John Doukas, Caesar
Encyclopedia
John Doukas (died c. 1088) was the son of Andronikos Doukas, a Paphlagonia
n nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia
and younger brother of Emperor Constantine X Doukas. John Doukas was the paternal grandfather of Irene Doukaina
, wife of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos
.
by his brother Constantine X, was one of the most influential members of the court aristocracy from the death of his brother into that of Alexios I Komnenos. His wealth derived of estates in Thrace
and Bithynia
, and he was a close friend of the historian Michael Psellos
. Although he is usually documented by the sources as a member of the court, he had begun his career as a general.
After serving as a counsellor and supporter of his brother, John came to the fore after his brother's death in 1067 as the natural protector of the rights of his nephew Michael VII
Doukas. His position as Caesar and his family’s influence in the Senate meant that he was behind the opposition of the court officials to the Empress Mother Eudokia Makrembolitissa
and her marriage to Romanos IV
Diogenes. Over the course of the next three years he became the emperor’s bitterest enemy, but his intriguing meant that the Caesar spent much of Romanos' reign in retirement on his estates in Bithynia. It was here that he learned that his son Andronikos Doukas had joined and then deserted the emperor in the disastrous campaign ending with the Battle of Manzikert
in 1071.
Romanos' captivity gave John the opportunity to return to court at the request of Eudokia Makrembolitissa. Joining forces with Michael Psellos, the Caesar made the Empress share power with her son, and then forced her to become a nun and retire from court affairs in October 1071. He soon became the defacto head of the Government in the name of Michael VII
, ordering the empire not to acknowledge Romanus as emperor, declaring that Romanos had been elevated to the throne to act for Michael, who was now able to administer the empire. The Caesar sent his sons Andronikos and Constantine to capture Romanos IV, who had been released from captivity and thus ensured the sole rule of his nephew Michael VII. John Doukas initially agreed to allow Romanos to resign the purple and retire to a monastery. But his hatred of Romanos was so great that he reneged on the agreement and ordered that Romanos be blinded, sending him a mocking message congratulating him on the loss of his eyes as he lay dying from the infected wound. With the elimination of Romanos, John and Michael Psellos were supreme at court.
The Caesar was undone, however, by one of his own creatures, the eunuch Nikephoritzes
. By 1073 the eunuch had gained the confidence of Michael VII, whom he turned against his uncle. The Caesar was forced to retire to his great estates, where he amused himself by hunting in the forests near the shores of the Bosphorus.
Turks roused the Byzantine government into action, gathering together an army of mercenaries under the command of Isaac Komnenos. The Norman mercenaries, led by Roussel de Bailleul
, rebelled against the Byzantines, crushed an imperial army, and attempted to establish an independent kingdom in Anatolia
.
The situation in Asia Minor
was now so dire, that in 1074 Michael was forced to order his uncle to take command of an imperial army and defeat the Norman mercenaries. Fixing his headquarters at Dorylaeum, the two armies met near the bridge over the Zompi River, one of the great lines of communication between Constantinople and the central provinces in Asia Minor. Betrayed by his Frankish mercenaries and by the shameful retreat of the Asiatic reserves under the command of the future Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, John was defeated and captured together with his son Andronikos. The victorious mercenaries then proceeded to advance to the shores of the Bosphorus, as a relieving force under John's younger son Constantine disintegrated when its commander suddenly died.
Roussel, unsure if his mercenary force could overthrow the emperor at Constantinople, decided to act as the chief general for his own emperor. He proclaimed John Doukas emperor, easily persuading his prisoner to assume the title and dethrone his ungrateful nephew, and they continued on their way to Constantinople.
Michael VII and Nikephoritzes were deeply concerned about their own safety. They formed an alliance with Suleyman
, concluding a formal treaty between the Byzantines and the Turks, whereby Michael gave to Suleyman the government of the provinces of which the Seljuk Turks were in possession of. The Turks agreed to provide an army to fight on Michael’s behalf, and this army moved quickly to Mount Sophon where John Doukas and Roussel were encamped. The mercenaries were ambushed and although Roussel managed to escape, John was captured, ending the rebellion.
