(Μέρος Δεύτερο).🪶 Η ιστορία της φιλίας... του Καλοϊωαννη και του Αξούχ. Ο πατέρας του αυτοκράτορα Καλοϊωάννη είχε συλλάβει μετά από την πολιορκία της Νίκαιας ένα μικρό παιδί τουρκικής καταγωγής, τον Αξούχ. Ο Αξουχ απαρνήθηκε το Ισλάμ και βαφτίστηκε Χριστιανός παίρνοντας το όνομα Ιωάννης. Οι δυο τους μεγάλωσαν μαζί και έγιναν αχώριστοι φίλοι με τον αυτοκράτορα να εμπιστεύετε τον Αξούχ περισσότερο από τα μέλη της οικογένειας του, ως μοναδικό σύμβουλο. Αυτό προκαλούσε βέβαια μεγάλη δυσαρέσκεια στα μέλη της βασιλικής οικογένειας εξαιτίας της καταγωγής του. Εκείνος όμως παρέμεινε πιστός φίλος του αυτοκράτορα ακόμη και μετά το θάνατο του. Ο Αξούχ ήθελε στη θέση του αυτοκράτορα τον μεγάλο αδερφό του Καλοϊωαννη, τον Ισαάκ. Προσπάθησε να μεταπείσει επανελλειμενα τον ετοιμοθάνατο αυτοκράτορα να τον διαλέξει για διάδοχο, μάταια όμως. Ο αυτοκράτορας είχε ορίσει ως διάδοχο τον μικρότερο του γιο, Εμμανουήλ. Έτσι αμέσως μετά το θάνατο του Καλοϊωάννη σε κυνηγετικό δυστύχημα στην Κιλικία, ο Αξούχ ως ο ανώτερος επιζών ηγέτης της αυτοκρατορίας, ταξίδεψε όσο πιο γρήγορα μπορούσε από την Κιλικία στην Κωνσταντινούπολη πρώτου μαθευτεί η είδηση για το θάνατο του Καλοϊωάννη. Διασφάλισε στη θέση του αυτοκράτορα, τον Εμμανουήλ κάνοντας υπακοή στο θέλημα του Καλοϊωάννη, παρά την προσωπική διαφωνία του. Τίμησε έτσι την επιθυμία του Ιωάννη που έμεινε στην ιστορία ως Ιωάννης «ο Όμορφος» . . . . . . #history #seljuks #seljuk #byzantineempire #byzantium #byzantineart #johniikomnenos #komnenos #empire #greece #turkey #medievalhistory #medievalart
Facial reconstruction of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos! #easternroman #byzantineempire #byzantine #byzantium #byzantinestudies #komnenos #komneniandynasty #history #romanemperor
There are many beautiful mosiacs in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul- but this one has the distinction of being part of our podcast's logo! On the left we have John II, sole emperor between 1118 and 1143. On the right, past Mary and Jesus, we have Irene of Hungary (originally called Piroska), his wife. There's also a final person making up part of the mosaic who is not shown here- any guesses who this might be? #johniikomnenos #komnenos #komnenoi #ireneofhungary #irenepiroska #byzantineempire #byzantinehistory #istanbul #hagiasophia #constantinople #romanempire #romanhistory #autocratpodcast #viral #fyp
💠The Story of the Angelos Dynasty of Byzantium (1185-1204) * 👑Not too long before the Angelos Dynasty came to rule the Byzantine Empire in 1185, they were a minor noble family from the city of Philadelphia in Asia Minor. The Angelos family is of Greek origin wherein its name literally meant "angel" in Greek, however another theory suggests that their name came from the district of Agel in Upper Mesopotamia. The Angelos family though only became prominent in 1122 when one of its members being Constantine Angelos married Theodora Komnene, daughter of the late Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118). Since then, the Angeloi had already been part of the imperial Komnenos Dynasty wherein one of Constantine and Theodora's sons Andronikos served as a general under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143-1180). Andronikos too had rebelled against the emperor Andronikos I Komnenos (r. 1183-1185) but failed and thus exiled himself to the Crusader States (Outremer). However, Andronikos' youngest son Isaac Angelos successfully overthrew Andronikos I in a coup in 1185 which ended in Andronikos I tortured to death by the people of Constantinople and Isaac II becoming emperor. Isaac II though in 1195 was overthrown and blinded in a coup by his older brother who became Emperor Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195-1203). However, with the arrival of the 4th Crusade in Constantinople in 1203, Alexios III fled and Isaac despite blind regained the throne with his son Emperor Alexios IV Angelos, though in early 1204 both Isaac II and Alexios IV were killed in a coup while Constantinople fell to the Crusaders. * 👑Although the Angelos Dynasty's rule over Byzantium ended, another branch of it under Isaac II and Alexios III's cousin Michael I Angelos (r. 1205-1215) would rule the Byzantine breakaway state known as the Despotate of Epirus consisting mainly of Western Greece. Epirus thus became a short-lived major power under the rule of Despot Theodore Komnenos Doukas Angelos (1215-1230). The Angelos line- there known as "Komnenos-Doukas" would then rule Epirus until it died out in 1318. Till this day, the Angelos Dynasty gets a reputation of being incompetent and corrupt.
💠The Story of the Laskaris Dynasty (1204-1261) * 👑The Laskaris Dynasty ruled the entire duration of the Empire of Nicaea, the Byzantine Empire in exile from when Constantinople fell to the 4th Crusade in 1204 up until the city's reconquest in 1261. Although an imperial dynasty, the Laskaris family's origins may be shrouded in mystery. It is believed that its name is derived from the Arabic word "al-ashqar" meaning "ruddy" or "blond" or from the Persian word "Lashkari" meaning "warrior" which therefore hints that the Laskaris family may be of Arabic, Persian, or Armenian origins. Their family's name though is first mentioned in 1059 but were not mentioned as nobles but as a simple family. It was only in the late 12th century when the Laskaris family as a noble family from Constantinople and Asia Minor first had links to the ruling Komnenos-Angelos dynasty and its first mentioned members were the brothers Theodore and Constantine. In 1200, Theodore who here was the commander of the palace guard in Constantinople married the emperor Alexios III Angelos' (r. 1195-1203) daughter Anna. When the 4th Crusade attacked Constantinople in 1203, Theodore led the Byzantine army out of the walls but was shortly afterwards imprisoned when Alexios III fled the city due to Theodore's relation to him. * ⚔️Even before Constantinople fell to the Crusaders in April of 1204, Theodore Laskaris already escaped prison and led several people out of Constantinople to Nicaea. Meanwhile, on the night Constantinople fell to the Crusaders, Theodore's brother Constantine in an emergency due to there being no more emperor was crowned in the Hagia Sophia but was afterwards never mentioned as an official emperor. Whatever happened here, the Greek population of Constantinople escaped to Nicaea forming a state in exile with Theodore as its leader whereas Constantine died battling the Crusaders in 1205. It was only in 1205 too that Theodore's position was secure enough for him to assume the title of emperor but he was only officially crowned as Emperor Theodore I Laskaris by the exiled patriarch in 1208. Theodore would rule Nicaea until his death in 1221 and would further stabilize the empire.
