From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a
list of usurpers in the Eastern Roman Empire or
Byzantine Empire
, from the start of the reign of
Arcadius
in 395 to the fall of
Constantinople
in 1453.
Usurper emperors
[
edit
]
The following is a listing of
Byzantine emperors
who rose to the throne due to their own initiative through a revolt or coup d'etat.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 5th and 6th centuries
[
edit
]
List of would-be emperors eventually defeated by the ruling sovereign, listed by reign. The noted date is the attempted usurpation.
- Marcian
(479) ?
Leo I
's son?in?law, who resented the accession of Zeno. Captured the imperial palace but was in turn captured. Spent the rest of his life imprisoned in a fortress in
Isauria
.
- Leontius
(484?488) ? An Isaurian commander who was called on to put down the rebel
Illus
but declared himself emperor instead. He died after a four-year siege of the fortress of Papurius.
- Julianus ben Sabar
(529?531) ? Leader of a Samaritan revolt, proclaimed "King of Israel". Managed to control the entire
Samaria
before being defeated.
- Hypatius
(532) ? A nephew of
Anastasius I
who was acclaimed emperor during the
Nika riots
.
- Stotzas
(536?545) ? A
Byzantine
soldier who was elected the leader of rebel troops in the recently conquered Vandal Kingdom of Africa. Aiming to establish a new kingdom, he was defeated on a number of occasions before finally being defeated and mortally wounded in 545.
- John Cottistis
(537) ? Usurper in
Mesopotamia
, he was an infantry soldier who was acclaimed emperor by his troops, but was killed after four days by imperial forces at
Dara
.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 7th century
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- Comentiolus
(610?611) ? the brother of
Phocas
, he refused to acknowledge Heraclius' accession and planned to enforce his claim to the throne. He was eventually assassinated.
- John of Conza
(617) ? described as a
tyrannus
(a term meaning usurper), he captured
Naples
but was defeated and killed by
Eleutherius
, the
Exarch of Ravenna
.
- Eleutherius
(619) ? the Exarch of Ravenna, he was a
eunuch
who set up his capital at
Rome
, but was murdered by his own troops.
- John Athalarichos
(635) ? The illegitimate son of
Heraclius
, he plotted to overthrow his father, but the scheme was uncovered prior to execution. He was
mutilated
and exiled.
- Mizizios
(668?669) ? Commander of the
Opsikion
, he was chosen by the court at
Sicily
to replace the murdered
Constans II
. He was eventually executed by forces loyal to Constantine IV.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 8th century
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- Artabasdos
and Nikephoros (742?743) ? count of the
Opsikion
theme and the brother?in?law of Constantine V, Artabasdos usurped the throne while Constantine was in
Asia Minor
. His son Nikephoros was made co?emperor with him at the same time. He reversed Constantine's
iconoclast
policies, but his armies were defeated. He was blinded and banished to a monastery.
- Nikephoros
(776) ? Leo IV's half?brother, he attempted to usurp the throne, but was stripped of his rank when it was uncovered.
- Nikephoros
(780 and 792) ? The eldest of Constantine V's surviving sons, Nikephoros was the focus of several pro-iconoclastic plots: in 780 he attempted to mount the throne after the death of Leo IV, but was prevented by
Irene
, and he was
ordained
a priest. Then in 792, some of the imperial
tagmata
proclaimed Nikephoros as emperor. He was captured by Constantine VI and blinded before being imprisoned in a monastery.
- Elpidios
(782) ? appointed
strategos
in
Sicily
, he was accused of disloyalty and refused to return to the capital, holding out against imperial forces sent to bring him back.
- Nikephoros
(797 and 799) ? Although blinded, Nikephoros was still involved in imperial conspiracies. In 797, he materialized in
Hagia Sophia
, hoping to inspire the populace to support his bid for the throne. It failed and he was banished to
Athens
. Then in 799, local troops planned to proclaim him emperor, but again it failed.
