Manuel Palaiologos
Encyclopedia
Manuel Palaiologos (1455–1512) was the youngest child of Thomas Palaiologos
and Catherine Zaccharia. He was brother of the de jure
Byzantine Emperor Andrew Palaiologos
, Zoe Palaiologina, Grand Duchess of Moscovy and Helena Palaiologina, wife of Despot Lazar Branković of Serbia
. He was also a nephew of the Emperors John VIII Palaiologos
and Constantine XI
.
Born after the Fall of Constantinople
(May 29, 1453) he spent his early childhood in the Morea
(modern Peloponnese
) till fleeing with his family in 1460 firstly to Corfu
then Rome
where his father was recognised as Byzantine Emperor. Sources claim after the death of Thomas Palaiologos
in 1465, his children were placed under the guardianship of the renowned scholar, Johannes Bessarion.
Little is known about his life except he returned to Constantinople
during the reign of Bayezid II
and exchanged his rights to the Byzantine throne for a comfortable pension. Here he spent his life in luxury and pleasure, fathering two sons, an enigmatic John (Ioannes) and Andrew (Andreas) with a Turkish woman (possibly a slave
in his household). Some sources also state that he converted to Islam
and even served in the Sultan's navy.
He died in 1512.
Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne...
and Catherine Zaccharia. He was brother of the de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
Byzantine Emperor Andrew Palaiologos
Andreas Palaiologos
Andreas Palaiologos titular Byzantine emperor and Despot of Morea from 1465 until his death in 1502.-Biography:He was the nephew of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine Emperor of Constantinople...
, Zoe Palaiologina, Grand Duchess of Moscovy and Helena Palaiologina, wife of Despot Lazar Branković of 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...
. He was also a nephew of the Emperors John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš...
and Constantine XI
Constantine XI
Constantine XI Palaiologos, latinized as Palaeologus , Kōnstantinos XI Dragasēs Palaiologos; February 8, 1404 – May 29, 1453) was the last reigning Byzantine Emperor from 1449 to his death as member of the Palaiologos dynasty...
.
Born after the Fall of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
(May 29, 1453) he spent his early childhood in 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:...
(modern Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
) till fleeing with his family in 1460 firstly to Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
then Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
where his father was recognised as Byzantine Emperor. Sources claim after the death of Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne...
in 1465, his children were placed under the guardianship of the renowned scholar, Johannes Bessarion.
Little is known about his life except he 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:...
during the reign of Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
and exchanged his rights to the Byzantine throne for a comfortable pension. Here he spent his life in luxury and pleasure, fathering two sons, an enigmatic John (Ioannes) and Andrew (Andreas) with a Turkish woman (possibly a slave
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in his household). Some sources also state that he converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and even served in the Sultan's navy.
He died in 1512.
Representations in popular culture
- In Assassin's Creed: RevelationsAssassin's Creed: RevelationsAssassin's Creed: Revelations is a video game in the Assassin's Creed franchise developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. The game was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 15, 2011. For Microsoft Windows, the game is delayed until December 2, 2011...
(2011),Palaiologos plays a central role to the plot, secretly associated with the Knights TemplarKnights TemplarThe Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.