As The Komnenoi World Turns S2 E3
Jul. 6th, 2012 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
transemacabreThe downfall of Andronikos I was the death knell for the Komnenoi dynasty, which had so successfully extinguished itself; now the Angeloi, their 'poor relations', saw their star ascend.
Isaakios Angelos was not yet thirty years old, bookish and effeminate according to his contemporaries, a widower with young children. He became emperor over a ransacked palace; a desperate mob of citizens; and a city that was threatened by the ever-encroaching forces of the Sicilian army, who had as their figurehead his foppish cousin, Alexios the Cupbearer, who's only real accomplishment was being a real Komnenos, if that be an accomplishment.
Isaakios II dispatched the general Alexios Vranas to deal with the Sicilians. Vranas dealt the Italians two crushing defeats; Niketas claims that the stray dogs in the streets tore the dead and dying Italians limb from limb in retaliation for their invasion. Alexios the Cupbearer was captured and blinded, and of him we hear no more. The Italians withdrew across the sea.
Thrilled by these victories, Isaakios celebrated by becoming a gigantic douchenozzle. He boasted and bragged and strutted about "like a peacock", Niketas tells us, and he disdained to wear the same clothing twice. Feeling a bit more secure on his bloody throne, Isaakios decided he needed an empress, and his choice fell on ten-year-old Margit, daughter of King Béla III of Hungary. The already overtapped Byzantine populace footed the bill for their lavish wedding.
Baby, Isaakios II was born this way
Among those who objected to Isaakios jacking their shit to pay for his ridiculous wedding to his child-bride were the "barbarians" known as Vlakhs 1 and Bulgars who lived in the vicinity of Mt. Haimos. Amongst their number were a pack of brothers: Asen, Teodor, and Ivan, called Kaloyan ("handsome Ivan"). Their origins are mysterious. They are variously described as Vlakhs, as 'Romans' (whether this meaning Italians or romaioi is disputed), but Asen bore a Turkic name and my suspicion is that they were of mixed Vlakh-Kuman descent.
Asen and Teodor had approached Isaakios II, requesting placement in the Byzantine army. When this request was rejected, the brothers became furious, and in the ensuing bitchfest, Asen, "the more insolent and savage of the two", was struck across the face by the sebastokrator Ioannes Angelos Doukas, the emperor's uncle. The brothers returned home, vowing revenge.
While all of this was going on, Isaakios of Cyprus was still entrenched on his island, looting, raping, and cutting throats. When Isaakios II demanded that Isaakios of Cyprus bend the knee to him and acknowledge him as emperor and supreme overlord of practically everything, Isaakios of Cyprus gave him the finger. Deciding that tyrant needed to be dealt with once and for all, Isaakios II put together a fleet of ships and a crack squad of commandos to take him out.
Byzantine forces landed on Cyprus, only to be attacked by the ferocious pirate captain, Megareites (aka Margaritone), who captured their ships and kidnapped their soldiers to Sicily, where he turned them over to his master (and brother-in-law 2), William II. And so it was that Isaakios II's master plan to humble Isaakios of Cyprus turned into more of a strategic retreat.
Back in Byzantine territory, the barbarian warlord brothers Asen and Teodor were busy stirring up their homies against the emperor. They built a church and filled it with Bulgar and Vlakh "demoniacs", with their hair all crazy and their eyes "crossed and bloodshot", chanting night and day for St. Demetrios to return to earth and lead them to freedom from their Greek overlords.
Now THAT is how you start a damn rebellion.
About this time, Isaakios II sent an embassy to Montferrat, requesting an alliance. The old marquis of Montferrat, William V, was an accomplished man of a large and accomplished family. His half-sister was the queen of King Louis VI of France; his wife was the granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich IV and the sister of Konrad III of Germany. His eldest son, another William, had been the first husband of Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem before his early death in 1177. Another son was Renier, the ill-fated husband of Maria Porphyrogenita.
Two sons were left living of William V's brood: Conrad and Bonifazio. Isaakios' intention was to offer his sister Theodora in marriage to Bonifazio, but as Bonifazio had just gotten married, he offered her to Conrad instead. If I had been Conrad, knowing what happened to my brother Renier, I would've politely declined, but Conrad accepted the offer and journeyed to Constantinople to marry Theodora.
With Asen and Teodor whipping the Vlakhs and Bulgars into a frenzy, Isaakios II sent Alexios Vranas to deal with them. A solar eclipse provided cover for the Greeks to sneak up on the barbarians and chase them hither and dither. Satisfied, Isaakios II looted Teodor's house and stole an icon of St. Demetrios, symbolically recovering the saint to his side.
However, the barbarians were not done. A horde of the Vlakh-Bulgars swept back down, joined by the Kumans, and hostilities continued.
Alexios Vranas, the experienced general, chafed under Isaakios II's command. Perhaps he had long nurtured imperial ambitions of his own. His wife was a Vatatzaina, a niece of Manuel I 3, and their children were therefore of imperial blood. Isaakios had won his throne with the sword; why could Vranas not do the same? Konstantinos Stethatos, the most celebrated astrologer of his day, prophesied that Branas would enter Constantinople in triumph. Taking this as a good sign, Branas commandeered his army and turned on Isaakios II.
Barely two years into his reign, for the second time Isaakios Angelos faced an enemy at the gates.