[ #tartary & #christ observation] #tartaria it is not a theory, its historical ghost with multiple theories. 'Tartary' is partial reality, limited toponym if studied superficially, only beyond conceptual border-limits & cartographic mentions important questions and answers are reached. Tartary is a bridge between false history and hidden past. * Connects directly with the change of regime-calendar that supplanted the one that counted 'from the creation', by a "Julian"/ #gregorian chronological manipulation cornerstone. [literature: #anatolifomenko & Andreu Marfull, 4th slide] * Christ is a fundamental reason to rewrite the past, where such a "Gregorian-Scaligerian" reset by the #holyromanempire would send him into the past away from his true person (approx. one thousand years) and hide him in the mask of ' #jesus '. - #tetragrammaton YHVH / יהוה (I am who I am) & Jesus/Je-suis (I am) are not names. - Christ/ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ keeps truth connecting with Macedonia (Greece) #slavic speaking lands. - (5th slide) The succession of events are visible where #inri (Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum) is best read in the 'IN-BK' version where BK= ho Basileùs toû kósmou, can be read as 'Je-suis na-Zar, ho Basileùs toû kósmou' or 'I am the Zar, the King of the world'. * Under this approach #crusades (1095-1291, false/actual calendar) in the name of God make sense. Even more considering participation of the #komnenos family (5th-6th slides). We know details: - royal/Holy family went into exile - 3 #magi #khan visited the heir - empire went to war and ended in eventual #crucifixion & #apocalypse /flood (7th slide). * Important detail: the #zarina -Sulṭānah could give birth to twins (8th-9th slide) hidden in masks of Косма і Даміан, or in Andronicus/Andreiv & Alexios/Alexei Komnenos, where #alexanderthegreat (Macedonian) is fragment. * Result: the teacher was condemned but the #tzar Alexei/Алексей changed places with his brother (Adreiv/Андрей), the teacher lived to flee to the East and the Tzar died on the cross. INBK * (10th slide) JUAN-IVAN, Wang Khan, Preste Ioannes, #ivantheterrible , #johntheapostle are (chronological) fragments of 1 person. #gemini #flood #deluge
II. Ioannes Komnenos (1118 - 1143) döneminden, literatürde ‘aspron trakhy’ adıyla sınıflandırılan çukur sikke. Ön yüzde İsa Mesih, arka yüzde ise imparator ve Aziz Georgios’u (Aya Yorgos) görüyorsunuz. Ayasofya’yı ziyaret edenler, üst katta imparatorun tasvir edildiği mozaiği görmüşlerdir. Sondaki fotoğrafı yıllar önce çekmiştim. İlerleyen görsellerde imparatorun yüzünün -gerçeğe yakın- onarılmış hâlini görebilirsiniz. II. Ioannes doğduktan sonra Ayasofya’da vaftiz edilmişti. Onun iktidarında yaşamış tarihçi Zonaras şöyle aktarıyor: “Sonra imparatorun bir oğlu doğdu ve o da Aya Sofya’da Patrik tarafından kutsal vaftizle onurlandırıldı. Ona Ioannes adı verildi ve babası ona taç giydirdi.” (Zonar. epit. iii.739) Tarih: M.S. 1122-1143(?) Konum: Günümüzde Pera Müzesi (env. no. PMS_463) 🙏🏻 Pera Müzesi’nin Koleksiyon Sorumlusu Yavuz Selim Güler’e bu sikkeyi paylaşma izni verdiği için teşekkürler! #antik #sikke #nümizmatik #komnenos #roma #bizans
🇹🇷 - Bizanslıların güneyden giden büyük ordusu imparator I. Manuil Komninos komutasındaydı ve Konya'yı ele geçirmeyi hedeflenmişti. II. Kılıç Arslan 17 Eylül 1176'da Sandıklı ile Dinar'ın doğusunda, Isparta'nın Gelendost ilçesi sınırlarında Miryokefalon Muharebesi'nde Bizans ordusunu pusuya düşürdü ve ağır bir yenilgiye uğrattı. Bu, Türklerin Anadolu'da Bizans karşısında Malazgirt'ten sonraki en büyük zaferiydi. Bu yenilginin ardından Bizans İmparatorluğu, Türkleri Anadolu'dan çıkarma umudunu tümüyle yitirdi. 🇬🇧 - The large Byzantine army marching from the south was under the command of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and aimed to capture Konya (Iconium). On September 17, 1176, Kilij Arslan II ambushed and heavily defeated the Byzantine army at the Battle of Myriokephalon in the Gelendost district of Isparta, east of Sandıklı and Dinar. This was the greatest Turkish victory over Byzantium in Anatolia since Manzikert. After this defeat, the Byzantine Empire lost all hope of expelling the Turks from Anatolia. #kılıçarslan #sultankılıçarslan #selçuklu #selçukludevleti #selçuklutarihi #anadoluselçuklu #anadoluselçukludevleti #selçuklular #seljuks #miryokefalonsavaşı #sultanateofrum #anadolu #anatolia #gıyaseddinkeyhüsrev #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #bizans #bizansimparatorluğu #byzantine #byzantineempire #byzantineemperor #byzantinehistory #türktarihi #türkkağanlığı #historyofturks #explore #kesfet
Alexios I Komnenos (reigned 1081-1118) helped refashion Byzantium into a major power in the Mediterranean. Before the Komnenian dynasty began, the Byzantine Empire was surrounded by enemies knocking at the door. Through his diplomacy with the Crusaders, he was able to ferry them across the Bosporus before their agitation resulted in serious harm to the capital, Constantinople. He also had major crusade leaders swear oaths of loyalty to him, requiring them to hand over any won possessions that had originally been in Byzantine hands. Alexios also completely a major overhaul of the empire’s monetary system, which helped fund the reconquest of previous Byzantine lands. Much of what we know of Alexios and his military campaigns is from his daughter Anna Komnena’s book The Alexiad. A fantastic read for anyone interested! #rome #byzantine #byzantine_constantinople #history #medieval #komnenos #byzantium
CONTEXT: Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180) was well known for his interest in astrological matters, so much so that he would consult the stars before making major decisions. His deep belief in this "science" even led him to write a treatise in its defence, claiming that it was fully compatible with Orthodoxy. Heh, sagittarii, am I right fellas? #byzantium #byzantineempire #byzantine #byzantinehistory #byzantinememes #easternromanempire #newrome #rome #roman #romanempire #romanmemes #romanhistory #medieval #medievalhistory #medievalmemes #basileus #byzantineemperor #romanemperor #manuel #komnenos #astrology #astrologymemes #constantinople
Kastamonu Kalesi, Kastamonu Kale, 12. Yüzyılda Bizanslarda Komnenos hanedanlığı döneminde yapılmıştır. Kastra Komnenon (Komnenoi Kalesi) zamanla değişerek Kastamonu adını aldığı ileri sürülmektedir. Kalenin bu gün sadece iç Kale kısmı kalmıştır. Dış kale duvarları 18. Yüzyılda yok olmuştur. Kale, ortaçağ Bizans mimarisi özellikleri yanında gördüğü tadilat ve restorasyondan dolayı Osmanlı mimarisi özelliklerini de taşımaktadır. #kale #castle #bizans #komnenos #osmanlı #ottaman #tarih #history #historymemes #historylowers
