Ruler of Epirus
Michael I Komnenos Doukas
,
Latinized
as
Comnenus Ducas
(
Greek
:
Μιχα?λ Κομνην?? Δο?κα?
,
romanized
:
Mikha?l Komn?nos Doukas
), and in modern sources often recorded as
Michael I Angelos
, a name he never used,
was the founder and first
ruler
of the
Despotate of Epirus
from
c.
1205
until his assassination in 1214/15.
Born
c.
1170
, Michael was a descendant of
Alexios I Komnenos
and a cousin of emperors
Isaac II Angelos
and
Alexios III Angelos
. He began his public career in 1190, as a hostage to the
Third Crusade
, and went on to serve as governor of the province of
Mylasa and Melanoudion
in the 1190s and again in
c.
1200/01
. During the latter tenure he rebelled against Alexios III but was defeated and forced to flee to the
Seljuk Turks
. In the aftermath of the
sack
of
Constantinople
by the
Fourth Crusade
in 1204, he attached himself to
Boniface of Montferrat
. Soon, however, he abandoned the Crusader leader and went to
Epirus
, where he established himself as ruler, apparently through marriage with the daughter or widow of a local magnate.
Michael's domain in Epirus became a refuge and centre of resistance of the Greeks against the
Latin
Crusaders. At about the same time, according to some modern scholars, he may have led the abortive Greek resistance to the Crusaders in the
Peloponnese
, which was crushed at the
Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras
; according to other views, he may have led a campaign there between 1207 and 1209. In order to avoid invasion and buy time to consolidate his position in Epirus, Michael soon entered into negotiations with
Pope Innocent III
, and concluded treaties with the
Latin Empire
and the
Republic of Venice
. In the meantime, his rule received a boost in legitimacy when he ransomed the deposed Alexios III from captivity. According to later chroniclers, Alexios III conferred the hereditary rule of Epirus to Michael and his descendants.
By 1210, Michael was secure enough to launch an attack against the Latin
Kingdom of Thessalonica
, in conjunction with the
Bulgarians
. Repelled by the intervention of the Latin Emperor
Henry of Flanders
, Michael quickly switched sides and joined the Latins to prevent the city from falling into Bulgarian hands. In 1212, he conquered most of
Thessaly
from the Lombard lords of Thessalonica. At about the same time, his troops briefly took over the
Lordship of Salona
. He then went on to recover
Dyrrhachium
and the island of
Corfu
from the Venetians in 1213?1214, but was thwarted in his attempt to push further north into
Zeta
. He was assassinated soon after in his sleep, and was succeeded by his half-brother
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Michael was the illegitimate son of the
sebastokrator
John Doukas
.
His paternal grandparents were
Constantine Angelos
and Theodora, a daughter of Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos
(
r.
1081?1118
). Michael's uncle, Andronikos, was the father of the future emperors
Isaac II Angelos
(
r.
1185?1195, 1203?1204
) and
Alexios III Angelos
(
r.
1195?1203
), who were thus Michael's first cousins.
Despite this kinship, he never used the surname "Angelos", which has been applied by some modern scholars to Michael and his dynasty. The few documents surviving from his own hand and a couple of lead seals show his name as "Michael Doukas" or "Michael Komnenos Doukas" (Μιχα?λ Κομνην?? ? Δο?κα?), evidently in an effort to emphasize his relation to the revered
Doukas
and
Komnenos
dynasties, rather than the disastrous reign of the
Angeloi
. The only medieval sources to use the surname "Angelos" to refer to Michael were later pro-
Palaiologos
historians hostile to him and the Epirote state's rival claims to the Byzantine inheritance.
It is unknown when Michael was born; the only relevant information is the statement of
Niketas Choniates
that he was a "young man" in 1201.
The Greek scholar Konstantinos Varzos places his birth approximately in 1170.
Michael is first mentioned on 14 February 1190, when he, along with other imperial relatives, served as a hostage to
Frederick I Barbarossa
(
r.
1152?1190
) during the passage of the
Third Crusade
through Byzantine territory.