After some time as a Seljuk captive, John was ransomed by his nephew. Michael allowed him to retain his sight on condition that he renounce all imperial ambitions and he take the additional precaution of becoming a monk.
d Caesar retained some influence on political events. With the collapse of imperial authority late in Michael VII’s reign, he advised his nephew to abdicate and become a monk when Nikephoros III Botaneiates threatened Constantinople in 1078, and in 1081 he fled Constantinople to join Alexios Komnenos and to persuade him to revolt against Botaneiates and claim the throne. It was also John Doukas, who arranged for the marriage of his granddaughter Irene Doukaina to Alexios Komnenos over the objections of the latter's mother Anna Dalassene. In this change of circumstance, he abandoned the monastic habit and Alexios allowed him to resume his old position as Caesar. Remaining part of the court, he continued to advise the emperor until his death in c. 1088.
were descended from the male branch of the ancient family of Doukas which became extinct after a revolt during the minority of Constantine VII
’s reign. He was descended from the female line, and his family was originally called Doukitzes, to mark the inferiority of the modern house which had assumed the name of Doukas.
By his wife Irene Pegonitissa, John Doukas had at least two sons, both of whom predeceased him:
Paphlagonia
Paphlagonia was an ancient area on the Black Sea coast of north central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus to the east, and separated from Phrygia by a prolongation to the east of the Bithynian Olympus...
n nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia
Moesia
Moesia was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans, along the south bank of the Danube River. It included territories of modern-day Southern Serbia , Northern Republic of Macedonia, Northern Bulgaria, Romanian Dobrudja, Southern Moldova, and Budjak .-History:In ancient...
and younger brother of Emperor Constantine X Doukas. John Doukas was the paternal grandfather of Irene Doukaina
Irene Doukaina
Irene Doukaina or Ducaena was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos, and the mother of the emperor John II Komnenos and of the historian Anna Komnene.-Succession of Alexios and Irene:...
, wife 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,...
.
Career as Caesar
John Doukas, who was given the court dignity of CaesarCaesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
by his brother Constantine X, was one of the most influential members of the court aristocracy from the death of his brother into that of Alexios I Komnenos. His wealth derived of estates in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
, and he was a close friend of the historian Michael Psellos
Michael Psellos
Michael Psellos or Psellus was a Byzantine monk, writer, philosopher, politician and historian...
. Although he is usually documented by the sources as a member of the court, he had begun his career as a general.
After serving as a counsellor and supporter of his brother, John came to the fore after his brother's death in 1067 as the natural protector of the rights of his nephew Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
Doukas. His position as Caesar and his family’s influence in the Senate meant that he was behind the opposition of the court officials to the Empress Mother Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Eudokia Makrembolitissa was the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. After his death she acted as regent and became the wife of Romanos IV Diogenes...
and her marriage to Romanos IV
Romanos IV
Romanos IV Diogenes was a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy who, after his marriage to the widowed empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa was crowned Byzantine emperor and reigned from 1068 to 1071...
Diogenes. Over the course of the next three years he became the emperor’s bitterest enemy, but his intriguing meant that the Caesar spent much of Romanos' reign in retirement on his estates in Bithynia. It was here that he learned that his son Andronikos Doukas had joined and then deserted the emperor in the disastrous campaign ending with the Battle of Manzikert
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert , was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert...
in 1071.
Romanos' captivity gave John the opportunity to return to court at the request of Eudokia Makrembolitissa. Joining forces with Michael Psellos, the Caesar made the Empress share power with her son, and then forced her to become a nun and retire from court affairs in October 1071. He soon became the defacto head of the Government in the name of Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
, ordering the empire not to acknowledge Romanus as emperor, declaring that Romanos had been elevated to the throne to act for Michael, who was now able to administer the empire. The Caesar sent his sons Andronikos and Constantine to capture Romanos IV, who had been released from captivity and thus ensured the sole rule of his nephew Michael VII. John Doukas initially agreed to allow Romanos to resign the purple and retire to a monastery. But his hatred of Romanos was so great that he reneged on the agreement and ordered that Romanos be blinded, sending him a mocking message congratulating him on the loss of his eyes as he lay dying from the infected wound. With the elimination of Romanos, John and Michael Psellos were supreme at court.
The Caesar was undone, however, by one of his own creatures, the eunuch Nikephoritzes
Nikephoritzes
Nikephoritzes was an influential Byzantine eunuch official, who served as chief minister and virtual ruler of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Emperor Michael VII Doukas . His actual name was Nikephoros; he received the nickname "Nikephoritzes" as a result of his relative youth when he...