These two marble roundles, most likely depicting Emperor İoannes II Komnenos, date from the 12th century and were once in Constantinople, from where they were looted during the Fourth Crusade, and one is now, as should surprise no one, in Venice on a wall by a small passage to Campiello Angaran near the Church of San Pantalon, and the other in the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington. It is not entirely proven whether the roundels represent İoannes II, it could also be Andronikos I or Isaacios II Angelos. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorgrecorum #ioanneskomnenos #johnkomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #byzantineimperialfamily #ioanneskomnenosroundle #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #history #historia #venice #venedig #dumbartonoaks #sanpantalon #4thcrusade
Anna-kin does not approve of the youngling brother becoming emperor... #byzantine #byzantineempire #byzantium #byzantinehistory #byzantinememes #easternromanempire #rome #romanempire #roman #romanmemes #romanhistory #medieval #medievalhistory #medievalmemes #annakomnene #komnenos #constantinople #byzantineemperor #basileus #romanemperor #history #historymemes
☆アンナ・コムネナ☆Anna Komnena☆Άννα Κομνηνή☆ 東ローマ帝国（ビザンツ帝国）コムネノス王朝の皇女👑 父である皇帝『アレクシアス（アレクシオス1世伝）』の治世を著し、歴史家として名を残した女性📚 皆さま✨本日もつつがなきや？ #illustgram #digitalillustrationsart #digitalartworks #artworkdaily #artgram #digitalportrait #歴史イラスト #historyillustration #アンナコムネナ #annakomnena #άννακομνηνή #alexias #ἀλεξιάς #respublicaromana #πολιτειατωνευχων #komnenos #κομνηνός #ぷちてるも #つつがなきや #毎日描く人
👑Emperor John II Komnenos and emperor Manuel Komnenos. ☦️Romania under the Komnenoi played a key role in the history of the crusades in the Holy Land, while also exerting enormous cultural and political influence in Europe, the Near East, and the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The Komnenian emperors, particularly John and Manuel, exerted great influence over the Crusader states. ⚔️By reconquering much of the region, the Komnenoi set back the advance of the Turks in Anatolia by more than two centuries. In the process, they planted the foundations of the Byzantine successor states of Nicaea, Epirus and Trebizond. 🛡️ Meanwhile, their extensive programme of fortifications has left an enduring mark upon the Anatolian landscape, which can still be appreciated today. 🪽 Behind Manuel a banner depicting two mythical "Γρύπες" Griffins, a popular creature featured in medieval and byzantine art. #komnenos #byzantineempire #byzantinehistory #romans #byzantineemperor #romanlegion #romanempire #empire #imperator #roman #rome #byzantine #romanhistory #Constantinople #kaiser #kaizar #czar #midjourney #bing #dalle3 #aiartwork #historyfacts
THE CRISIS OF PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHT: IOANNES ITALOS Ioannes Italos was an unusual figure in the intellectual world of the Byzantine Empire. Although he did not achieve the renown of Michael Psellos, he is regarded as a symbol of a fundamental difference between the Byzantine world and medieval Western Europe. Ioannes Italos was born in southern Italy around 1025. Around 1050, he travelled to Constantinople, where he became a pupil of Psellos and succeeded him as "consul of the philosophers". He received great support from Emperor Michael VII. The tide turned with the accession of Alexios I Komnenos. In 1082, Italos was convicted of heresy and paganism in a trial before the ecclesiastical court. His name was added to the list of people who were banned from the church for offences against orthodoxy. In the eyes of some historians, the condemnation of İoannes Italos was due to his overly innovative philosophical thinking; for others, it was not so much his teachings that justified the judgement, but rather his bad character and lack of adaptability. It is also possible that his lack of theological culture led to clumsy formulations. Ioannes Italos was interested in Aristotle, especially his logic. He had tried to bridge the gap between philosophy and theology and show that philosophical considerations could also be used in theological discussions. The dignitaries of the Byzantine church saw this as a danger. The fact that he was silenced undoubtedly interrupted the development of philosophical thought in the Byzantine world, which had been developing in the West. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorromanorum #imperatorgraecorum #kaiser #emperor #alexioskomnenos #ioannesitalos #johnitalos #aristoteles #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul #orthodoxchurch #byzantineimperialfamily #komnenos #komneniandynasty #history #historia
A Norwegian king in Constantinople 1110 AD. Sigurd Magnusson, also known as Sigurd the Crusader, arrived (on his return from the Holy Land after the First Crusade) at the gates of Constantinople in the late summer of 1110, where he was received by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos himself after the king had assured the emperor that he had no evil intentions of winning over the emperor's Varangian guards. Allegedly, he and his men entered the city through the Porta Aurea (the golden gate). Sigurd was so impressed by the city that he stayed there for several months and a friendship of sorts developed between him and the emperor. Alexios often visited Sigurd in the palace that had been prepared for him or received him in the imperial palace. When Sigurd decided to return home, he left his ships and some of his warriors in the care of the emperor so that they could serve as Varangian Guards. In return, Alexios gave the king and his warriors strong horses so that they could return home and a small part of the True Cross as a sacred relic for a safe return. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #alexioskomnenos #sigurdthecrusader #sigurdmagnusson #norwegianvaranguanguardsmen #kingofnorway #norway #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #constantinopoli #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul #miklagard #byzantineimperialfamily #komnenos #komneniandynasty #history #historia
#Isaac #Komnenos has a lots of up and down in his life . Once a governor of #Tarsus where he started a war against the #Armenian #Kingdom of #Cilicia, soldiers of which captured him. His aunt Theodora #Komnene paid ransom for his freedom then he hired mercenaries and marched to #Cyprus he established a kingdom there Isaac quickly started to plunder Cyprus, raping women, defiling virgins, imposing overly cruel punishments for crimes, and stealing the possessions of the citizens. #Richard_the_Lionheart and others embarked on the #Third_Crusade in 1189. Early in 1191, Berengaria of Navarre, the fiancée of #Richard, and #Joan of England, the sister of Richard, travelled together and were shipwrecked on Cyprus; #Isaac_Komnenos then took them captive. In retaliation, Richard conquered the island and took Isaac prisoner again. #historymeme #historymemes #meme #memes #history #gru #despicableme #despicablemememes