He then went on to serve as governor (
doux
and
anagrapheus
) of the
theme
of
Mylasa and Melanoudion
in
Asia Minor
during the last years of Isaac II's first reign.
Many scholars assign him the rank of
sebastos
from a seal attributed to him, but this is disputed by
Lucien Stiernon
, as he is nowhere else mentioned with this title.
Alexios III re-appointed him to the same province, probably in 1200.
Demetrios Polemis, in his study on the Doukas family, reports that he was reappointed to the post by
Alexios IV
(
r.
1203?1204
),
but as Varzos remarks, this is evidently an error by Polemis.
In early 1201, for unknown reasons, Michael rose in revolt against the emperor. Alexios III campaigned against him in the summer 1201 and defeated him, forcing Michael to seek refuge at the court of the
Seljuk Turk
Sultan of Rum
,
Suleymanshah II
(
r.
1196?1204
). In his service he led Turkish raids into Byzantine territory around the
Maeander River
valley.
According to
Geoffrey of Villehardouin
, a participant in the
Fourth Crusade
and author of
De la Conquete de Constantinople
, at the time of the
fall
of
Constantinople
to the forces of the Fourth Crusade, Michael was present in the city, having possibly returned from exile in the period after the deposition of Alexios III and the restoration of Isaac II and his son Alexios IV in 1203?04.
Michael then entered into the service of
Boniface of Montferrat
, who received the
Kingdom of Thessalonica
and overlordship over
Greece
in the
division of the spoils
among the Crusaders, and followed Boniface west as the latter went to take up his kingdom in September 1204. Villehardouin reports that Boniface trusted Michael, but the latter soon abandoned Boniface and went to
Epirus
, where he installed himself as the leader of the local Greeks against the
Latin
Crusaders.
The process of Michael's establishment in Epirus is obscure. The
hagiography
of St.
Theodora of Arta
, written in the late 13th century, maintains that Alexios III had appointed Michael as governor in the
Peloponnese
and a certain Senachereim, who was Michael's relative by marriage (they both had married first cousins from the
Melissenos
family), as governor of the
Theme of Nicopolis
in Epirus. When the local inhabitants rose in revolt against him, Senachereim called upon Michael for aid. Michael rushed to Nicopolis, but not before the locals had killed Senachereim. After that, Michael, himself widowed, took Senachereim's widow as his wife and succeeded him as governor.
Although generally regarded as inaccurate due to the many errors it contains, this part of the hagiography is at least partially corroborated by Villehardouin's account that he married the daughter of a local magnate.
It is certain that Michael was never appointed governor of the Peloponnese, but the hagiography's reference to the peninsula has led to suggestions by modern scholars that he is to be identified with the Michael who led the Peloponnesian Greeks in the
Battle of the Olive Grove of Kountouras
against the Crusaders, in the summer of 1205. This commonly held identification has been questioned by more recent research by the historian
Raymond-Joseph Loenertz
, who suggests that Michael leaving Epirus, which still was not securely under his control, to go on campaign in the Peloponnese would have been extremely unlikely as it would leave Epirus open to attack by Boniface. Loenertz does however consider that Michael may indeed have led another expedition into the Peloponnese a few years later, in 1207?09 (see
below
).
Ruler of Epirus
[
edit
]
From his base at
Arta
, Michael proceeded to expand his control over most of the region of Epirus, including much of modern
Albania
, quickly establishing an independent domain encompassing the lands between
Dyrrhachium
(Durazzo) in the north and
Naupactus
in the south, bordering the Latin Kingdom of Thessalonica in the east, the possessions of the
Republic of Venice
to the north and west, and the
Bulgarians
and
Serbs
to the north and east.
He maintained good relations with the Albanian and Vlach chieftains in the area, and their men provided able troops for his army.
The state Michael established is commonly known in historiography as the "
Despotate of Epirus
", and it was long thought that Michael was the first Epirote ruler to claim the title of
despotes
, it being surmised that he was granted the title by the deposed emperor Alexios III after his ransoming (see
below
).