- Staurakios
(799?800) ? a
eunuch
who served Irene, he planned to usurp the throne after falling from favor, launching a revolt in
Cappadocia
. He died before the revolt was suppressed.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 9th century
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- Bardanes Tourkos
(803) ? the
monostrategos
in
Anatolia
, he used the army's discontent over Nikephoros' financial policies to declare himself emperor. Deserted by his commanders, and unable to obtain support in
Constantinople
he surrendered and was blinded.
- Arsaber
(808) ? a group of secular and ecclesiastic officials, who were dissatisfied with Nikephoros formed a conspiracy and acclaimed Arsaber, a nobleman holding the rank of
patrikios
, as emperor. The plot was discovered and Arsaber was
tonsured
and exiled to a monastery in
Bithynia
.
- Nikephoros
(812) ? for the sixth time, Nikephoros was involved in a plot for the imperial throne, this time with a group of disgruntled soldiers who tried to proclaim him emperor. The soldiers were disbanded and Nikephoros was moved to the island of Aphousia.
- Thomas the Slav
(821?823) ? a bitter rival of Michael II, Thomas assumed the identity of
Constantine VI
and gathered an army. He besieged
Constantinople
, but was forced to retreat to
Arkadiopolis
where he surrendered. He was later executed.
- Euphemius
(826?827) ? a
Byzantine
admiral who killed the governor in
Sicily
and proclaimed himself emperor, forming an alliance with the
Arabs
. He died after a skirmish with imperial troops.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 10th century
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- Basil Peteinos
(961) ? a senior official under Constantine VII, whom he had helped to secure his throne against the Lekapenoi, Peteinos led a conspiracy involving several high-ranking members of the court, aiming to kill Romanos II and usurp the throne.
- Kalokyros
(968?971) ? a
patrician
who was dispatched to the court of
Sviatoslav I of Kiev
in order to persuade him to launch an invasion of the
First Bulgarian Empire
, with which Byzantium was at war. Sviatoslav agreed to support Kalokyros in his ambition of gaining the imperial throne, but Kalokyros was captured and executed.
- Bardas Phokas the Younger
(971 and 987?989) ? Son of
Leo Phokas the Younger
, he launched a rebellion in 971 but was captured by
Bardas Skleros
. He was released from captivity to deal with Skleros, who had also rebelled, whom he defeated in 979. Returned to imperial favor, he was made
doux
of
Antioch
, but rebelled against Basil II after the emperor's defeat at the
Battle of the Gates of Trajan
. He died while charging at Basil in battle.
- Bardas Skleros
(976?979 and 987?990) ? the
Domestic of the Schools
in the East, he rebelled after the death of
John I Tzimiskes
, but was defeated in 979 by
Bardas Phokas the Younger
. He fled to
Baghdad
and returned after Basil's humiliation at
Trajan's Gate
. Seeking an accommodation with Bardas Phokas, he was captured but then released after Phokas' death. He surrendered himself to Basil II.
- Nikephoros Phokas Barytrachelos
(1022) ? the son of
Bardas Phokas the Younger
, rose in revolt with the support of
Nikephoros Xiphias
. The two men had a strained relationship, however, and the revolt quickly collapsed after Xiphias murdered Phokas.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 11th century
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- Constantine Diogenes
(1029 and 1032) ? the
doux
of
Thessalonica
,
Bulgaria
and
Serbia
, he was accused of conspiring against Romanos III, imprisoned and blinded. Then in 1032 he planned to take advantage of Romanos' absence on campaign in the East to escape to the Balkans and make a new bid to topple Romanos. The plot was discovered and Constantine committed suicide.
- Basil Skleros
(1033) ? Brother-in-law of
Romanos III Argyros
, he plotted against him and was exiled with his wife.
- Elpidios Brachamios
(1034) ? led a popular revolt at
Antioch
, which led to the arrest of
Constantine Dalassenos
- Constantine Monomachos
(1034 and 1038) ? was twice accused of conspiracy against Michael IV, resulting in his exile to
Lesbos
.
