Kantakouzenos
Encyclopedia
The House of Kantakouzenos , latinized as Cantacuzenus and anglicized as Cantacuzene, was one of the most prominent noble families of the Byzantine Empire
in the last centuries of its existence. The family was one of the Empire's wealthiest and provided several prominent governors and generals, as well as two Byzantine emperors. The Kantakouzenoi intermarried extensively with other Byzantine and Bulgarian noble families such as the Palaiologoi
, the Philanthropenoi
, the Asen
, and the Tarchaneiotes
. The feminine form of the name is Kantakouzene , latinized as Cantacuzena.
The family's surname derives from the locality of Kouzenas near Smyrna
. They first appear in the reign of Alexios I Komnenos
, when a member of the family campaigned against the Cumans
. In the Komnenian period, members of the family are attested as military officials: the sebastos
John Kantakouzenos was killed in the Battle of Myriokephalon
, while his probable grandson, the caesar
John Kantakouzenos, married Irene Angelina, the sister of Isaac II Angelos
. By the time of the Fourth Crusade
, the Kantakouzenoi were among the greatest landholders in the Empire.
They remained prominent in the Palaiologan period. Michael Kantakouzenos
was appointed governor of the Morea
in 1308 and his son, John VI Kantakouzenos
, rose to be megas domestikos, regent, and eventually emperor (1341–1354) before resigning and retiring to a monastery after a failed civil war. John VI's eldest son Matthew
also reigned as his co-emperor and as a pretender (1353–1357) before being captured and forced to resign as well. John's younger son Manuel Kantakouzenos
remained despotes
of the Morea
from 1349 until 1380. Of John VI's daughters, Helena Kantakouzene
married John and Matthew's rival John V Palaiologos
(r. 1341–1391), Maria married Nikephoros II Orsini
of Epirus, and Theodora married the Ottoman bey Orhan I
.
Matthew's two sons, John and Demetrios, ruled briefly the Morea. John died childless. The possible descendants of Demetrios (the exact parentage is uncertain) were Georgios, called "Sachatai"; Andronikos, the last megas domestikos of the Byzantine Empire; Eirene
, who married Đurađ Branković; Thomas, who served in Branković's court; Helena
, who became the second wife of David of Trebizond
; and an unnamed daughter, who may have become queen of Georgia
.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in the last centuries of its existence. The family was one of the Empire's wealthiest and provided several prominent governors and generals, as well as two Byzantine emperors. The Kantakouzenoi intermarried extensively with other Byzantine and Bulgarian noble families such as the Palaiologoi
Palaiologos
Palaiologos , often latinized as Palaeologus, was a Byzantine Greek noble family, which produced the last ruling dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. After the Fourth Crusade, members of the family fled to the neighboring Empire of Nicaea, where Michael VIII Palaiologos became co-emperor in 1259,...
, the Philanthropenoi
Philanthropenos
Philanthropenos , feminine form Philanthropene , was the name of a noble Byzantine Greek family which appeared in the mid-13th century and produced a number of high-ranking generals and officials until the end of the end of the Byzantine Empire. Their name derives from the monastery of Christ...
, the Asen
Asen dynasty
The Asen dynasty ruled a medieval Bulgarian state, called in modern historiography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1187 and 1280.The Asen dynasty and the Second Bulgarian Empire rose as the leaders of a rebellion against the Byzantine Empire at the turn of the year 1185/1186 caused by the...
, and the Tarchaneiotes
Tarchaneiotes
Tarchaneiotes , feminine form Tarchaneiotissa was the name of a Byzantine aristocratic family from Adrianople, active from the late 10th to the 14th century, mostly as military commanders.The ethnic origin of the family is unknown...
. The feminine form of the name is Kantakouzene , latinized as Cantacuzena.
The family's surname derives from the locality of Kouzenas near Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
. They first appear in the reign of 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,...
, when a member of the family campaigned against the Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
. In the Komnenian period, members of the family are attested as military officials: the sebastos
Sebastos
Sebastos was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of Augustus. From the late 11th century on, during the Komnenian period, it and variants derived from it formed the basis of a new system of court titles for the Byzantine Empire. The female form of the title...
John Kantakouzenos was killed in the Battle of Myriokephalon
Battle of Myriokephalon
The Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as the ', or in Turkish, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. The battle was a strategic reverse for the Byzantine forces, who were ambushed when moving through a mountain pass...
, while his probable grandson, the caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
John Kantakouzenos, married Irene Angelina, the sister of Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
. By the time of 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...
, the Kantakouzenoi were among the greatest landholders in the Empire.
They remained prominent in the Palaiologan period. Michael Kantakouzenos
Michael Kantakouzenos
Michael Kantakouzenos was the first epitropos of the Byzantine province of the Morea, a position he held from 1308 till his death in 1316.-Despot:...
was appointed governor of the Morea
Morea
The Morea was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It also referred to a Byzantine province in the region, known as the Despotate of Morea.-Origins of the name:...
in 1308 and his son, John VI 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...
, rose to be megas domestikos, regent, and eventually emperor (1341–1354) before resigning and retiring to a monastery after a failed civil war. John VI's eldest son Matthew
Matthew Kantakouzenos
Matthew Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was Byzantine Emperor from 1353 to 1357.-Life:...
also reigned as his co-emperor and as a pretender (1353–1357) before being captured and forced to resign as well. John's younger son Manuel Kantakouzenos
Manuel Kantakouzenos
Manuel Kantakouzenos , . Despotēs in the Despotate of Morea or the Peloponnese from October 25, 1349 to his death and a contender to the Principality of Achaia.Kantakouzenos was the second son of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina...
remained despotes
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
of the Morea
Despotate of Morea
The Despotate of the Morea or Despotate of Mystras was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centuries. Its territory varied in size during its 100 years of existence but eventually grew to take in almost all the southern Greek peninsula, the...
from 1349 until 1380. Of John VI's daughters, Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of John V Palaiologos in the Byzantine Empire.-Family:She was a daughter of John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina.She was a sister of Matthew Kantakouzenos and Manuel Kantakouzenos...
married John and Matthew's rival John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
(r. 1341–1391), Maria married Nikephoros II Orsini
Nikephoros II Orsini
Nikephoros II Orsini - Doukas , was the ruler of Epirus from 1335 to 1338 and from 1356 until his death in 1359.-Life:...
of Epirus, and Theodora married the Ottoman bey Orhan I
Orhan I
Orhan I or Orhan Bey was the second bey of the nascent Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359...
.
Matthew's two sons, John and Demetrios, ruled briefly the Morea. John died childless. The possible descendants of Demetrios (the exact parentage is uncertain) were Georgios, called "Sachatai"; Andronikos, the last megas domestikos of the Byzantine Empire; Eirene
Eirene Kantakouzene
Irene Kantakouzene was the wife of Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. In Serbian folk legends, she is the founder of many fortresses in Serbia.-Family:...
, who married Đurađ Branković; Thomas, who served in Branković's court; Helena
Helena Kantakouzene, Empress of Trebizond
-Family:The primary source about her is the account "On the Origin of the Ottoman Emperors" by Theodore Spandounes. Theodore was related to the Kantakouzenoi. He was a son of Matthew Spandounes and Eudokia Kantakouzene. His father was a soldied of the Republic of Venice...
, who became the second wife of David of Trebizond
David of Trebizond
David Megas Komnenos was the last Emperor of Trebizond from 1459 to 1461. He was the third son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene....
; and an unnamed daughter, who may have become queen of Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
See also
- Cantacuzino, a family of Romanian boyarBoyarA boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s who claim descent from the Kantakouzenoi