In reality, as modern research has shown, neither Michael nor his half-brother and successor,
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
, bore the title. It was Michael's bastard son,
Michael II Komnenos Doukas
, who became the first ruler of Epirus to be titled a
despotes
in the 1230s, while the designation of the Epirote state as a "despotate" first appears in Western, rather than Byzantine, sources in the 14th century.
Rapprochement with the Latin powers
[
edit
]
Along with the other major Greek successor state, the
Empire of Nicaea
in western Asia Minor, Epirus became the main Greek centre resisting Latin rule.
Michael's chief preoccupation therefore was the threat posed by the Latin Crusader states and the Republic of Venice.
In the treaty of partition of the Byzantine Empire among the Crusaders, Epirus had been allotted to Venice, but although it had occupied in 1205 Dyrrhachium, the chief port for the Albanian hinterland, and the island of
Corfu
in 1207, the maritime-minded Republic had shown little interest in the rest of its mainland.
To insure himself against a Latin attack, Michael began negotiations with
Pope Innocent III
, hinting at a possible union of the Orthodox Church of his domains with the
Roman Catholic Church
. The relationship was not untroubled?in a letter of 17 August 1209, the Pope asked of "Michael Komnenos of Romania" that, if he were truly the Pope's servant, as he claimed in his letters, he should allow the
Latin Archbishop of Dyrrhachium
access to the estates owned by the archbishopric in Michael's domains?but it did serve for the moment to earn Michael the Pope's goodwill, as well as precious time.
According to Loenertz, it also appears that at some point Michael had paid homage to the Kingdom of Thessalonica as its vassal.
Despite these diplomatic manoeuvrings, according to a series of letters of Innocent III dated to autumn 1210, Michael engaged in combat with the
Prince of Achaea
Geoffrey I of Villehardouin
(
r.
1209?1229
) and his barons; the letters do not give any further details. Modern researchers have linked this reference either with his supposed leadership in the battle of Kountouras, or, more plausibly, with an abortive campaign in the Peloponnese sometime in 1207?09 in order to aid the beleaguered ruler of
Argos
and
Corinth
,
Leo Sgouros
, who was being besieged by the Crusaders in his citadel on the
Acrocorinth
.
Traditionally, several scholars, such as
Karl Hopf
and
Antoine Bon
, have furthermore identified a certain Theodore, who appears as "lord of Argos" and Sgouros' successor in leading the resistance against the Crusaders, with Michael's half-brother Theodore Komnenos Doukas. Loenertz points out, however, that not only is there no evidence for such an assumption, but that Theodore Komnenos Doukas is known to have been in the service of the Nicaean emperor,
Theodore I Laskaris
(
r.
1205?1222
), at the time.
In summer 1209, after the Latin Emperor
Henry of Flanders
(
r.
1205?1216
) quelled a revolt of the Lombard barons of Thessalonica and brought the Kingdom of Thessalonica under his effective control, Michael sent envoys to propose an alliance. Henry distrusted Michael's sincerity, but sent an embassy to Epirus with his terms, which amounted to Michael declaring himself a vassal of the Latin Empire. Michael was able to sidestep an outright declaration of submission by offering the hand of his eldest daughter to the Emperor's brother,
Eustace
, and a third of his lands as her dowry. Henry accepted, and the peace agreement was sealed with the marriage of Eustace and Michael's daughter.
Finally, in early 1210, Michael's envoys, the Bishop of
Tzernikon
Theodore and Symeon Kounales, met with the Venetian
duke of Dyrrhachium
, Marino Vallaresso, and negotiated a treaty, confirmed by oath on 20 June. Thereby Michael accepted to become a vassal of Venice, holding his lands in fief from Venice as confirmed in a charter issued by
Doge
Pietro Ziani
(
r.
1205?1229
). Michael granted the Venetians extensive trading privileges and tax exemptions, just as they had enjoyed under the
chrysobulls
of Emperor
Manuel I Komnenos
(
r.