- Vojislav of Duklja
(1034 and 1040?1052) ? organized a rebellion against Byzantine rule in 1034, but was captured and imprisoned in
Constantinople
. Upon his release he rebelled again, defeating a number of Byzantine armies and overthrowing imperial rule around the city of
Dioklea
.
- Basil Synadenos
(1040) ? the
strategos
of
Dyrrhachium
, he attempted to crush the rebellion of
Peter Delyan
but was accused by one of his army commanders of conspiracy against Michael IV and was arrested.
- Michael Keroularios
(1040) ? led an insurrection against Michael IV, but the plot was uncovered, and Michael became a monk to save his life.
- Gregory Taronites (1040) ? a
patrikios
, he instigated a revolt in
Phrygia
, but was captured.
- Atenulf
(1040?1042) ? led a
Lombard
rebellion against Byzantine authority in
southern Italy
. Was bribed by the Byzantines and replaced as leader of the rebellion by
Argyrus
.
- Peter Delyan
(1040?1041) ? the leader of a local
Bulgarian
uprising against Byzantine rule, he was blinded by his cousin before being defeated by the Byzantines. He was taken to
Constantinople
and executed.
- Argyrus
(1042) ? led the continuing
Lombard
revolt in southern Italy, but he too defected to the Byzantines, after being offered the position of
Catepan of Italy
.
- Theophilos Erotikos
(1042) ? the governor of
Cyprus
, he took advantage of the fall of
Michael V
to launch a rebellion. He was arrested and had his goods confiscated before being released.
- George Maniakes
(1042?1043) ? the
Catepan of Italy
, he was systematically reclaiming territory in Southern
Italy
when he was recalled to
Constantinople
. Furious, he rebelled, and although he destroyed an army sent to capture him, he was wounded during the battle and died.
- Stephanos Pergamenos
(1043) ? the
sebastophoros
, he rebelled in
Byzantine Armenia
.
- Leo Tornikios
(1047) ? Constantine IX's nephew and the
strategos
of
Iberia
, he proclaimed himself emperor at
Adrianople
and almost took the city of
Constantinople
. Forced to retreat, he was captured and blinded.
- Nikephoros Kampanares
(1050) ? a thematic judge and
eparchos
, he was banished by the emperor on suspicion of plotting to overthrow him, but was later recalled.
- Romanos Boilas
(1051) ? a senator and commander of the imperial bodyguard, he was a favourite of the emperor. He attempted to assassinate Constantine IX because he was in love with Constantine's mistress. The emperor pardoned him.
- Constantine Barys
(1052) ? He was exiled by Constantine IX for suspicion of plotting to take the throne. Whilst in exile he prepared to rebel against the emperor, and sought the advice of Saint Lazaros. The plot was discovered and he ended up losing his tongue.
- Philaretos Brachamios
(1071?1078) ? On the death of
Romanos IV Diogenes
, he was acclaimed emperor by his troops and established an independent realm in
Germanicia
. He abandoned his imperial claims in 1078 in exchange for the title of
doux
of
Antioch
.
- Constantine Bodin
(1072) ? Leader of a revolt in
Bulgaria
, he was crowned
Emperor of the Bulgarians
under the name Peter III. He was captured and taken prisoner to
Constantinople
before being moved to
Antioch
.
- Roussel de Bailleul
(1073 ?1074) ? Frankish or Norman mercenary who was given command of 3,000 Frankish and Norman heavy cavalry. He used his cavalry to capture territory in
Galatia
, declared independence in 1073, sacked
Chrysopolis
, and defeated and army under
John Doukas
, before being defeated by
Alexios Komnenos
.
- John Doukas
(1074) ? Michael VII's uncle, he was sent to deal with the rebellion of some
Norman
mercenaries, but was defeated and captured. The Normans convinced him to become emperor, forcing Michael VII to appeal to the
Seljuk Turks
for aid. They defeated John Doukas and captured him.
