rule after Emperor Andronikos? The response from the oracle was the name Isaakios, which Andronikos took to mean the troublemaking Isaakios of Cyprus.
Another courtier, Ioannes Apotyras, suggested that the culprit might be Isaakios Angelos. Andronikos responded with disbelief, saying that Isaakios Angelos was much too effeminate and foolish to accomplish such a feat, but the hotheaded Stephanos Hagiochristophorites decided at once to go and arrest Isaakios Angelos, just in case.
By September 1185, Isaakios Angelos was still a young man, but he had been married 3 and was the father of at least three young children, as well as a veteran of a failed rebellion against Andronikos I. His brother, Theodoros Angelos, had been blinded by Andronikos and his other brother, Alexios Angelos, had fled Constantinople and was wandering around the Holy Land. He knew something was up when Hagiochristophorites and his cronies showed up at his house, demanding he come along quietly.
Effeminate or not, Isaakios Angelos had survived Andronikos' reign of terror so far and wasn't going to give up without a fight. He drew a sword, and even as Hagiochristophorites turned to flee, Isaakios brought it down and cleaved his skull in twain. He then fought off Hagiochristophorites' homies (cutting the ear off one) and then rode through the city streets, holding aloft his bloody sword, proclaiming that he had killed Stephanos Hagiochristophorites. He took refuge in a church, joined by curious onlookers.
By the next morning, the mob outside the church had swelled into thousands. Isaakios Angelos denounced the emperor, and the citizenry agreed with him, being weary of Andronikos climbing in their windows and snatching their people up. Andronikos holed himself up in the palace along with his faithful supporters, and with Isaakios Angelos inciting them to riot, nothing could stop the mob. The citizens attacked the prisons, breaking the bolts and freeing the prisoners, and then the mob declared Isaakios Angelos their emperor. No one was more shocked than Isaakios Angelos himself. He was a fairly distant imperial relation -- a great-grandson of Alexios I through a female line -- and realistically he could've had no expectations of ever being emperor. He pounced on it like Snooki on willing dick as soon as the opportunity presented itself, though.
Hearing this, Andronikos was so infuriated that he climbed upon a palace tower and fired his own bow upon the mob, but that obviously having little effect, he decided to flee. He cleverly disguised himself by wearing a pointed barbarian hat, and boarded a ship bound for Russia, taking with him his child-bride Agnes of France and his mistress Maraptike. He didn't make it far before being apprehended and dragged back to be thrown into prison.
Isaakios Angelos was crowned emperor in triumph. His supporters, being a rampaging mob, entered the palace and stole everything that wasn't nailed down, despoiled the treasury, and ransacked churches.
Andronikos was tortured brutally in prison. His hand was chopped off and an eye was gouged out, and he was left to linger in pain for several days before being paraded through the city streets, stoned and attacked by the populace. He was strung up between some columns and there he died.
His eldest son Manuel, despite being innocent of his father's crimes, was arrested and blinded on the orders of Isaakios Angelos. Manuel's wife and their young sons escaped the city and sought refuge in Georgia. Ioannes kaisar, Manuel's younger brother, was away 'campaiging' against the Sicilians during his father's downfall. When word reached his army, his own soldiers seized and blinded him, and Ioannes kaisar died wretchedly.
1. The half-brother of Andronikos' recent murder victim, Alexios II. Yes, they were half-brothers with the exact same name.
2. The Arab ancestry came through his paternal grandmother, Elvira of Castile, who's mother had been born a Muslim named Zaida.
3. His first wife was in all probability a Tornikaina, of an illustrious family, as shown by evidence presented by genealogist Chuck Owens.
ITS JUST A JUMP TO THE LEFT
The year is 1185, the place: Constantinople. So our sordid tale contines with Andronikos I Komnenos as master of the Byzantine Empire, dawdling his child-bride on his knee, and in his off hours making steady progress on thinning out the hordes of younger Komnenoi.
Among these kinsmen was Alexios Komnenos 1, the illegitimate son of Emperor Manuel I by his niece, Theodora Vatatzaina. Alexios had recently married Irene, Andronikos' daughter by Theodora Komnene. Andronikos arrested his son-in-law, had him thrown in prison, and blinded. When Irene appeared in public wearing "tatters with her hair shorn" in mourning, according to Niketas Choniates, Andronikos banished her in disgust. He felt that his daughter should feel as he felt, and if he hated her husband, then Irene ought to hate him, too.