1143?1180
), promised to expedite the grain exports to Venice, and to assist in any shipwreck of a Venetian vessel off the Epirote coast. In addition, as a sign of his vassalage he would pay to the Venetian duke of Dyrrhachium an annual tribute of 42
litrai
of gold
hyperpyra
in two instalments, and send annually a rich brocade for the altar of
St. Mark's Basilica
and one for the Doge.
Ransoming of Alexios III
[
edit
]
At about the same time, Michael's rule received a boost in legitimacy through his ransoming of emperor Alexios III. After his deposition by the Crusaders in July 1203, Alexios with his wife
Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera
had been roaming Greece seeking protection. A marriage alliance with Leo Sgouros failed due to the latter's hasty retreat before the advance of Boniface of Montferrat. Left stranded in
Thessaly
, Alexios was captured by Boniface. The former emperor was initially held in comfortable captivity, but at some point he fell foul of Boniface; sources differ on whether he tried to flee to Michael's domains and was captured by Boniface's knights
en route
or whether Boniface simply came to distrust him as a potential rival focal point for the loyalties of the Greek population. He and his wife were then imprisoned, either in Thessalonica or, according to other sources, in
Montferrat
.
Learning of their fate, Michael offered to ransom the former imperial couple and eventually secured their release, welcoming them at Salagora, the port of Arta, where they arrived by ship.
Michael treated the couple with every courtesy, but Alexios did not remain long in Arta. The deposed emperor was eager to regain his throne by taking over the Empire of Nicaea with the aid of the Seljuk Sultan
Kaykhusraw I
. Leaving his wife behind, and accompanied by Michael's half-brother
Constantine Komnenos Doukas
, Alexios took sail for Asia Minor. His attempt ended in complete failure in the
Battle of Antioch on the Maeander
in 1211, where Theodore I Laskaris killed Kaykhusraw and took Alexios prisoner.
The hagiography of St. Theodora of Arta claims that on his departure, Alexios granted Michael and his descendants hereditary possession of his domain, while the 14th-century
Aragonese
version of the
Chronicle of the Morea
claims that Alexios left Michael as his lieutenant in the west. From these references some earlier scholars erroneously inferred that Michael received the title of
despotes
from Alexios.
Lucien Stiernon,
followed by Varzos, places the ransoming of Alexios in 1206/7.
Loenertz on the other hand considers it a result of Michael's rapprochement with the Latins and places it in 1210, when the interests of the Latin Empire in curbing the growing power of Nicaea coincided with Michael's intention to ransom Alexios.
Territorial expansion
[
edit
]
Michael seized the opportunity of Henry's focus on his planned campaign against Nicaea to attack Thessalonica. At the head of Latin mercenaries, he captured the constable of the Kingdom of Thessalonica and baron of
Domokos
, the Lombard Ame Buffa, and a hundred of his companions. He is alleged to have been excessively cruel to his prisoners, killing or whipping many of them, while Buffa, his confessor, and three other nobles were
crucified
. Michael's army proceeded to capture several fortresses and kill the Latin garrisons, including priests.
Enraged, Henry sped to Thessalonica's aid, covering the distance from Constantinople in only twelve days. Michael in the meantime had allied himself with the Bulgarian ruler
Strez
, but they were defeated by Henry.
It is possible that during this campaign, Henry was assisted by his vassals from Achaea, thereby explaining the reference in the Pope's correspondence of Achaean barons fighting against Michael, rather than assuming an Epirote expedition to the Peloponnese.
The Latin Emperor wrested lands from both allies, but was forced to cut short his campaign and return to Constantinople, which was being threatened by the Bulgarian emperor
Boril
. Henry left Thessalonica in the charge of his brother Eustace and of
Berthold of Katzenelnbogen
, who then defeated another invasion by Strez, supported with troops from his brother Boril.
Disquieted by the Bulgarian attacks on Thessalonica, Michael switched sides and joined the Latins in defeating the Bulgarians at
Pelagonia
.
It is commonly assumed that during these conflicts, Michael terminated his vassalage to the Latin Empire; historian Philip Van Tricht however points out that there are no sources for this, and that this vassalage may have survived until 1217, when Michael's brother Theodore captured Latin Emperor
Peter II of Courtenay
near Dyrrhachium.