- Nestor
(1076?1078) ? A former slave of
Constantine X
, he had been promoted to become the
dux
of
Paristrion
, on the region bordering the Danube. Having had much of his property and wealth confiscated by the minister
Nikephoritzes
, he rebelled in around 1076, placing himself at the head of the garrisons under his command, which were already in a state of mutiny due to arrears in their pay. The troops were eager to plunder the Bulgarians, and he obtained the assistance of one of the chiefs of the Patzinaks before marching onto
Constantinople
. The rebels demanded the dismissal of
Nikephoritzes
, but discovering that he did not have the numbers to attack the capital, his troops separated into smaller parties, and proceeded to plunder Thrace. Defeated by
Alexios Komnenos
in 1078, Nestor remained with the Patzinaks, and retreated with them back to
Paristrion
.
- Levon Davatanos
(1077?1078) ? the
doux
of
Edessa
, he launched an unsuccessful rebellion in the city.
- Nikephoros Bryennios
(1077?1078) ? a Byzantine general. News that Michael's chief minister,
Nikephoritzes
, had listed him for assassination, encouraged him to make his bid for the throne. He was beaten to the throne by
Nikephoros III Botaneiates
and defeated at
Kalavrye
by
Alexios Komnenos
.
- Raiktor
(1081) ? an
Eastern Orthodox
monk who assumed the identity of
Michael VII
, and was used by the
Norman
Robert Guiscard
to justify an attack on the
Byzantine Empire
.
- Constantine Humbertopoulos
(1091) ? of
Norman
descent, he was a mercenary captain whose decision to support Alexios, secured him the throne. He was promoted before conspiring against Alexios with an
Armenian
called Ariebes and was banished.
- Emir Tzachas of Smyrna
(1092) ? a
Seljuk Turkish
emir based in
Smyrna
who claimed the imperial title.
- John Komnenos
(1092) ? the
doux
of
Dyrrhachium
, he was accused by
Theophylact of Bulgaria
of plotting against the Emperor.
- Karykes
(1093) ? the governor of
Crete
, he launched a simultaneous revolt with
Rhapsomates
against Alexios. News of the imperial fleet's approach caused a counter-coup that overthrew him, during which he was murdered.
- Rhapsomates
(1093) ? the governor of
Cyprus
, he also rebelled against Alexios I. He defended Cyprus, but desertions in his ranks saw him attempt to flee, whereupon he was captured after seeking refuge in a church.
- Michael Taronites
(1094) ? Alexios' brother-in-law, he was convicted of conspiring against Alexios and banished.
- Pseudo-Constantine Diogenes
(1094) ? A pretender who claimed to be the dead son of
Romanos IV Diogenes
, Constantine led the
Cumans
who crossed the Balkan mountains and raided into eastern
Thrace
. He was killed at
Adrianople
.
- Nikephoros Diogenes
(1094) ? the son of
Romanos IV Diogenes
and a former co-emperor, he had been made governor of
Crete
by Alexios I. He attempted to murder Alexios twice, but both times he failed, the second time he was caught red-handed with the sword. He was blinded.
- Theodore Gabras
(1096?1098) ? the
doux
of
Chaldia
, achieved a level of semi-autonomy before Alexios I managed to reclaim some imperial control.
- Gregory Taronites
(1104) ? the
doux
of
Chaldia
, he tried to take advantage of his province's relative isolation by trying to make himself an independent ruler. Was defeated and captured.
- Michael Anemas
(1105) ? Along with his brothers and a senator named Salomon, he plotted against Alexios I, but the conspiracy was uncovered, resulting in Michael's imprisonment.
- Aron (1107) ? The illegitimate descendant of a Bulgarian prince, he formed a plot to murder Alexios as he was encamped near
Thessalonica
, but the presence of the empress
Irene
and her attendants made this difficult. In an attempt to have her return to
Constantinople
, the conspirators produced pamphlets that mocked and slandered the empress, and left them in her tent. A search for the author of the publications uncovered the whole plot, resulting in Aron's banishment.