Andronikos should've kept a closer eye on another cousin, Alexios Komnenos (yes, yet another Alexios Komnenos), the cupbearer and nephew of Emperor Manuel I. After Andronikos' rise to power, Alexios the Cupbearer had fled to Sicily, where he found refuge at the court of King William II.
William II of Sicily is an interesting character in his own right. His sobriquet was "The Good", as his father William I was "The Bad", but as their policies did not much differ, it seems that the father simply had the bad luck to rule during "interesting times", as they say. By blood, William II was of Norman, Iberian, and Arab 2 descent, and he ruled a kingdom as culturally diverse as himself. Palaces ringed the royal city of Palermo like necklaces, palaces decorated with gardens, fountains, menageries, and splendid Byzantine mosaics. Within his court, one might've seen William II himself sitting cross-legged, wearing a caftan and surrounded by musicians, dancers, and onlookers playing chess, as depicted in the mosaics. His forebearers had been patrons of art and learning (his grandfather Roger II had commissioned a sort of proto-encyclopedia from the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi) and William II was no different. Royal coins bore inscriptions in both Arabic and Greek, and were dated from the Hegira (Muhammad's flight to Mecca). Ibn Jubayr, a Muslim traveler from Al-Andalus, reported that when he visited Palermo in 1184 that Christian women went about veiled, and that the locals spoke Arabic.
William II had been a suitor for the hand of Maria Porphyrogenita many years ago, and had perhaps at one time fancied himself the future ruler of Constantinople. That was not to be. He married Joan, the favorite sister of Richard the Lion-hearted of England, but their only son died in the cradle. Perhaps when Alexios the Cupbearer appeared at his court, complaining of Andronikos' tyrannies, William saw a chance to seize that which he had long desired.
William II was crowned king by Jesus Christ himself, as faithfully depicted in this tasteful mosaic
The Sicilians landed on Greek territory and captured Thessaloniki with embarassing ease. Andronikos' regime was fraying at the edges. Andronikos sent his heir Ioannes kaisar, the eunuch Nikephoros, and his generals Alexios Vranas, Andronikos Palaiologos, and Theodoros Choumnos to deal with the threat. Of these, only Choumnos tried to come to the aid of Thessaloniki, and his forces were whipped and "fled without a backward glance". Ioannes kaisar busied himself with hunting, preferring warfare against woodland creatures who could not fight back with a sword or bow.
Joining the Sicilian army was Alexios the Cupbearer, "who was unworthy even to lead sheep", prancing about as though he were already emperor and Constantinople itself were already won. With the Sicilian army marching on Constantinople, Andronikos was sinking deeper into vice and paranoia. Surrounded by self-serving sycophants, ambitious nobles, frantic populace, and the rapidly approaching Sicilian army, his ominous words were, "If it is ordained that Andronikos should be dragged down to the halls of Hades, they shall go first to prepare the way; only then shall Andronikos follow."
Still obsessed with the issue of his succession, Andronikos turned to witchcraft. The corrupt courtier, Stephanos Hagiochristophorites, consulted the stars and the dreams and the omens, and asked, Who will rule after Emperor Andronikos? The response from the oracle was the name Isaakios, which Andronikos took to mean the troublemaking Isaakios of Cyprus.
Another courtier, Ioannes Apotyras, suggested that the culprit might be Isaakios Angelos. Andronikos responded with disbelief, saying that Isaakios Angelos was much too effeminate and foolish to accomplish such a feat, but the hotheaded Stephanos Hagiochristophorites decided at once to go and arrest Isaakios Angelos, just in case.
By September 1185, Isaakios Angelos was still a young man, but he had been married 3 and was the father of at least three young children, as well as a veteran of a failed rebellion against Andronikos I. His brother, Theodoros Angelos, had been blinded by Andronikos and his other brother, Alexios Angelos, had fled Constantinople and was wandering around the Holy Land. He knew something was up when Hagiochristophorites and his cronies showed up at his house, demanding he come along quietly.
Effeminate or not, Isaakios Angelos had survived Andronikos' reign of terror so far and wasn't going to give up without a fight. He drew a sword, and even as Hagiochristophorites turned to flee, Isaakios brought it down and cleaved his skull in twain. He then fought off Hagiochristophorites' homies (cutting the ear off one) and then rode through the city streets, holding aloft his bloody sword, proclaiming that he had killed Stephanos Hagiochristophorites. He took refuge in a church, joined by curious onlookers.
