Angelos
Encyclopedia
The Angelos family feminine form Angelina , plural Angeloi , was a noble Byzantine
lineage which gave rise to three Byzantine emperors from 1185 to 1204. From the 13th to the 15th century, a branch of the family ruled Epiros, Thessaly
and Thessaloniki
under the name of Angelos Komnenos Doukas.
The family name Angelos is derived either from angel
(messenger) or from the toponym Angel (Agel), a district near Amida
.
The lineage was founded by from Philadelphia
(Asia Minor
), who married Theodora Komnene
(born 1096), a daughter of emperor Alexios I Komnenos
. According to a 12th-century historian, Constantine was handsome but of lowly origin. Constantine and Theodora had three sons: the sebastokrator
John Angelos
, and Alexios "Komnenos" Angelos, who erected a church
in Nerezi
in 1164, famed for its frescoes. During the reign of Manuel I Komnenos
, several Angeloi attained rank as military commanders and officials of the Byzantine empire.
In 1185, Andronikos Angelos' son Isaac II Angelos
deposed Andronikos I Komnenos
and was proclaimed Byzantine Emperor. He was succeeded by his brother Alexios III Angelos
and his son Alexios IV Angelos
. Under the weak reign of the Angelos dynasty, the Byzantine empire deteriorated and soon fell prey to Latin crusaders and Venetians in the Fourth Crusade
.
After the fall of Constantinople
and the establishment of the Latin Empire
in 1204, members of the Angeloi assumed power in Epiros and Thessaly, naming themselves Angeloi Komnenoi Doukai in order to distinguish themselves from the "humble" Angeloi, who were known as officials, physicians and clergymen.
Michael I Angelos, an illegitimate son of the sebastokrator John Angelos
, founded the Despotate of Epiros, choosing the city of Arta
as its capital. In 1224, Michael's half-brother Theodore
captured the Kingdom of Thessalonica
from the crusaders and proclaimed himself as the legitimate Byzantine emperor (basileus
) in Thessalonica. However, Theodore was defeated and captured by John II Asen in the Battle of Klokotnitsa
in 1230. During Theodore's captivity, his brother Manuel Angelos
ruled over Thessalonica, succeeded by Theodore's sons John
and Demetrios
. Eventually, the city was lost to the Nicaeal emperor
John III Doukas Vatatzes
in 1246, marking the end of the rule of the Angeloi in Thessalonica.
In 1230, Theodore's nephew Michael II
, son of Michael I, established himself as ruler of Epiros and Thessaly. After the death of Michael II in 1271, Epiros was ruled by his legitimate son Nikephoros I
, while Thessaly was given to his illegitimate son John I Angelos. In 1318, Nicholas Orsini
murdered Nikephoros' son Thomas I Angelos
, ending the rule of the Angeloi in Epiros. In Thessaly, John I Angelos was succeeded by his son Constantine
, followed by John II
, who ruled from 1302/03 until his death in 1318. In the same year, Thessaly was seized by the Catalan Grand Company and annexed to the Duchy of Athens
.
Having re-established Byzantine control over Epiros and Thessaly in 1340, emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos
appointed the pinkernes
(cup-bearer) John Angelos, a nephew of megas domestikos John Kantakouzenos
, to the governorship of Epiros. John extended his rule to Thessaly in 1342, but died from the plague in 1348. Epiros and Thessaly were conquered by the Serbian ruler Stefan Dušan soon afterwards.
Descendants of John Angelos continued to govern Thessaly under Simeon Uroš
and John Uroš
. John Uroš, the last Nemanjić, abdicated in favour of Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos
, the kaisar of Great Wallachia
. Alexios' brother Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos
was the last Byzantine ruler of Thessaly.