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙧) 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙤𝙨 𝙆𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝟏𝟎𝟕𝟔. Alexios was the son of the domestikos ton Scholon John (Ioannes) Komnenos and Anna Dalassene, and he was also the nephew of Isaacios I. Komnenos (emperor, 1057-1059). Alexios father declined the throne after the abdication of Isaac, who was succeeded by four emperors. Alexios was one of the most successful Eastern Roman emperors as he took over an empire that had many problems both internally and externally and strengthened his empire with much political skill and diplomacy as well as on the battlefield may his soul rest in eternal peace. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #alexioskomnenos #byzantinemilitary #byzantinemilitaryhistory #byzantinewar #byzantinebattles #byzantinemilitarydress #byzantinegeneral #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #byzantineimperialfamily #komnenos #komneniandynasty
The Theotokos Kyriotissa Monastery (Kalenderhane Camii) is a former Greek Orthodox church, converted to a mosque in 1746, which was dedicated to Mary, as Theotokos Kyriotissa (Lady or Victory-bearing God-bearer) in the first half of the 13th century until 1261. Located in Istanbul's Old City at the easternmost end of the Valens Aqueduct near Istanbul University, it is one of the few examples of a Byzantine church that was domed on the plan of a Greek cross. Its naos, the congregational space between the narthex (also called pronaos) and the chancel, measures 19 by 19 metres. Between the second half of the 15th century and its rededication as a mosque, the Kalenderi, wandering dervishes, used the building. A Roman bath that existed here from around 400 was replaced in the 6th century by a hall church with an apse that pointed in the direction of the aqueduct. To the south of the church, a considerably larger church was probably built in the 7th century, and finally a third church was built towards the end of the 12th century, integrating the apse and sanctuary of the second. In 1197 it was severely damaged by fire. The church was surrounded by monasteries. During the Latin Empire (1204-1261), the now Catholic church was used by Franciscans. Sultan Mehmed II gave the church to the Kalenderi, wandering Dervishes, who used the building as a zaviye (literally: corner) and imaret (soup kitchen). In 1746, Hadji Beşir Ağa († 1747), the Kizlar Agha, the leader of the harem guards in the Topkapı Palace, had the Mihrāb and Minbar (prayer niche and pulpit) and Müezzin mahfili installed to complete the transformation of the church into a mosque. Photos taken by me: two days ago. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorgraecorum #imperatorromanorum #alexioskomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #palaiologos #byzantineimperialfamily #theotokoskyriotissa #theotokoskyriotissamonastery #theotokoskyriotissamanastırı #kalenderhanecamii #byzantinechurch #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul
My photos of the Hagios Theodoros Church / Vefa Church Mosque (known in Turkish as Vefa Kilise Camii and Molla Gürani Mosque) not much is known about this building, but it was built between the 11th and 12th centuries, during the time of the Komnenes, and it may have been built during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. After the Fourth Crusade in 1204, it was converted by the Latins into a Roman Catholic church but would be very neglected so that it slowly deteriorated and after the reconquest of Constantinople by Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos it would again be converted into an Orthodox church. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, it was immediately converted into a mosque by the tutor of Mehmet II, Molla Gürani, and also at that time the open porticoes of the Exonarthex were closed with old marble slabs to create even more prayer space. Photos taken by me on September 10 2023 #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorgraecorum #imperatorromanorum #alexioskomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #palaiologos #byzantineimperialfamily #hagiostheodoroschurch #vefakilisecamii #mollagüranicamii #mollazeyrekcamii #zeyrekcamii #byzantinechurch #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul
A few of my shots yesterday of the Pantokrator monastery (Molla Zeyrek Mosque) this monastery is one of the most magical places in all of Constantinople/Istanbul I find, all the details are beautiful and it immediately gives one a sense of awe and unforgettable wonder, the large cistern and the different terraced levels help to admire it even more. During the Byzantine period it housed one of the most important hospitals and universities of its time and was even later used as a headquarters by the Venetians after the Fourth Crusade which fortunately prevented its destruction. Shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the monastery was converted into a mosque and the monastic complex was home to Muslim monks under Molla Zeyrek. Photos taken by myself yesterday. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorgraecorum #imperatorromanorum #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #byzantineimperialfamily #panrokrator #panrokratormonastery #mollazeyrekcamii #zeyrekcamii #byzantinechurch #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul #byzantineimperialtombs
Emperor Manuel I. Komnenos and the Stone of the Anointing. Once one of the holiest relics of Christianity was in Constantinople, the Stone of the Anointing of the Lord Jesus Christos, it was brought from Ephesus to Constantinople by order of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos in 1169. At first it was placed for a short time in the Holy Relic Shrine of the Pharos Chapel of the Great Palace, but it is said that Manuel wanted this holiest of relics for his burial chamber as a blessing from the Lord over his crypt and carried the stone on his back, in person, from Pharos Chapel of the Great Palace of Constantinople to his burial church the Pantocrator Monastery and had it placed in the middle church area exactly above the spot for which he had chosen his burial place. The Stone of the Anointing was allegedly not removed from its place during the Fourth Crusade and the Latin rule over Constantinople, and allegedly remained there until the final conquest of Constantinople in 1453. How the stone came back to Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is unfortunately no longer known, or even whether it is the same anointing stone as the one from the Pantocrator Monastery. After his death in 1180, Manuel was buried in a black marble sarcophagus in the crypt below the Anointing Stone, as he wished. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #basileustonromaion #imperatorgraecorum #imperatorromanorum #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #byzantineimperialfamily #panrokrator #panrokratormonastery #mollazeyrekcamii #zeyrekcamii #byzantinechurch #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul #byzantineimperialtombs