By the next morning, the mob outside the church had swelled into thousands. Isaakios Angelos denounced the emperor, and the citizenry agreed with him, being weary of Andronikos climbing in their windows and snatching their people up. Andronikos holed himself up in the palace along with his faithful supporters, and with Isaakios Angelos inciting them to riot, nothing could stop the mob. The citizens attacked the prisons, breaking the bolts and freeing the prisoners, and then the mob declared Isaakios Angelos their emperor. No one was more shocked than Isaakios Angelos himself. He was a fairly distant imperial relation -- a great-grandson of Alexios I through a female line -- and realistically he could've had no expectations of ever being emperor. He pounced on it like Snooki on willing dick as soon as the opportunity presented itself, though.
Hearing this, Andronikos was so infuriated that he climbed upon a palace tower and fired his own bow upon the mob, but that obviously having little effect, he decided to flee. He cleverly disguised himself by wearing a pointed barbarian hat, and boarded a ship bound for Russia, taking with him his child-bride Agnes of France and his mistress Maraptike. He didn't make it far before being apprehended and dragged back to be thrown into prison.
Isaakios Angelos was crowned emperor in triumph. His supporters, being a rampaging mob, entered the palace and stole everything that wasn't nailed down, despoiled the treasury, and ransacked churches.
Andronikos was tortured brutally in prison. His hand was chopped off and an eye was gouged out, and he was left to linger in pain for several days before being paraded through the city streets, stoned and attacked by the populace. He was strung up between some columns and there he died.
His eldest son Manuel, despite being innocent of his father's crimes, was arrested and blinded on the orders of Isaakios Angelos. Manuel's wife and their young sons escaped the city and sought refuge in Georgia. Ioannes kaisar, Manuel's younger brother, was away 'campaiging' against the Sicilians during his father's downfall. When word reached his army, his own soldiers seized and blinded him, and Ioannes kaisar died wretchedly.
1. The half-brother of Andronikos' recent murder victim, Alexios II. Yes, they were half-brothers with the exact same name.
2. The Arab ancestry came through his paternal grandmother, Elvira of Castile, who's mother had been born a Muslim named Zaida.
3. His first wife was in all probability a Tornikaina, of an illustrious family, as shown by evidence presented by genealogist Chuck Owens.
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no subject
Date: 2012-05-20 07:26 pm (UTC)William II of Sicily: yes, descended both from El Cid and from Alfonso VI, via Zaida.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-20 11:56 pm (UTC)You *might* argue that Konstantinos married an Angelina aunt of Alexios IV, and was therefore an uncle-in-law, except that there's evidence that KTor only had one wife, a Komnene (Varzos in Genealogy of the Komnenian Dynasty claims she was an illegitimate daughter of Manuel I). The likeliest explanation is that he was Alexios IV's maternal uncle.
If Isaakios II's first wife was a Tornikaine, this also helps explain his relationship with the Tornikes brothers. Konstantinos' brother, Georgios Tornikes, wrote Isaakios II's eulogy.
The Tornikes brothers (there was a third, Leon) were sons of Demetrios Tornikes, a scion of the Taronitai cadet branch of the Armenian princely family. Their mother was some sort of relative, perhaps a niece, of the Orthodox saint Theophylaktos of Ohrid.
The issue is made even murkier because in the necrology of Speyer cathedral, on the tomb of Alexios IV's sister, Irene Angelina (who became the empress of Philipp of Swabia) her mother's name is given as "Herina". In Byzantine culture, mothers and daughters were not given the same name (nor were fathers and sons, for that matter). Some have hypothesized that Herina was a foreigner, as if that explains anything. Even IF Herina was a foreign princess, and there was little reason for the Komnenoi to import a foreign princess for the middle son of a middling ranked member of the imperial family on the distaff side, her children would STILL have been named according to Byzantine tradition. The only exception was if the mother died in childbirth, which very well might've been what happened here.
The other possibility, to my mind, is that when Irene Angelina's tomb was being constructed someone realized no one had asked what her mother's name was, and simply assumed that the mother had the same name as the daughter -- not an unreasonable assumption to make if you were a medieval German.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-20 07:28 pm (UTC)