. By 1073 the eunuch had gained the confidence of Michael VII, whom he turned against his uncle. The Caesar was forced to retire to his great estates, where he amused himself by hunting in the forests near the shores of the Bosphorus.
Rebellion of 1074
In the meantime, the progress of the SeljukGreat Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
Turks roused the Byzantine government into action, gathering together an army of mercenaries under the command of Isaac Komnenos. The Norman mercenaries, led by Roussel de Bailleul
Roussel de Bailleul
Roussel de Bailleul , also known as Phrangopoulos , was a Norman adventurer who travelled to Byzantium and there received employ as a soldier and leader of men from the Emperor Romanus IV Roussel de Bailleul (also Ursellus de Ballione in Latin or Roscelin or Roskelin de Baieul, called Urselius by...
, rebelled against the Byzantines, crushed an imperial army, and attempted to establish an independent kingdom in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
.
The situation in 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...
was now so dire, that in 1074 Michael was forced to order his uncle to take command of an imperial army and defeat the Norman mercenaries. Fixing his headquarters at Dorylaeum, the two armies met near the bridge over the Zompi River, one of the great lines of communication between Constantinople and the central provinces in Asia Minor. Betrayed by his Frankish mercenaries and by the shameful retreat of the Asiatic reserves under the command of the future Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, John was defeated and captured together with his son Andronikos. The victorious mercenaries then proceeded to advance to the shores of the Bosphorus, as a relieving force under John's younger son Constantine disintegrated when its commander suddenly died.
Roussel, unsure if his mercenary force could overthrow the emperor at Constantinople, decided to act as the chief general for his own emperor. He proclaimed John Doukas emperor, easily persuading his prisoner to assume the title and dethrone his ungrateful nephew, and they continued on their way to Constantinople.
Michael VII and Nikephoritzes were deeply concerned about their own safety. They formed an alliance with Suleyman
Süleyman I of Rûm
Suleiman ibn Qutulmish founded an independent Seljuq Turkish state in Anatolia and ruled as Seljuq Sultan of Rûm from 1077 until his death in 1086....
, concluding a formal treaty between the Byzantines and the Turks, whereby Michael gave to Suleyman the government of the provinces of which the Seljuk Turks were in possession of. The Turks agreed to provide an army to fight on Michael’s behalf, and this army moved quickly to Mount Sophon where John Doukas and Roussel were encamped. The mercenaries were ambushed and although Roussel managed to escape, John was captured, ending the rebellion.
After some time as a Seljuk captive, John was ransomed by his nephew. Michael allowed him to retain his sight on condition that he renounce all imperial ambitions and he take the additional precaution of becoming a monk.
Return to politics
The tonsureTonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d Caesar retained some influence on political events. With the collapse of imperial authority late in Michael VII’s reign, he advised his nephew to abdicate and become a monk when Nikephoros III Botaneiates threatened Constantinople in 1078, and in 1081 he fled Constantinople to join Alexios Komnenos and to persuade him to revolt against Botaneiates and claim the throne. It was also John Doukas, who arranged for the marriage of his granddaughter Irene Doukaina to Alexios Komnenos over the objections of the latter's mother Anna Dalassene. In this change of circumstance, he abandoned the monastic habit and Alexios allowed him to resume his old position as Caesar. Remaining part of the court, he continued to advise the emperor until his death in c. 1088.
Family
Neither John nor his brother Constantine XConstantine X
Constantine X Doukas was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1059 to 1067.-Reign:Constantine Doukas was the son of Andronikos Doukas, a Paphlagonian nobleman who may have served as governor of the theme of Moesia...
were descended from the male branch of the ancient family of Doukas which became extinct after a revolt during the minority of Constantine VII
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
’s reign. He was descended from the female line, and his family was originally called Doukitzes, to mark the inferiority of the modern house which had assumed the name of Doukas.
By his wife Irene Pegonitissa, John Doukas had at least two sons, both of whom predeceased him:
- Andronikos Doukas, who was the father of Irene DoukainaIrene DoukainaIrene Doukaina or Ducaena was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos, and the mother of the emperor John II Komnenos and of the historian Anna Komnene.-Succession of Alexios and Irene:...
- Constantine Doukas, who died in 1074