🧐😎🤩 #iznik 🇹🇷 Admin bey öz çekim derdinde; sevdiceği ve yavrucağı ise İznik Surları’nın İstanbul Kapı kısmındaki burçları Aleksios Komnenos’un mu, Theodoros Laskaris’in mi yaptırdığını tartışıyor... (MS 21’inci yüzyıl, İznik-Türkiye) 😃 #nikaia 🇬🇧 Mr Admin genially poses for a selfie while loving wife and caring junior discuss who built the tower they’re facing on the Walls of Nikaia near the Polis gate: Alexios I Komnenos or Theodore I Lascaris? (21st century AD, Iznik-Turkey) 😃 #byzantineempire #bizans #izniksurları #wallsofnicaea #komnenos #lascaris #antiksevda #historylovers #teachemyoung
💠Timeline of the First Crusade, 1095-1099 * 📜This post will be a special one featuring a timeline of the very well-known event of the 1st Crusade from 1095-1099 and if you wonder why I am posting about it as a Byzantine history account, it is because the Byzantines played a crucial role in starting it. In 1095 as the Byzantine Empire's heartland Asia Minor was overrun by the Seljuk Turks, the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118) appealed to Pope Urban II asking for military support from Western Europe but in return the pope preached a movement that would be the 1st Crusade not only to aid the Byzantines but to take back the city of Jerusalem from Muslim hands. Rather than receiving an army of a few mercenaries, Alexios I received a large movement consisting of tens of thousands, the first wave being an unruly mob known as the People's Crusade which ended up annihilated by the Seljuks and following that large armies led by several nobles of Europe. * ⚔️Although the People's Crusade was annihilated in 1096, the main armies of the 1st Crusade known as the "Prince's Crusade" made it across Asia Minor with great difficulty after their leaders swore their oaths to the emperor Alexios I all while the Byzantines took back Nicaea with Crusader assistance in 1097 whereas the Crusaders later defeated the Turks again at the Battle of Dorylaeum. The main army of the Crusade would then lay siege to Antioch for almost a year and then successfully capturing it in 1098 only to defend it against a reinforcement army of Turks although successfully. With Antioch successfully defended, the Crusader leader Bohemond of Taranto established the Principality of Antioch with him as its ruler as the rest of the Crusaders led by the likes of Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond of Toulouse proceeded south and despite some setbacks, they finally laid siege to Jerusalem and captured it from the Fatimid Caliphate in 1099 thus ending the Crusade in a bloody victory establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem. * ⏱️This timeline I made now shows at least the important events of the First Crusade including battles and other milestones ending with their ultimate victory in 1099.
💠The Last Byzantine Conquest of Italy, 1155-1156 * ⚔️The Byzantines held control of Italy from the conquest of Emperor Justinian I the Great in the 6th century beginning 535 until the fall of their last city there being Bari to the Normans in 1071. However, in the 1150s, the ambitious Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143-1180) would do as Justinian I did before him by planning yet again another ambitious attempt to take back Italy, this time from the Normans. In 1154, the ambitious Norman king of Sicily and Southern Italy Roger II- an enemy of Byzantium- died whereas his son and successor William I's rule was challenged by rebellions in Sicily and Apulia. Using the instability in the Norman kingdom to his advantage, Manuel sent a Byzantine army with 10 ships to invade Southern Italy under the generals Michael Palaiologos and John Doukas in 1155. Although Manuel failed to ally with the German ruler Frederick Barbarossa for this invasion, the locals of Italy joined forces with the Byzantines against the Normans all while the city of Bari which the Normans took in 1071 opened its gates to the Byzantines seeing them as their liberators. * ⚔️Following the capture of Bari, the Byzantines quickly made progress across Southern Italy capturing the cities of Trani, Giovinazzo, Andria, Taranto, and Brindisi all while defeating a large Norman army with 2k knights. Due to the Byzantines' success here, Manuel had now gone as far as considering returning all of Italy under Byzantine (Roman) rule the way Justinian did 6 centuries earlier that Manuel considered Church unity between Byzantium and the pope. This was however not to be as in 1156, the Norman king William I responded to Manuel's invasion by sending a massive army and fleet to counterattack it and thus the Normans crushed the Byzantine forces at the Battle of Brindisi in 1156- both in land and sea- forcing the Byzantines to retreat and abandon their campaign all while the Normans took back what the Byzantines had gained. Thus the defeat of this Byzantine expedition in Italy put a complete end to any hopes for Byzantium in regaining Italy as following this, Byzantine troops would never return to Italy again.
Andrónico I Comneno (1118-1185) Emperador Bizantino (1183-1185) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ El sangriento fin de una dinastía. Andrónico Comneno nació alrededor del año 1118 en Constantinopla. Era miembro de la influyente familia Comneno, que había producido varios emperadores y figuras prominentes en la historia bizantina. Andrónico destacó por su ambición y habilidades militares. Sin embargo, también era conocido por su temperamento volátil y su descontento con la forma en que el Imperio estaba siendo gobernado. En 1180 muere el emperador Manuel y le sucede su hijo Alejo II, de diez años. Sus orígenes y cultura latinos provocaron un creciente resentimiento por parte de sus súbditos griegos. Andrónico vio este descontento latino como una oportunidad para apoderarse de la corona, dejando su retiro en 1182 y marchando a Constantinopla con un ejército. Su llegada fue seguida por una masacre de los habitantes latinos de la ciudad. Poco después, Andrónico hizo encarcelar y luego matar a la emperatriz María, lo que obligó a firmar al niño emperador Alejo II para dar muerte a su madre. Alejo II se vio obligado a reconocer a Andrónico como colega en el imperio frente a la multitud y luego fue ejecutado rápidamente. Su reinado pronto se convirtió en tiranía y crueldad. Llevó a cabo una represión brutal contra enemigos percibidos, reales e imaginarios, y participó en purgas completas de la aristocracia. Sus acciones alejaron a muchos de sus seguidores iniciales, y su reinado se caracterizó por la inestabilidad y el malestar. Sus métodos brutales, incluida su participación en la violación y el asesinato de mujeres nobles, le valieron una condena generalizada. La gente de Constantinopla se desilusionó cada vez más con su gobierno y hubo levantamientos en su contra. En 1185, una revuelta popular liderada por Isaac II Ángelo, resultó en el derrocamiento y la captura de Andrónico. Fue sometido a una horrenda ejecución pública, durante la cual fue paseado por las calles encadenado, torturado y finalmente linchado por una multitud enojada. ~~~ #historicpixels #pixelart #pixelartist #history #historia #byzantium #komnenos #byzantine #middleages #andronikoskomnenos