- Pseudo-Leo Diogenes
(1116) ? Another pretender claiming to be a son of Romanos IV Diogenes, he was the son-in-law of
Vladimir II Monomakh
, and attempted to overthrow Byzantine authority in
Bulgaria
.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 12th century
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- Thoros
(1145?1169) ? a usurper in
Cilicia
, he escaped from imprisonment in
Constantinople
and re-established an independent
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia
, which had been brought back under imperial control by
John II Komnenos
. He successfully repulsed a number of military expeditions launched by Manuel I.
- Andronikos Komnenos
(1154) ? a cousin of Manuel I, he plotted to overthrow Manuel with the support of King
Geza II of Hungary
who invaded the empire. Andonikos was arrested and confined by the emperor.
- Alexios Axouch
(1167) ? the grand-nephew of Manuel I and governor of
Cilicia
, he was accused of conspiring against the emperor and was confined to a monastery for the rest of his life.
- Andronikos Kontostephanos
(1182) ? the
megas doux
and commander-in-chief of the Byzantine navy, he was a key supporter of
Andronikos Komnenos
, but began plotting against him once his tyrannical nature became apparent. He was captured and blinded.
- Andronikos Doukas Angelos
(1183) ? the father of
Isaac II Angelos
, he was a Byzantine general who had been sent to quell the rebellion of Andronikos I, but ended up joining the rebellion after being defeated in battle. Once Andronikos I became regent however, Andronikos Angelos entered into a conspiracy with the megas doux
Andronikos Kontostephanos
, the
postal logothete
and a number of other officials. He fled to the
Kingdom of Jerusalem
when Andronikos I uncovered the plot.
- John Komnenos Vatatzes
(1183) ? governor of the
Thracesian theme
, he objected to the rise of
Andronikos Komnenos
. He rebelled at
Philadelphia
and defeated the forces of Andronikos and Alexios II led by
Andronikos Lampardas
but died a few days later of natural causes.
- Theodore Angelos
(1183?1184) - the son of
Andronikos Doukas Angelos
, he and his brother
Isaac Angelos
returned from
Palestine
and launched a rebellion at
Nicaea
against the regent Andronikos, prompting him to become co-emperor alongside Alexios II. In early 1184, Andronikos I captured Nicaea after Isaac surrendered the city to him. Andronikos then captured Theodore in
Prusa
, and had him blinded.
- Andronikos Lampardas
(1183) ? a Byzantine general, he rebelled when he heard news of Andronikos I's usurpation and murder of
Alexios II Komnenos
. Attempting to raise forces in
Asia Minor
, he was captured by officials loyal to Andronikos I and was blinded and soon afterwards killed.
- Theodore Kantakouzenos
(1184) ? the governor of
Prussa
, he attempted to assassinate Andronikos, but his horse stumbled during the attempt, throwing Theodore to the ground. He was beheaded by Andronikos' guard.
- Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus
(1184?1191) ? a minor member of the Komnenos family, he hired a troop of mercenaries and sailed to
Cyprus
with falsified letters commanding Byzantine officials to obey him. He was crowned emperor and brutally terrorised the island. He was eventually overthrown by
Richard I of England
, who captured Cyprus on his way to the
Holy Land
during the
Third Crusade
.
- Alexios Komnenos
(1185) ? the grandnephew of
Manuel I Komnenos
and his cup-bearer, he was banished by Andronikos Komnenos, but fled to the court of
William II of Sicily
. There, he obtained William's support for his claim to the throne, and William used this to launch a
Norman
invasion of the empire, culminating in the capture of
Thessalonica
.
- Alexios Komnenos
(1185) ? the illegitimate son of
Manuel I Komnenos
(as well as being Andronikos' son-in-law), he was promoted as emperor by the Sebastianus brothers, but Alexios was taken and blinded. He was later accused of conspiring with
Andronikos Komnenos
and forced to take
Holy Orders
.