After the Ottoman
conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the Angeloi Philanthropenoi took refuge in Serbia
. A grandson of either Alexios or Manuel, Mihailo Anđelović
, served as an official at the court of Đurađ and Lazar Branković. Mihailo's brother Mahmud
, captured in his infancy by Ottoman soldiers, was brought to Edirne
, where he converted to Islam. He later rose to the highest ranks of the Ottoman empire, becoming beylerbey
of Rumelia
in 1451 and Grand Vizier
in 1455. Thus, in the negotiations between Serb despot Lazar Branković and Mehmed II
in 1457, the two sides were represented by the brothers Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
lineage which gave rise to three Byzantine emperors from 1185 to 1204. From the 13th to the 15th century, a branch of the family ruled Epiros, Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
under the name of Angelos Komnenos Doukas.
The family name Angelos is derived either from angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
(messenger) or from the toponym Angel (Agel), a district near Amida
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır is one of the largest cities in southeastern Turkey...
.
The lineage was founded by from Philadelphia
Alasehir
Alaşehir, in Antiquity and the Middle Ages known as Philadelphia , i.e. " brotherly love" is a town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is situated in the valley of the Kuzuçay , at the foot of the Bozdağ...
(Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
), who married Theodora Komnene
Theodora Komnene Angelina
Theodora Komnene , was a Byzantine noblewoman, being the fourth daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. She married Konstantinos Angelos, Admiral of Sicily by whom she had seven children...
(born 1096), a daughter of emperor Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...
. According to a 12th-century historian, Constantine was handsome but of lowly origin. Constantine and Theodora had three sons: the sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
John Angelos
John Doukas
John Doukas or Ducas , was the eldest son of Constantine Angelos by Theodora Komnene, the seventh child of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina, from whose family name John Doukas took his own.-Career:Doukas is first attested in an imperial document in 1166...
, and Alexios "Komnenos" Angelos, who erected a church
Church of St. Panteleimon (Nerezi)
The Church of St. Panteleimon in Gorno Nerezi, Republic of Macedonia, is a small 12th century Byzantine church located in a monastery complex. The church and monastery are dedicated to St...
in Nerezi
Nerezi (Republic of Macedonia)
Nerezi is a village in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the Struga municipality near in the Drimkol region.-Location:Nerezi is found in the north-western section of the Struga municipality. Until 2004 it was a part of the Lukovo municipality. It is located 26 kilometres from the city of Struga...
in 1164, famed for its frescoes. During the reign of 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....
, several Angeloi attained rank as military commanders and officials of the Byzantine empire.
In 1185, Andronikos Angelos' son Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
deposed Andronikos I Komnenos
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:...
and was proclaimed Byzantine Emperor. He was succeeded by his brother Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from 1195 to 1203.- Early life:Alexios III Angelos was the second son of Andronikos Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. Andronicus was himself a son of Theodora Komnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. Thus...
and his son Alexios IV Angelos
Alexios IV Angelos
Alexios IV Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of emperor Isaac II Angelus and his first wife Irene. His paternal uncle was Emperor Alexius III Angelus....
. Under the weak reign of the Angelos dynasty, the Byzantine empire deteriorated and soon fell prey to Latin crusaders and Venetians in the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
.
After the fall of Constantinople
Siege of Constantinople (1204)
The Siege of Constantinople occurred in 1204; it destroyed parts of the capital of the Byzantine Empire as it was confiscated by Western European and Venetian Crusaders...
and the establishment of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
in 1204, members of the Angeloi assumed power in Epiros and Thessaly, naming themselves Angeloi Komnenoi Doukai in order to distinguish themselves from the "humble" Angeloi, who were known as officials, physicians and clergymen.
Michael I Angelos, an illegitimate son of the sebastokrator John Angelos
John Doukas
John Doukas or Ducas , was the eldest son of Constantine Angelos by Theodora Komnene, the seventh child of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina, from whose family name John Doukas took his own.-Career:Doukas is first attested in an imperial document in 1166...