[part 1 of 2] There is a fictitious story about the so-called " #queencalifia ", supposed founder of ' #california '... but in reality, Queen and Califia are redundant, since both terms are ranks, the first one too modern, and the 2nd one out of context... Could a woman " #caliph " have been the origin of California? - Sulṭānah, was either a female #sultan or a wife/widow of a Sultan... Among rulers of Eurasia , Scythians/ #sarmatians and #ottoman /Tatars., titles, such as Khan, Caliph & Tsar, were multiple identities of a sultan., and titles such as #tsarina , #calipha or Khanum/ #khatun were real and for prominent female rulers. * Seems that Khilāfa-Arnia was possible. * The presence of Ottoman/Sarmata/ #tatar elements in the #americas seems to be present in the form of ancient construction patterns from the #eurasian Khanates, as with the "Rotonda West" area acquired by the Vanderbilt family and the multiple attempts to present it as modern (2nd & 3rd slide) Were there leaders in #america connected to Kublai Khan, Batu Khan, or #genghiskhan ? * The Amerikhanate, would have begun in the north with the area inhabited by the 'ssiwak', #siux , lands of the great spirit, or Tȟáŋka Wa kȟáŋ * In the center of the continent the #khanate would have been led by Teotiwa'khan. * And further south would be the dominion of Ku.kul'kan (Feathered Serpent), which they tried to change its linguistic origin with #quetzalcoatl as a distraction. - (7th slide) Map by Guillaume Le Testu "Cosmographie Universelle", c.1509-73., shows the crescent moon banners of the Caliph/Khan. * Crescent Moon and Star, #mesopotamian - #babylonian symbol, is present on the Slava- #macedonia , land of #alexanderthegreat (Alexei/Александр), as well as on flags and banners of Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Tarnobrzeg (Poland) and even on the coat of arms of Isaac #komnenos . - "L'Adoration des Rois Mages" by Stephan Lochner (last slide)., gives us the #crescentandstar of the Komneno famliy, the Three Wise Men ( #magi Khans)., and the divine #sultanah , mother of the Tsar. [to be continued in next post]
14. Yüzyılda Trabzon’da hüküm süren Komnenos ailesi tarafından yaptırılan Kızlar Manastırı. Şehre hakim bir tepede kurulan manastır yaz aylarında imparator ailesi tarafından sayfiye yeri olarak da kullanılıyordu. Yine Komnenos ailesine mensup bazı prensler de burada gömülüydü. #trabzon #komnenos #pontus #imparator #boztepe #müze #mezar #turizm #tepelik #manzara #osmanlı #tarih #historical #tarihi #türkiye
#arta #pantokrator #panagiaparigoritissa #epirus #άρτα #ηπειρος #byzantineart #byzantine #byzantium #παντοκράτωρ #mosaic #byzantinemosaics #παριγορητισσα #giofiritisartas #Κομνηνός #komnenosdynasty #komnenos #parigoritissa #iconography #icon
A quick overview of the peak of the Komnenian Restoration, 1173 Watch the video: https://youtu.be/pfR1DFfgxcM It wasn't easy, but more than a century after Manzikert, the Romans were once more a superpower. Here is an overview of the extent of the Komnenian Empire: The Empire directly controlled Constantinople, the entire Balkans except for Serbia (a vassal), Greece, the Ionian and Aegean islands, Cyprus, the coastal areas of Anatolia, and the Crimea. Antioch and the Sultanate of Rum were vassals, Hungary and Ancona were allies, and the Crusader states accepted (very) nominal overlordship of the Komnenoi. The influence of the Roman Empire was of course felt in all its neighboring realms, the Normans tried very hard to imitate them and there was still a strong Roman presence in Italy, particularly in the south and along the Adriatic coasts. Due to the Komnenoi's, and especially Manuel's policy of marrying his family off to foreign rulers, a great number of Roman princes and princesses reside in courts around the world, especially in Latin countries and Georgia. Yes, the peak of the Komnenoi may have lasted only a few years, but I think it's impressive that they even managed to do so at all, given the insane amount of new nations joining the game of geopolitics and the situation after Manzikert. #komnenianrestoration #komneniandynasty #komnenianarmy #komnenos #alexioskomnenos #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #battleofmanzikert #easternromanempire #kingdomofserbia #kingdomofhungary #ancona #sultanateofrum #principalityofantioch #crusaderstates #kingdomofgeorgia #constantinople #romanempire #romanhistory #art
💠The Imperial Heir: A Byzantine Epic- Bela of Hungary * 👑In my latest Lego film "The Imperial Heir", the Hungarian prince Bela (born 1148)- later King Bela III of Hungary (r. 1172-1196) is a leading character wherein the film is told from his perspective of Byzantium. The film opens in 1163 when Bela is taken to Constantinople in order to be trained to be the emperor Manuel I Komnenos' successor. The Hungarian Bela true enough spent 9 years in Byzantine Constantinople (1163-1172) wherein the emperor gave him the imperial title of "Despotes" and offered his daughter Maria to marry Bela. During his time in Byzantium as the imperial heir, Bela took part in Manuel's war against Hungary as the Hungarian king, Bela's older brother Stephen III did not grant Bela that lands he deserved thus provoking Manuel to declare war on Hungary which the Byzantines won at the Battle of Sirmium in 1167. SPOILER ALERT ‼️ Bela true enough unfortunately does not become Manuel's heir when Manuel's son Alexios is born in 1169 thus Bela's marriage to Manuel's daughter Maria is cancelled while Bela is demoted to "Caesar" in title. * ‼️Spoiler alert- the film ends in 1172 wherein Bela's days in Constantinople is over as he is told to return to Hungary to take over as king due to his brother Stephen III's death. Although returning to Hungary to be king, Bela swears to serve Byzantium and to always come to its aid which he does in several occasions until Manuel's death in 1180 wherein he no longer is an ally to Byzantium. Bela however later becomes an ally of Byzantium again when becoming father-in-law to the new Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos (r. 1185-1195/ 1203-1204) who Bela's daughter Margaret marries. Bela once again agrees to assist Byzantium in battle in 1194 against the Bulgarian uprising but this does not push through as Isaac II was overthrown in 1195 while Bela died in the following year (1196). Bela was nevertheless a successful King of Hungary and the wealthiest European monarch of his time. * 🎞️ Watch my latest Lego film- link in my bio!