- Andronikos Bryennios
(1186) ? the governor of
Thessalonica
, he was accused of conspiring with
Alexios Komnenos
to usurp the throne. He demanded the opportunity to refute the charges, but was blinded without a trial.
- Alexios Branas
(1187) ? a
Byzantine
general raised to the rank of
protosebastos
, he had defeated the
Normans
and had been sent to deal with the
Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion
when he rebelled. He was defeated in battle by
Conrad of Montferrat
, Isaac II's brother-in-law and beheaded.
- Theodore Mangaphas
(1188?1189 and 1204?1206) ? the governor of
Philadelphia
, he declared himself emperor in 1188, forcing Isaac II to march out against him. Theodore agreed to relinquish the imperial title in exchange for retaining his position at Philadelphia. After the fall of
Constantinople
in 1204, he again claimed the imperial title, only to be overthrown by
Theodore I Laskaris
.
- Constantine Tatikios
(1190) ? achieved the support of 500 influential people to overthrow Isaac II, but was discovered, arrested and blinded.
- Basil Chotzas
(1190?1204) ? launched a rebellion and established a semi-autonomous state centred at Tarsia in north-western
Anatolia
.
- Constantine Aspietes
(1190/91) ? a
Byzantine
general, he objected to the way the war against the
Vlach
was proceeding and attempted to obtain support from the army. He was removed from command and blinded.
- Isaac Komnenos
(1191) ? incarcerated when his uncle
Andronikos I Komnenos
was overthrown, he escaped from prison and made a bid for the throne at
Hagia Sophia
. He was captured and tortured, dying the next day.
- Pseudo-Alexios II
(1192) ? a pretender claiming to be the dead son of
Manuel I Komnenos
, he obtained support from Sultan
Kilij Arslan II
and attacked
Phrygia
. He was assassinated by a priest.
- Pseudo-Alexios II
(1192) ? another royal pretender, he arose in
Paphlagonia
, but was defeated in battle by
Theodore Choumnos
, the
chartularius
, who captured and then put him to death.
- Constantine Angelos Doukas
(1193) ? Isaac II's cousin, success in the Bulgarian War saw him declare himself emperor. He was handed over to Isaac by his fellow officers and was blinded.
- Alexios Kontostephanos
(1195 and 1200) ? the former governor of
Crete
, after Isaac II's overthrow he was acclaimed emperor by the mob who declared their desire never to be ruled by the
Komnenoi
again. He was captured and imprisoned. He tried again in 1200, but was again unsuccessful.
- Pseudo-Alexios II
(1196) ? another pretender claiming to be the son of
Manuel I Komnenos
, he rose up at
Nicomedia
but was captured and blinded.
- Ivanko
(1198?1200) ? after marrying
Theodora Angelina
and thus entering the imperial family, Ivanko rebelled in
Thrace
, capturing the general
Manuel Kamytzes
in 1198. He was taken prisoner during a meeting with the emperor's representative,
Alexios Palaiologos
.
- Dobromir Chrysos
(1198?1202) ? emerging in
Macedonia
and
Thessaly
, he also was offered marriage to
Theodora Angelina
to gain his allegiance. He fought against the emperor with the help of
Manuel Camytzes
, but was at last conquered by the Bulgarian emperor
Kaloyan
.
- Michael Kantakouzenos
(1199) ? arrested by Alexios III in 1195, he unsuccessfully declared himself emperor in 1199.
- John Komnenos the Fat
(1201) ? a relatively unimportant Byzantine noble, he had himself crowned emperor by a monk in
Hagia Sophia
and took control of the
Great Palace
. Alexios III struck back during the night, his forces recapturing the palace and beheading John Komnenos.
- Leo Chamaretos
(1200?1206) ? The
proedros
of
Lacedaemonia
, he established a breakaway regime in
Laconia
. He was eventually thrown out by the
Venetians
.
- Michael Komnenos Doukas
(1200?1201) ? The governor of the
Theme
of
Mylasa and Melanoudion
in Asia Minor, he rebelled but was defeated by Alexios III and forced to flee to the Seljuks. He eventually became the founder and first ruler of the
Despotate of Epirus
from 1205 until his death in 1215.