, founded the Despotate of Epiros, choosing the city of Arta
Arta, Greece
Arta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
as its capital. In 1224, Michael's half-brother Theodore
Theodore Komnenos Doukas
Theodore Komnenos Doukas was ruler of Epirus from 1215 to 1230 and of Thessalonica from 1224 to 1230.-Life:...
captured the Kingdom of Thessalonica
Kingdom of Thessalonica
The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State founded after the Fourth Crusade over the conquered Byzantine lands.- Background :...
from the crusaders and proclaimed himself as the legitimate Byzantine emperor (basileus
Basileus
Basileus is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs in history. It is perhaps best known in English as a title used by the Byzantine Emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority and sovereigns in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of...
) in Thessalonica. However, Theodore was defeated and captured by John II Asen in the Battle of Klokotnitsa
Battle of Klokotnitsa
The Battle of Klokotnitsa occurred on 9 March 1230 near the village of Klokotnitsa . As a result, the Second Bulgarian Empire emerged once again as the most powerful state in Eastern Europe and the power of the Despotate of Epirus faded...
in 1230. During Theodore's captivity, his brother Manuel Angelos
Manuel Komnenos Doukas
Manuel Komnenos Doukas , often inaccurately called Manuel Angelos , was ruler of Thessalonica from 1230 to 1237 and of Thessaly from 1239 until his death in c. 1241.-Life:Manuel was a legitimate son of the sebastokratōr John Doukas...
ruled over Thessalonica, succeeded by Theodore's sons John
John Komnenos Doukas
John Komnenos Doukas was ruler of Thessalonica from 1237 until his death in 1244....
and Demetrios
Demetrios Angelos Doukas
Demetrios Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas , was ruler of Thessalonica from 1244 until his deposition in 1246. He was born c. 1220.Demetrios was the younger son of Theodore Komnenos Doukas and Maria Petraliphaina. In 1230 his father was captured together with his family in the Battle of...
. Eventually, the city was lost to the Nicaeal emperor
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
John III Doukas Vatatzes
John III Doukas Vatatzes
John III Doukas Vatatzes, Latinized as Ducas Vatatzes |Nymphaion]]) was emperor of Nicaea 1221–1254.-Life:John Doukas Vatatzes was probably the son of the general Basileios Vatatzes, Duke of Thrace, who died in 1193, and his wife, an unnamed daughter of Isaakios Angelos and cousin of the Emperors...
in 1246, marking the end of the rule of the Angeloi in Thessalonica.
In 1230, Theodore's nephew Michael II
Michael II Komnenos Doukas
Michael II Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas , often called Michael Angelos in narrative sources, was the ruler of Epirus from 1230 until his death in 1266/68.-Life:...
, son of Michael I, established himself as ruler of Epiros and Thessaly. After the death of Michael II in 1271, Epiros was ruled by his legitimate son Nikephoros I
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Latinized as Nicephorus I Comnenus Ducas , was ruler of Epirus from 1267/8 to c. 1297.-Life:Nikephoros was the eldest son of Michael II Komnenos Doukas and Theodora Petraliphaina...
, while Thessaly was given to his illegitimate son John I Angelos. In 1318, Nicholas Orsini
Nicholas Orsini
Nicholas Orsini was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1317 to 1323 and ruler of Epirus from 1318 to 1323....
murdered Nikephoros' son Thomas I Angelos
Thomas I Komnenos Doukas
Thomas I Komnenos Doukas ruler of Epirus from c. 1297 until his death in 1318.Thomas was the son of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas and Anna Kantakouzene, a niece of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. In 1290 he was conferred the court dignity of despotes by his mother's cousin, Emperor Andronikos...
, ending the rule of the Angeloi in Epiros. In Thessaly, John I Angelos was succeeded by his son Constantine
Constantine Doukas of Thessaly
Constantine Doukas was ruler of Thessaly from 1289 to his death in 1303.-Life:Constantine Doukas was the second son of John I Doukas of Thessaly by his wife, whose monastic name was Hypomone . He succeeded to his father's lands because his older brother Michael Komnenos had been abducted and...