💠The Imperial Heir: A Byzantine Epic- Manuel I Komnenos * 👑In my latest Lego film "The Imperial Heir", the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143-1180) is its lead character. What some don't know is that he is half-Greek and half-Hungarian as his father was the former Byzantine emperor John II Komnenos (r. 1118-1143) and his mother the Hungarian princess Irene (Piroska). As the youngest child, he wasn't expected to be emperor, but true enough it was he that succeeded his father as emperor in 1143 after John II died from a hunting accident. Where the film opens, it is already 1163 deep into Manuel's reign wherein he now thinks of his succession plan and thus he takes in the Hungarian prince Bela who he names as his heir as by this point Manuel and his wife the empress Maria of Antioch have not yet produced a son. As emperor, Manuel as seen in the film was an ambitious one with an expansionist policy that he wages war with anyone he wants from Hungary to the Fatimid Caliphate to the Republic of Venice. As the film is set between 1163 and 1172, it features Manuel's wars with these said powers; the first and third resulting in victory for the Byzantines and the second one being the failed Byzantine-Crusader operation to retake Egypt in 1169. * ⚔️Now the emperor Manuel I is a very complex figure as he was someone very fond of the Latin west which his people the Byzantines saw as inferior but he was also someone that really focused on exercising his power not only as a Byzantine emperor but the overlord of other states. Manuel true enough waged many wars against other powers around him while he also made literary everyone namely Hungary, the Crusader states of Outremer, the Seljuks, and Serbia his vassals basically to show that Byzantium was capable of ruling the world. Little does Manuel know however that Byzantium's days being a dominant world power is at an end which he will realize by the time of his death in 1180. Now, what are your thoughts on Manuel I, was he a great and competent emperor or simply a megalomaniac, or rather is he both? I think he was a great ruler and dreamer but also a megalomaniac due to how much he thinks he can rule the world.
Yesharon in all its splendour Gold and ink on watercolour paper Painting 112 x 57 cm - Frame 136 x 81 cm 2020-2023 #Siena #Cortona #Bergamo #Vicenza #Renaissance #renaissanceart #rinascimento #rinascimentoitaliano #italianrenaissance #italianart #italianartist #openforbusiness #castellodibrolio #basilicapalladiana #bergamoalta #torredellorologio #noblehouse #Komnenos #Argyros #Makedonos #Laskaris #beauty #goldensun #goldenframe #inkillustration #architectureillustration #freehandillustration #architecturedetails #architecturelovers #architecturedesign
💠The Imperial Heir: A Byzantine Epic- Lego film * 🎞️My latest Lego film "The Imperial Heir: A Byzantine Epic" is now out on my Youtube channel No Budget Films! Now all while being busy working on my board game "Battle for Byzantium", I actually still managed to find some time to produce yet another Lego Byzantine film. This Lego Byzantine epic now is a prequel to last year's Lego Byzantine epic "House Komnenos" and this film now takes place during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). The film particularly covers the period from 1163-1172 and is told from the perspective of the Hungarian prince Bela- later King Bela III of Hungary. Here, Bela who is brought from Hungary to Constantinople is chosen by the emperor Manuel to be his heir who will thus inherit both Byzantium and his native Hungary. The film therefore covers Bela's time in Byzantium and thus shows Byzantium in the perspective of a foreigner. In his time in Byzantium, Bela witnesses Manuel's action-packed military campaigns including wars against Hungary, the Fatimid Caliphate, and Venice but also court intrigue in the palace. * 🎞️This film is directed by myself, swipe right ➡️ to see the lead voice cast! Additionally, this film is mostly based on historical facts and settings and stays true to the Byzantine era that the word "Byzantine" is never used in it, instead they are referred to as "Romans". #byzantine #byzantineempire #byzantium #byzantinehistory #12thcentury #komnenos #housekomnenos #theimperialheir #lego #legofilm #legobyzantine #manuelikomnenos #belaiii #belaiiiofhungary #mariaofantioch #andronikoskomnenos #venice #republicofvenice #hungary #kingdomofhungary #fatimidcaliphate #crusaders #crusaderkingdoms #kingdomofjerusalem #amalricofjerusalem #vitaleiimichiel #mariakomnene #enricodandolo
The Komnenian Restoration Watch the new video now: https://youtu.be/pfR1DFfgxcM Made in collaboration with the channel Untold History Animations. The Komnenian Restoration was the highpoint of Roman fortunes after the world changing Battle of Manzikert, and contrary to the expectations of all of Rome's new neighbors, this ancient Empire struck back with vigor and ingenuity, once more climbing back onto the world stage as a superpower. At the head of the Restoration were the son and grandson of Alexios I Komnenos, Ioannes and Manuel. In this collab, Untold History Animations will cover for you the reign of Ioannes the Good and I will cover that of Manuel the Great. #komnenianrestoration #komneniandynasty #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #komnenianarmy #constantinople #sultanateofrum #cilicianarmenia #crusaderstates #danishmend #medievalhungary #medievalserbia #venice #germanempire #normansicily #secondcrusade #easternromanempire #easternrome #romanempire #romanhistory #art #animation
Historia dla historyków amatorów😉 wielbicieli stylu Bizancjum i dyskusji o wyższości Wschodu nad Zachodem i odwrotnie😊 #history #bizantalyasporuz #constantinople #wydawnictworebis #judithherrin #kochamczytać #lubieczytac #ksiazka #hagiasophia #blachernaepalace #komnenos
Manuel Komnenos, sometimes known as "The Great" was the Eastern Roman Emperor between 1143-1180. During his reign he clashed with all who posed a threat to his empire. He vassalized the kingdom of Hungary, the Grand Principality of Serbia, the principality of Antioch, the principality of Halychian Rus, and for a time the Sultanate of Rum. He also tested his mettle with the Holy Roman Empire and made sure to check their power, especially in Italy. In Italy he also devastated the Normans who had previously threatened his empire. Although strife among his forces eventually caused the invasion in Italy to not yield substantial gains, the Normans plighted by the devastation of the Romans signed a treaty and did not disturb the Empire in Manuel's reign. In the north Manuel backed the Lombard cities against Frederick Barbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire, gaining lordship of some cities. Personally Manuel was regarded as a man embodying all chivalric values and there were many popular stories depicting him as a heroic warrior defeating many enemies by himself. He was considered by many during and after his time, in both the east and west, as the greatest king in lifetime and the leading christian monarch, having his holiness and virtue commonly praised by both Orthodox and Catholic sources. #history #romanempire #constantinople #byzantine #easternromanempire #emperor #komnenos #christianity #orthodox #medieval #medievalart #romanemperor #kingdomofjerusalem #crusades #crusader #great #thegreat #roman #romanhistory #greekhistory #medievalhistory