- Leo Sgouros
(1201?1208) ? governor of the area of
Nauplia
and the
Argolid
, he rebelled against Alexios III and established himself as an independent ruler. He expanded his territory throughout central Greece until confronted by the armies of the Franks. After a siege of five years he apparently committed suicide.
- John Spyridonakes
(1201) ? revolted against Alexios in southern
Thrace
.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 13th century
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]
- Manuel Maurozomes
(1204?1206) ? the illegitimate grandson of
Manuel I Komnenos
, he tried to establish a separate principality in
Phrygia
with the support of Sultan
Kaykhusraw I
.
- Sabas Asidenos
(1204?1206) ? a powerful local magnate who seized control of
Sampson
and the lower valley of the
Maeander River
. He eventually acknowledged the authority of Theodore Laskaris and the
Empire of Nicaea
.
- Theodore Gabras
(1204?1208) ? the independent
archon
of
Amisos
and the
Pontus
, his territory was soon incorporated into the
Empire of Trebizond
under
Alexios I
, who appointed him as governor of the region.
- David Komnenos
(1204?1207) ? the brother of
Alexios I of Trebizond
, he took possession of territory in
Paphlagonia
and the
Pontus
, but was under pressure from Theodore I Laskaris, forcing him in 1207 to acknowledge the
Latin Empire
's authority over his territory.
- John Kantakouzenos
(1205?1209) ? the
archon
of
Methone
, he established a breakaway regime at
Messenia
.
- Alexios Aspietes
(1205) ? the ruler (
dynastes
) of
Philippopolis
, he was proclaimed the leader of the town after the
defeat of the Latin armies
in the summer of 1205, and given the task of organizing the defences of the city against the advancing forces of
Kaloyan of Bulgaria
, who took the town.
- Theodore Branas
(1205?1206) ? the Lord of
Adrianople
, he established a breakaway state but was forced to accept the overlordship of the
Latin Empire
to protect the city from the ambitions of the Bulgarian emperor,
Kaloyan
.
- Theodore Komnenos Doukas
(1215?1230) ? the son of the
sebastokrator
John Doukas
and of Zoe Doukaina, he was the half-brother of
Michael I Komnenos Doukas
and succeeded him in
Epirus
on his death. After his conquest of
Thessalonica
in 1224, he
declared himself
Byzantine Emperor
. He was defeated and captured by
Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
who blinded him.
- Isaac Laskaris
and
Alexios Laskaris
(1224) ? the younger brothers of
Theodore Laskaris
, they resented the accession of John III and offered their services to the
Latin Emperor
. With the help of the Latins, they attempted to overthrow John III but were
defeated in battle
, taken captive and blinded.
- Andronikos Nestongos
and
Isaac Nestongos
(1224) ? the cousins of John III, they attempted to overthrow the emperor and place Andronikos as emperor with the support of a significant number of Byzantine nobles. The plot was uncovered, but Andronikos managed to escape to the
Seljuk Turks
.
- Manuel Komnenos Doukas
(1230?1237) ? the brother of
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
, he took over the rule of the
Empire of Thessalonica
after the capture of his brother, although
de facto
a powerless Bulgarian vassal. He was overthrown when his brother returned from captivity and fled to the east. He returned in 1239 and set himself up as the ruler of
Thessaly
until his death.
- John Komnenos Doukas
(1237?1242) ? son of Theodore Komnenos Doukas, installed by him as
Emperor of Thessalonica
after he overthrew his brother Manuel in 1237. In 1242 he was forced to renounce the title of Emperor for that of
Despot
by Vatatzes.
- John Gabalas
(1239?1250) ? the brother of
Leo Gabalas
, he took over rule of the island of
Rhodes
on his brother's death, but by 1250 had submitted to the authority of the emperor at
Nicaea
.