1. Ancestors of the modern-day Romanians.
2. Megareites was married to William II's illegitimate half-sister.
3. A sister of Theodora who was Manuel's niece-lover.
Isaakios Angelos was not yet thirty years old, bookish and effeminate according to his contemporaries, a widower with young children. He became emperor over a ransacked palace; a desperate mob of citizens; and a city that was threatened by the ever-encroaching forces of the Sicilian army, who had as their figurehead his foppish cousin, Alexios the Cupbearer, who's only real accomplishment was being a real Komnenos, if that be an accomplishment.
Isaakios II dispatched the general Alexios Vranas to deal with the Sicilians. Vranas dealt the Italians two crushing defeats; Niketas claims that the stray dogs in the streets tore the dead and dying Italians limb from limb in retaliation for their invasion. Alexios the Cupbearer was captured and blinded, and of him we hear no more. The Italians withdrew across the sea.
Thrilled by these victories, Isaakios celebrated by becoming a gigantic douchenozzle. He boasted and bragged and strutted about "like a peacock", Niketas tells us, and he disdained to wear the same clothing twice. Feeling a bit more secure on his bloody throne, Isaakios decided he needed an empress, and his choice fell on ten-year-old Margit, daughter of King Béla III of Hungary. The already overtapped Byzantine populace footed the bill for their lavish wedding.
Baby, Isaakios II was born this way
Among those who objected to Isaakios jacking their shit to pay for his ridiculous wedding to his child-bride were the "barbarians" known as Vlakhs 1 and Bulgars who lived in the vicinity of Mt. Haimos. Amongst their number were a pack of brothers: Asen, Teodor, and Ivan, called Kaloyan ("handsome Ivan"). Their origins are mysterious. They are variously described as Vlakhs, as 'Romans' (whether this meaning Italians or romaioi is disputed), but Asen bore a Turkic name and my suspicion is that they were of mixed Vlakh-Kuman descent.
Asen and Teodor had approached Isaakios II, requesting placement in the Byzantine army. When this request was rejected, the brothers became furious, and in the ensuing bitchfest, Asen, "the more insolent and savage of the two", was struck across the face by the sebastokrator Ioannes Angelos Doukas, the emperor's uncle. The brothers returned home, vowing revenge.
While all of this was going on, Isaakios of Cyprus was still entrenched on his island, looting, raping, and cutting throats. When Isaakios II demanded that Isaakios of Cyprus bend the knee to him and acknowledge him as emperor and supreme overlord of practically everything, Isaakios of Cyprus gave him the finger. Deciding that tyrant needed to be dealt with once and for all, Isaakios II put together a fleet of ships and a crack squad of commandos to take him out.
Byzantine forces landed on Cyprus, only to be attacked by the ferocious pirate captain, Megareites (aka Margaritone), who captured their ships and kidnapped their soldiers to Sicily, where he turned them over to his master (and brother-in-law 2), William II. And so it was that Isaakios II's master plan to humble Isaakios of Cyprus turned into more of a strategic retreat.
Back in Byzantine territory, the barbarian warlord brothers Asen and Teodor were busy stirring up their homies against the emperor. They built a church and filled it with Bulgar and Vlakh "demoniacs", with their hair all crazy and their eyes "crossed and bloodshot", chanting night and day for St. Demetrios to return to earth and lead them to freedom from their Greek overlords.
Now THAT is how you start a damn rebellion.
About this time, Isaakios II sent an embassy to Montferrat, requesting an alliance. The old marquis of Montferrat, William V, was an accomplished man of a large and accomplished family. His half-sister was the queen of King Louis VI of France; his wife was the granddaughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich IV and the sister of Konrad III of Germany. His eldest son, another William, had been the first husband of Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem before his early death in 1177. Another son was Renier, the ill-fated husband of Maria Porphyrogenita.
Two sons were left living of William V's brood: Conrad and Bonifazio. Isaakios' intention was to offer his sister Theodora in marriage to Bonifazio, but as Bonifazio had just gotten married, he offered her to Conrad instead. If I had been Conrad, knowing what happened to my brother Renier, I would've politely declined, but Conrad accepted the offer and journeyed to Constantinople to marry Theodora.
With Asen and Teodor whipping the Vlakhs and Bulgars into a frenzy, Isaakios II sent Alexios Vranas to deal with them. A solar eclipse provided cover for the Greeks to sneak up on the barbarians and chase them hither and dither. Satisfied, Isaakios II looted Teodor's house and stole an icon of St. Demetrios, symbolically recovering the saint to his side.
However, the barbarians were not done. A horde of the Vlakh-Bulgars swept back down, joined by the Kumans, and hostilities continued.
Alexios Vranas, the experienced general, chafed under Isaakios II's command. Perhaps he had long nurtured imperial ambitions of his own. His wife was a Vatatzaina, a niece of Manuel I 3, and their children were therefore of imperial blood. Isaakios had won his throne with the sword; why could Vranas not do the same? Konstantinos Stethatos, the most celebrated astrologer of his day, prophesied that Branas would enter Constantinople in triumph. Taking this as a good sign, Branas commandeered his army and turned on Isaakios II.
Barely two years into his reign, for the second time Isaakios Angelos faced an enemy at the gates.
1. Ancestors of the modern-day Romanians.
2. Megareites was married to William II's illegitimate half-sister.
3. A sister of Theodora who was Manuel's niece-lover.
