Isaac Komnenos (d. 1154)
Encyclopedia
Isaac Komnenos or Comnenus , was the third son of Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos
by Piroska of Hungary
.
as his heir, although the third son, Isaac, was still alive. At the time Isaac was conducting the body of his eldest brother, the co-emperor Alexios Komnenos, back to Constantinople
.
Manuel had the powerful backing of the megas domestikos (commander-in-chief of the army) John Axuch
who took control of the capital before Isaac learned of his father's death and could make any bid for the throne. Axuch was faithful to the wishes of John II, although he is recorded as having tried hard to persuade the dying emperor that Isaac was the better candidate to succeed. Although some of the clergy, the people and the military, thought that Isaac was better fit to rule, he had to resign himself to his younger brother's accession.
In 1145–1146 he campaigned with him against the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia
. Although the relationship between the brothers remained uneasy, there was never an open conflict, and Isaac enjoyed the court dignity of sebastokrator
. The marriages of Isaac's daughters served as useful tools of Manuel's foreign policy.
By his second wife, Irene Synadene, Isaac had two daughters:
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs , he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina...
by Piroska of Hungary
Piroska of Hungary
Saint Irene of Hungary, born Piroska, was a daughter of Ladislaus I of Hungary and Adelaide of Swabia. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf of Rheinfeld and his second wife Adelheid of Savoy. Adelheid was a daughter of Otto of Savoy and Adelaide of Turin. She was the mother of the future emperor...
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Life
Shortly before his death in 1143, John II Komnenos designated his fourth son ManuelManuel 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....
as his heir, although the third son, Isaac, was still alive. At the time Isaac was conducting the body of his eldest brother, the co-emperor Alexios Komnenos, back 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:...
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Manuel had the powerful backing of the megas domestikos (commander-in-chief of the army) John Axuch
John Axuch
John Axouch or Axouchos, also transliterated as Axuch was the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine Army during the reign of Emperor John II Komnenos, and the early part of the reign of his son Manuel I Komnenos.- Life :...
who took control of the capital before Isaac learned of his father's death and could make any bid for the throne. Axuch was faithful to the wishes of John II, although he is recorded as having tried hard to persuade the dying emperor that Isaac was the better candidate to succeed. Although some of the clergy, the people and the military, thought that Isaac was better fit to rule, he had to resign himself to his younger brother's accession.
In 1145–1146 he campaigned with him against the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Although the relationship between the brothers remained uneasy, there was never an open conflict, and Isaac enjoyed the court dignity of 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...
. The marriages of Isaac's daughters served as useful tools of Manuel's foreign policy.
Family
By his first wife, Theodora, Isaac had five children:- Alexios Komnenos.
- Irene Komnene, who married an unnamed Doukas Kamateros and became the mother of Isaac Komnenos of CyprusIsaac Komnenos of CyprusIsaac Komnenos or Comnenus , was the ruler of Cyprus from 1184 to 1191, before Richard I's conquest during the Third Crusade.-Family:He was a minor member of the Komnenos family. He was son of an unnamed Doukas Kamateros and Irene Komnene...
. - John Komnenos.
- Anna Komnene, who married Constantine Makrodoukas.
- Maria Komnene, who married King Stephen IV of HungaryStephen IV of HungaryStephen IV , King of Hungary . In his youth, he rebelled against his brother, King Géza II of Hungary and had to flee to the Court of the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel I Komnenos...
.
By his second wife, Irene Synadene, Isaac had two daughters:
- Theodora KomneneTheodora KomneneTheodora 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...
, who married King Baldwin III of JerusalemBaldwin III of JerusalemBaldwin III was king of Jerusalem from 1143 to 1163. He was the eldest son of Melisende and Fulk of Jerusalem, and the grandson of Baldwin II of Jerusalem.-Succession:...
. - Eudokia KomneneEudokia KomneneEudokia Komnene was a niece of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos, and wife of William VIII of Montpellier....
, who married William VIII of MontpellierWilliam VIII of MontpellierWilliam VIII of Montpellier was Lord of Montpellier, the son of William VII.He married Eudoxie or Eudokia Komnene, grand-niece of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. A condition of the marriage was that the firstborn child, boy or girl, would succeed to the lordship of Montpellier on...
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