- Pseudo-John IV Laskaris
(1262) ? the treatment of
John IV Laskaris
by Michael VIII saw an uprising occur at
Nicaea
under a pretender who claimed he was the boy, forcing Michael to drag out the real John IV to disprove the pretender's claims.
- John Doukas
(1280) ? the
Ruler of Thessaly
, he was appointed
sebastokrator
by Michael VIII, but the alliance between the two was always uneasy. He became the champion of the anti-union forces, and in 1280 he nominated himself as the Orthodox emperor of the empire, but Michael was able to hold on to power.
Unsuccessful usurpers in the 14th and 15th centuries
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- Syrgiannes Palaiologos
(1333?1334) ? the governor of
Thessalonica
, he was suspected of plotting for the throne when he was adopted by
Maria
, the mother of Andronikos III in 1333. He fled to the court of the Serbian king,
Stephen Du?an
, who gave him a large Serbian army. He invaded the empire but was eventually murdered.
- Nikephoros II Orsini
(1339?1340 and 1356?1359) ? refused the position of a
Byzantine
vassal in
Epirus
, Nikephoros attempted to rule in Epirus with the help of
Catherine of Valois
, the titular
Latin Empress
of
Constantinople
. He was defeated and persuaded to surrender by
John Kantakouzenos
. After the fall of John Kantakouzenos, with whom he was allied, he set himself up in
Thessaly
, taking advantage of the death of
Stephen Uro? IV Du?an of Serbia
. He died while fighting the Albanians.
- Michael Gabrielopoulos
(1342) ? related to the former
sebastokrator
Stephen Gabrielopoulos
, he claimed to be the hereditary lord of the area around
Trikala
in
Thessaly
, but was ousted by a governor sent by
John VI Kantakouzenos
.
- Stephen Uro? IV
(1346?1355) ? the ruler of
Serbia
, he claimed the title of
Emperor (Tsar) of the Serbs and Romans
in 1346 until his death.
- Matthew Kantakouzenos
(1354?1357) ? the son of
John VI Kantakouzenos
, based in
Thrace
, he fought with John V after the abdication of his father for the throne. He was eventually captured and was forced to move to the
Morea
.
- Stephen Uro? V
(1355?1371) ? the son of
Stephen Uro? IV
, he too claimed the title of Emperor, although much of his territory was lost to various nobles and the Turks.
- John Limpidarios
(1356) ? the captain of
Nikephoros Orsini
's fleet, he took advantage of Nikephoros' absence to attack
Ainos
, and gained control of the city. He was eventually thrown out of the city.
- Simeon Uro?
(1356?1370) ? appointed governor of
Epirus
and
Thessaly
by
Stephen Uro? IV Du?an of Serbia
, he was thrown out by
Nikephoros II Orsini
, after which he declared himself
Emperor of the Serbs and Romans
in 1356. He established himself in
Thessaly
which he controlled till his death.
- Thomas Preljubovi?
(1366?1382) ? he attempted to usurp authority in
Epirus
, forcing
Simeon Uro?
to recognise him as the ruler in exchange for Thomas recognising Simeon as his suzerain. He was recognised in 1382 by John V with the title of
despotes
.
- Andronikos Palaiologos
(1373 and 1384) ? the son of John V, he plotted to murder his father in 1373, but it was uncovered, resulting in Andronikos losing one of his eyes. He again rebelled in 1384, and was driven into exile at
Selymbria
.
- Theodosios Kyprios
(fl. c. 1414) ? alleged to harbor imperial ambitions by the writer Mazaris ("even in his dreams he wears the white imperial robes").
- Demetrios Palaiologos
(1442 and 1448) ? the brother of John VIII, he claimed the throne in 1442 based on his status as a
porphyrogennetos
. Although he attempted to harness the anti-Catholic opposition to John, he was abandoned by his army and exiled at
Selymbria
. He again attempted to usurp the throne in 1448 once John VIII died, but was opposed by his mother, who supported the claim of
Constantine XI Palaiologos
.
See also
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References
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