Sometime between 1210 and 1214, according to the
Chronicle of Galaxeidi
, Michael came into conflict with the Latin
Lord of Salona
,
Thomas I d'Autremencourt
. When d'Autremencourt seized a few islands in the
Corinthian Gulf
off
Galaxeidi
, the inhabitants of the latter called upon Michael for aid, and in the ensuing battle, Thomas was killed and Salona (modern
Amfissa
) was occupied. Epirote rule there proved short-lived, however, as d'Autremencourt's son
Thomas II
soon recovered his father's lordship.
In 1212, his troops invaded Thessaly in force, overrunning the resistance of the local Lombard nobles. The Epirotes took
Larissa
, where they deposed the
Latin Archbishop
and restored the
local see
to an Orthodox metropolitan,
Velestino
, the fief of Berthold of Katzenelnbogen, and reached the shores of the
Pagasetic Gulf
at
Demetrias
.
The newly gained Thessalian territories were entrusted to Michael's son-in-law
Constantine Maliasenos
as a hereditary appanage.
Soon after, probably in 1213, he took Dyrrhachium from Venice, followed in 1214 by Corfu.
Very little is known about the details of these successes, as the generally hostile stance of the pro-Nicaean Byzantine historians towards Michael means that his achievements were often ignored.
According to local Corfiot tradition, the castle of
Angelokastro
was built by Michael.
Michael continued to push northward into Albania and
Macedonia
, taking
Kruja
and ending the independence of the
principality of Arbanon
and its ruler,
Dimitri Progoni
, but his attempt to seize
Zeta
was stopped by the Serbs at
Skadar
.
Death and legacy
[
edit
]
Michael himself did not long outlive these successes: in late 1214 or in 1215, he was assassinated in his sleep at
Velegrada
by a servant called Rhomaios. According to the historian John V. A Fine, "whether he was hired to do the act, and, if so, by whom is unknown".
As his only surviving son was illegitimate and underage, Michael was succeeded by his half-brother Theodore. Theodore had been in the service of Nicaea, and Michael had requested Laskaris to send him to Epirus because his own son's position was weak. In the event, Theodore not only sidelined the young Michael II, but according to the hagiography of St. Theodora of Arta, sent him and his mother to exile in the Peloponnese for the duration of his reign.
Theodore proved a powerful and warlike ruler, greatly expanding the Epirote state and capturing Thessalonica in 1224, where he was crowned emperor. The rise of Theodore's
Empire of Thessalonica
ended abruptly with his defeat and capture by the Bulgarians at the
Battle of Klokotnitsa
in 1230, that allowed the exiled Michael II to return to Epirus and recover his father's domain.
Michael laid the foundations of the Epirote state,
and initiated a dynasty, the Komnenoi?Doukai, who would rule over Epirus until 1318, when the Italian
Orsini family
took over. Members of the family also ruled over Thessaly, and for a while claimed the imperial title as rulers of Thessalonica from 1224 until its capture by the Nicaeans in 1246.
It appears that during his lifetime, Michael was a popular ruler with his subjects;
the contemporary
metropolitan bishop
of
Naupactus
,
John Apokaukos
, lauded Michael as a "new
Noah
", at whose side the refugees of the Latin cataclysm found refuge.
The contemporary
Archbishop of Ohrid
Demetrios Chomatianos
even estimated that at least half, if not most, of those who fled from Constantinople, found refuge in Epirus, including many of the senatorial aristocracy.
More still came from the Peloponnese, fleeing Latin rule there.
Apokaukos also praises him for his refoundation and
refortification
of the city of
Ioannina
, where many of the refugees were settled; the city thenceforth chose the
Archangel Michael
as its patron saint in his honour.
