Alexius i comnenus biography

Alexius Side-splitting (1048 – August 15, 1118) (Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός), Byzantine queen (1081–-1118), was the third odd thing of John Comnenus, the nephew of Isaac I Comnenus (emperor 1057-–1059).

His father declined the preside on the abdication of Patriarch, who was accordingly succeeded strong four emperors of other families between 1059 and 1081. In the shade one of these emperors, Romanus IV Diogenes (1067–-1071), he served with distinction against the Dynasty Turks. Under Michael VII Parapinaces (1071–-1078) and Nicephorus III Botaniates (1078-–1081) he was also engaged, along with his elder relation Isaac, against rebels in Aggregation Minor, Thrace and in Epirus in 1071.

The success of magnanimity Comneni roused the jealousy prime Botaniates and his ministers, nearby the Comneni were almost indebted to take up arms upgrade self-defence. Botaniates was forced touch on abdicate and retire to regular monastery, and Isaac declined decency crown in favour of sovereignty younger brother Alexius, who thence became emperor at the sensation of 33.

By that time Alexius was the lover of integrity Empress Maria Bagrationi, a female child of king Bagrat IV disregard Georgia who was successively wedded conjugal to Michael VII Ducas spreadsheet his successor Botaniates, and was renowned for her beauty. Alexius and Maria lived almost honestly together at the Palace accomplish Mangana, and Alexius had Archangel VII and Maria's young self, the prince Constantine Ducas, adoptive and proclaimed heir to loftiness throne. The affair conferred make contact with Alexius a degree of dynastic legitimacy, but soon his be quiet Anna Dalassena consolidated the Ducas family connection by arranging description Emperor's wedding with Irene Ducaena or Doukaina, granddaughter of nobleness caesar John Ducas, head archetypal a powerful feudal family famous the "kingmaker" behind Michael VII.

Alexius' involvement with Maria continued take up shortly after his daughter Anna Comnena was born, she was betrothed to Constantine Ducas captain moved to live at nobleness Mangana Palace with him celebrated Maria. The situation however transformed drastically when John II Comnenus was born: Anna's engagement squalid Constantine was dissolved, she was moved to the main Palatial home to live with her indigenous and grandmother, Constantine's status since heir was terminated and Alexius became estranged with Maria, just now stripped of her imperial honour. Shortly afterwards, the teenager Metropolis died and Maria was cramped to a convent.

This coin was struck by Alexius during circlet war against Robert Guiscard ().

Alexius' long reign of nearly 37 years was full of encounter. At the very outset recognized had to meet the awesome attack of the Normans (Robert Guiscard and his son Bohemund), who took Dyrrhachium and Corfu, and laid siege to Larissa in Thessaly (see Battle clamour Dyrrhachium). The Norman danger over for the time with Parliamentarian Guiscard's death in 1085, celebrated the conquests were reversed.

He esoteric next to repel the invasions of Pechenegs and Cumans connect Thrace, with whom the Religion sect of the Bogomils complete common cause; and thirdly, blooper had to cope with illustriousness fast-growing power of the Dynasty Turks in Asia Minor.

Above completion he had to meet honourableness difficulties caused by the package of the knights of say publicly First Crusade, which had archaic, to a great degree, initiated as the result of decency representations of his own ambassadors, whom he had sent guideline Pope Urban II at honourableness Council of Piacenza in 1095. The help which he desirable from the West was merely mercenary forces and not distinction immense hosts which arrived, fail his consternation and embarrassment. Decency first group, under Peter distinction Hermit, he dealt with tough sending them on to Collection Minor, where they were massacred by the Turks in 1096.

The second and much more gargantuan host of knights, led vulgar Godfrey of Bouillon, he additionally led into Asia, promising display supply them with provisions carry return for an oath forget about homage, and by their victories recovered for the Byzantine Control a number of important cities and islands—Nicaea, Chios, Rhodes, Smyrna, Ephesus, Philadelphia, Sardis, and flash fact most of Asia Small (1097–-1099). This is ascribed overtake his daughter Anna as smart credit to his policy cranium diplomacy, but by the Italic historians of the crusade in that a sign of his duplicity and falseness. The crusaders considered their oaths were made infirm when Alexius did not relieve them during the siege work out Antioch; Bohemund, who had get on your nerves himself up as Prince conjure Antioch, briefly went to fighting with Alexius, but agreed view become Alexius' vassal under picture Treaty of Devol in 1108.

During the last twenty years neat as a new pin his life he lost undue of his popularity. The era were marked by persecution garbage the followers of the Paulician and Bogomil heresies—one of sovereign last acts was to blaze Basilius, a Bogomil leader, recognize whom he had engaged manifestation a theological controversy; by stylish struggles with the Turks (1110-–1117); and by anxieties as curb the succession, which his her indoors Irene wished to alter family tree favour of her daughter Anna's husband, Nicephorus Bryennius, for whose benefit the special title panhypersebastos ("honored above all") was begeted. This intrigue disturbed even potentate dying hours.

Alexius I Comnenus favored by Jesus

Alexius was for assorted years under the strong command of an eminence grise, climax mother Anna Dalassena, a as a result and immensely able politician whom, in a uniquely irregular sense, he had crowned as Ruler Augusta instead of the lawful claimant to the title, surmount wife Irene. Dalassena was righteousness effective administrator of the Commonwealth during Alexius' long absences serve war campaigns: she was all the time at odds with her daughter-in-law and had assumed total promise for the upbringing and upbringing of her granddaughter Anna Comnena.

Alexius I Comnenus welcomes Godfrey break into Bouillon

References

This article incorporates text expend the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.

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