, followed by John II
John II Doukas
John II Doukas, also Angelos Doukas or Angelus Ducas , was ruler of Thessaly from 1303 to his death in 1318....
, who ruled from 1302/03 until his death in 1318. In the same year, Thessaly was seized by the Catalan Grand Company and annexed to the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
.
Having re-established Byzantine control over Epiros and Thessaly in 1340, emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia...
appointed the pinkernes
Pinkernes
Pinkernes was a high Byzantine court position. The term, deriving from the Greek verb , signified the Byzantine emperor's cup-bearer. The position is attested in Philotheos's Kletorologion of 899, where a pinkernes of the Byzantine emperor and of the Augusta are listed amongst the eunuchs of...
(cup-bearer) John Angelos, a nephew of megas domestikos John Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
, to the governorship of Epiros. John extended his rule to Thessaly in 1342, but died from the plague in 1348. Epiros and Thessaly were conquered by the Serbian ruler Stefan Dušan soon afterwards.
Descendants of John Angelos continued to govern Thessaly under Simeon Uroš
Simeon Uroš
Simeon Uroš Nemanjić, nicknamed Siniša , also known in Greek as Symeōn Ouresēs Palaiologos , was the Despot of Epirus from 1359 to 1366, and of Thessaly from 1359 until his death in 1370. He governed Epirus and Acarnania under his half-brother Emperor Dušan the Mighty Simeon Uroš Nemanjić,...
and John Uroš
John Uroš
Jovan Uroš or John Ouresis Doukas Palaiologos was the ruler of Thessaly from c. 1370 to c. 1373, died 1422/3.John Uroš was the son of Emperor Simeon Uroš Palaiologos by Thomais Orsini. His maternal grandparents were John II Orsini and Anna Palaiologina Angelina.Between 1369 and 1372 he succeeded...
. John Uroš, the last Nemanjić, abdicated in favour of Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos
Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos
Alexios Angelos Philanthropenos was a Byzantine Greek nobleman who ruled Thessaly from 1373 until ca. 1390 with the title of Caesar....
, the kaisar of Great Wallachia
Great Wallachia
Great Wallachia , also Thessaly Wallachia, was a medieval state of the Aromanians , which included the region of Thessaly in Greece, the southern and central ranges of Pindus and extending over part of Macedonia.Anna Komnene in the second half of the eleventh century was the first author to write...
. Alexios' brother Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos
Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos
Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos was a Byzantine Greek nobleman who ruled Thessaly from ca. 1390 until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1393, as a Byzantine vassal with the title of Caesar....
was the last Byzantine ruler of Thessaly.
After the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the Angeloi Philanthropenoi took refuge in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. A grandson of either Alexios or Manuel, Mihailo Anđelović
Mihailo Anđelović
Mihailo Anđelović was a 15th century Serbian governor of Serbia briefly in 1458.After the Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1394, the ruling Angeloi Philanthropenoi family took refuge in Serbia...
, served as an official at the court of Đurađ and Lazar Branković. Mihailo's brother Mahmud
Veli Mahmud Pasha
Mahmud Pasha or Mahmud-paša Anđelović , also known simply as Adni, was a Serbian-born of Byzantine noble descent who became an Ottoman general and statesman, after being abducted as a child by the Sultan. As Veli Mahmud Paşa he was Grand Vizier in 1456–1468 and again in 1472–1474...
, captured in his infancy by Ottoman soldiers, was brought to Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, where he converted to Islam. He later rose to the highest ranks of the Ottoman empire, becoming beylerbey
Beylerbey
Beylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
of Rumelia
Rumelia
Rumelia was an historical region comprising the territories of the Ottoman Empire in Europe...
in 1451 and Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
in 1455. Thus, in the negotiations between Serb despot Lazar Branković and Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
in 1457, the two sides were represented by the brothers Mihailo and Mahmud Anđelović.