Family
[
edit
]
The exact identity of Michael's wife or wives is unknown. According to the hagiography of St. Theodora of Arta, he married twice. His first wife was a lady of the aristocratic Melissenos family, who died at an unknown time. Her first cousin, likewise a Melissenos, married the governor of Nicopolis, Senachereim (see above). After his murder by the locals, Michael avenged him, took his place and married his widow. Despite the unreliability of the hagiography, its account is partially confirmed by Villehardouin's reference to the daughter of an Epirote magnate.
Furthermore, as Michael's second wife was a first cousin of his first, their marriage was uncanonical in the eyes of the Church and of hostile historians; it is therefore likely that the "concubine" referenced by the latter as the mother of Michael II Komnenos Doukas was in reality Michael's second wife.
Michael had five children, three by his (first) wife and two by his second wife or concubine:
- An unnamed daughter, who in 1209 married Eustace, brother of the Latin Emperor Henry of Flanders.
- Theodora Komnene Doukaina, only mentioned briefly by Demetrios Chomatianos in 1216.
- Constantine Komnenos Doukas, mentioned only in the Latin text of the 1210 treaty with Venice, where he is designated as his father's successor. He must have died at a young age, before Michael's own death.
- Maria Komnene Doukaina, who married Constantine Maliasenos.
- Michael II Komnenos Doukas
, an illegitimate son who succeeded as ruler of Epirus in 1230 until his death ca. 1268. He is the first Epirote ruler to have borne the title of
despotes
.
References
[
edit
]
Sources
[
edit
]
- Fine, John V. A. Jr.
(1994) [1987].
The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest
. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.
ISBN
0-472-08260-4
.
- Loenertz, Raymond-Joseph
(1973). "Aux origines du despotat d'Epire et de la principaute d'Achaie" [On the origins of the Despotate of Epirus and the Principality of Achaea].
Byzantion
(in French).
43
: 360?394.
- Nicol, Donald MacGillivray
(1976). "Refugees, Mixed Population and Local Patriotism in Epiros and Western Macedonia after the Fourth Crusade".
XVe Congres international d'etudes byzantines (Athenes, 1976), Rapports et corapports I
. Athens. pp. 3?33.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- Nicol, Donald M.
(1984).
The Despotate of Epiros, 1267?1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages
. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ISBN
978-0-521-13089-9
.
- Polemis, Demetrios I. (1968).
The Doukai: A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography
. London: The Athlone Press.
OCLC
299868377
.
- Stiernon, Lucien (1959).
"Les origines du despotat d'Epire. A propos d'un livre recent"
[The origins of the Despotate of Epirus. On the occasion of a recent book].
Revue des etudes byzantines
(in French).
17
: 90?126.
doi
:
10.3406/rebyz.1959.1200
.
ISSN
0766-5598
.
- Stiernon, Lucien (1963).
"Ferjan?i? (Bo?idar), Despoti a Vi?antiji i juznoslovenskim Zemljama"
.
Revue des etudes byzantines
(in French).
21
: 291?296.
ISSN
0766-5598
.
- Talbot, Alice-Mary
(1991). "Michael I Komnenos Doukas". In
Kazhdan, Alexander
(ed.).
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1362.
ISBN
0-19-504652-8
.
- Talbot, Alice-Mary
;
Kazhdan, Alexander
(1991). "Epiros, Despotate of". In
Kazhdan, Alexander
(ed.).
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 716?717.
ISBN
0-19-504652-8
.
- Van Tricht, Filip (2011).
The Latin
Renovatio
of Byzantium: The Empire of Constantinople (1204?1228)
. Leiden: Brill.
ISBN
978-90-04-20323-5
.
- Varzos, Konstantinos (1984).
Η Γενεαλογ?α των Κομνην?ν
[
The Genealogy of the Komnenoi
]
(PDF)
(in Greek). Vol. B. Thessaloniki:
Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Thessaloniki
.
OCLC
834784665
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Lappas, Nikolaos A. (2007).
Πολιτικ? ιστορ?α του κρ?του? τη? Ηπε?ρου κατ? τον 13ο αι
[
Political history of the State of Epirus during the 13th century
] (PhD thesis) (in Greek). Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
doi
:
10.12681/eadd/20550
.