Alexios Komnenos (son of Andronikos I)
Encyclopedia
Alexios Komnenos was a natural son of Andronikos I Komnenos
, the Byzantine Emperor (r.
1183–1185) by his relative and mistress Theodora Komnene
, Queen Dowager
of Jerusalem
.
During the reign of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
(r. 1143–1180), Alexios accompanied his father Andronikos in exile, visiting, inter alia, the Kingdom of Georgia
. The Georgian king George III
, their relative, granted to Andronikos several castles in Kakhetia in the east of Georgia. Andronikos returned to Constantinople
and attained to the Byzantine crown in 1183, only to be overthrown and killed in 1185. Alexios then fled to Georgia, where he was restored to his father's Georgian estates. At one point, he was even considered by some Georgian nobles as a candidate to become a consort of the queen regnant
Tamar of Georgia
.
According to the Georgian historical tradition, Alexios's progeny flourished in Georgia, producing the noble family of Andronikashvili
, i.e., "scions of Andronikos", so named after Alexios's purported son. In spite of the extremely fragmentary nature of the early Andronikashvili pedigree, Professor Cyril Toumanoff
(1976) accepted the Komnenian origin as plausible, but the evidence marshaled by Kuršankis (1977) suggests that this may have been only a legend. Toumanoff also assumed that the line of the "provincial kings" of Alastani
(c. 1230–1348), known from the medieval Georgian sources and including one named Andronikos, might have belonged to the Georgian Komnenoi/Andronikashvili.
Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...
, the Byzantine Emperor (r.
Reign
A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
1183–1185) by his relative and mistress Theodora Komnene
Theodora Komnene
Theodora Komnene or Comnena was a niece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus, and wife of King Baldwin III of Jerusalem.-Family:Theodora was a daughter of the sebastokratōr Isaac Komnenos by his second wife, Eirene Synadene...
, Queen Dowager
Queen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
.
During the reign of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
(r. 1143–1180), Alexios accompanied his father Andronikos in exile, visiting, inter alia, the Kingdom of Georgia
Kingdom of Georgia
The Kingdom of Georgia was a medieval monarchy established in AD 978 by Bagrat III.It flourished during the 11th and 12th centuries, the so-called "golden age" of the history of Georgia. It fell to the Mongol invasions of the 13th century, but managed to re-assert sovereignty by 1327...
. The Georgian king George III
George III of Georgia
Giorgi III , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia from 1156 to 1184. His reign, and that of Tamar, are seen as the 'golden age' of Georgian history, the era of empire, diplomatic success, military triumphs, great learning, cultural, spiritual, and artistic flowering.-Life:He succeeded on...
, their relative, granted to Andronikos several castles in Kakhetia in the east of Georgia. Andronikos returned to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and attained to the Byzantine crown in 1183, only to be overthrown and killed in 1185. Alexios then fled to Georgia, where he was restored to his father's Georgian estates. At one point, he was even considered by some Georgian nobles as a candidate to become a consort of the queen regnant
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213. Tamar presided over the "Golden age" of the medieval Georgian monarchy...
.
According to the Georgian historical tradition, Alexios's progeny flourished in Georgia, producing the noble family of Andronikashvili
Andronikashvili
The Andronikashvili sometimes known as Endronikashvili was a princely family in Georgia which claimed their descent from the Byzantine Comnenid dynasty and played a prominent role in political, military and religious life of Georgia...
, i.e., "scions of Andronikos", so named after Alexios's purported son. In spite of the extremely fragmentary nature of the early Andronikashvili pedigree, Professor Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Toumanoff
Cyril Leo Heraclius, Prince Toumanoff was an United States-based historian and genealogist who mostly specialized in the history and genealogies of medieval Georgia, Armenia, the Byzantine Empire, and Iran...
(1976) accepted the Komnenian origin as plausible, but the evidence marshaled by Kuršankis (1977) suggests that this may have been only a legend. Toumanoff also assumed that the line of the "provincial kings" of Alastani
Alastaneli
Alastaneli was a title of the Georgian dynastic princes ruling over the province of Javakheti from their castle at Alastani in the 13th and 14th centuries. According to traditional Georgian genealogy, this dynasty was a branch of the royal house of Bagrationi, stemming from King David VIII of...
(c. 1230–1348), known from the medieval Georgian sources and including one named Andronikos, might have belonged to the Georgian Komnenoi/Andronikashvili.