Pronoia and the Komnenian army Watch the video: https://youtu.be/6q6xRXFppsA To be fair, the pronoia system probably didn't begin under Alexios, it certainly didn't take full shape until the reign of Manuel Komnenos, but you can't talk about the Komnenian Roman army without talking about pronoia. So what is it? Basically, they're grants of land by the Emperor to distinguished soldiers for their military service. The soldier receives the land, usually for lifetime, and lives off of it, and people who live on that land become his "tenant farmers", paroikoi. They work the land and the revenues sustain the soldier. Important to notice is that all these grants are done by the Emperor alone, and could be taken back by the Emperor as well, so that's different from western feudalism. Some people may think that the Komnenoi feudalized the Empire, but that is not true. They learned a lot from the Latin West though, that's for sure. The Komnenian army is also famous for employing many foreign troops, and there has been complaints from native Romans about having to work for foreign pronoiars, or about how the Emperor might favor mediocre soldiers over better ones and grant pronoia to those who don't deserve it, so this system wasn't all popular. #pronoia #komnenianarmy #komneniandynasty #komnenos #alexioskomnenos #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #romanarmy #militaryservice #pronoiarioi #basileus #paroikoi #feudalism #mercenaries #easternromanempire #easternrome #romanempire #romanhistory #art
💠The First Crusade- Siege of Nicaea, 1097 * 🏰In 1081, the Byzantine city of Nicaea in Asia Minor had fallen to the Seljuk Turks who made it their capital. As the First Crusade was launched with the objective to expel the Seljuks from Asia Minor, the Crusader armies from Western Europe after passing Byzantine Constantinople departed it in order to capture Nicaea together with the survivors of the previous failed People's Crusade and a small Byzantine task force sent by the emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The Crusaders led by the likes of Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemond of Taranto, Raymond IV of Toulouse, and Peter the Hermit thus laid siege to Nicaea beginning in May of 1097 taking advantage of the Seljuk sultan Kilij Arslan I being away. At first, the Crusaders besieging the city were successful, but as word of the siege got to Kilij Arslan he was forced to go back to Nicaea, however the Seljuk sultan too fled the battlefield due to the success of the Crusaders. Despite their initial success and their superior siege weapons, the Crusaders were still unable to breach the city's double walls, at least until a larger Byzantine army arrived. * ⚔️The main Byzantine army under the generals Manuel Boutoumites and Tatikios thus arrived by rolling their boats across the land to reach the lake of Nicaea in order to blockade the city. However, despite the Byzantines coming to assist the Crusaders in attacking the city, the emperor Alexios I had given secret orders to Boutoumites to get the Seljuks to surrender the city to the Byzantines. At the end, the negotiations were successful and the Seljuks thus returned the city to the Byzantines which angered the Crusaders whose objective was to loot Nicaea for money and supplies, and more so capture the city for themselves. The Crusaders too weren't permitted to leave until swearing an oath of vassalage to Alexios I. Once the Crusaders swore the oath, they were permitted to leave and thus following this they were able to defeat the Seljuks once again at the Battle of Dorylaeum, and eventually they would capture Antioch in 1098 and finally Jerusalem in 1099, thus neutralizing the Seljuk threat for the Byzantines. * Continued ⬇️
💠Basilica San Marco, Venice and its Byzantine Connection * 🧱The Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica) is the landmark associated with Venice and the most classic example of Venetian architecture. The architectural style of the basilica however is very much Byzantine in style, both with its impressive exterior with 5 domes and interiors decorated with tons of golden mosaics. In its architectural style, St. Mark's doesn't follow the style of a Latin cross but a Greek cross like most Byzantine churches which consists of 4 equally sized arms with a central dome, 4 domes on each arm, and a narthex before entering the main church. The structure of St. Mark's was inspired by that of the Church of the Holy Apostles- the imperial mausoleum- in Constantinople. Now, the church of St. Mark's was first built in 828 as both the private church of the Doge of Venice and to house the relics of St. Mark taken from Alexandria, Egypt. St. Mark's was thus rebuilt first in 978 after it was destroyed in a riot, though the current structure inspired by the Holy Apostles began construction in 1063 and was finished in 1094. * 🖼️Now, almost the entire ceiling of St. Mark's- both at the narthex and main church is decorated with golden mosaics with figures on them. I will not go in detail anymore to explain what are seen on the ceiling mosaics so just enjoy the images here! The mosaics were now constructed by Byzantine craftsmen imported from the Byzantine Empire between the 11th and 12th centuries, hence it was created using the Byzantine technique of mosaic making. By the end of the 12th century, the mosaics were already completed, though following the 4th Crusade's and Venice's sack of Constantinople in 1204, more treasures from Constantinople were brought in to decorate the church. * 🖼️One notable Byzantine treasure at St. Mark's is the Pala d'oro (the last image) which is its Byzantine made altarpiece commissioned by the Doge of Venice Ordelaffo Falier in 1105. This massive altarpiece is made of gold, silver, enamel, and precious stones and it too bears the images of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118)- replaced by Doge Falier- and his wife Empress Irene Doukaina.
#uzunhasan was a ruler of the #Turkoman Aq Qoyunlu state and is generally considered to be its strongest ruler.Hasan ruled between 1452 and 1478, and would preside over the confederation's territorial apex when it included parts or all of present-day Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Transcaucasia and Syria.lots of sources consider him a Turkoman. However he is strongly related to #Alexiosiiikomnenos of #trebizond .both of his grandmothers were #Maria #komnenos sister of #Alexios and daughter of Alexios. #history # historymeme #historymemes #ponticgreeks #greeks #pontic
💠Monreale Cathedral- Byzantine style but NOT Byzantine made mosaics * 🧱 One of the best places in the world to see Byzantine style mosaics still intact is at the Monreale Cathedral (Duomo) near Palermo in Sicily. Although no matter how Byzantine these mosaics look, these weren't actually made by the Byzantines themselves but rather by the Normans using the Byzantine technique of mosaic making, which explains that the Normans were so impressed by the art style of the Byzantines. This cathedral now was built beginning 1172 when Sicily was under Norman rule under King William II (r. 1166-1189)- while during this time Byzantium was ruled by the Komnenos Dynasty. Impressively, it only took 10 years to complete the church, though the mosaics would be totally completed only a century later during the mid-13th century. Although a Latin church, its architectural style somewhat also resembles a Byzantine church wherein it consists of a main nave and 2 outer naves on each side of it, a central apse, and 2 side apses. * 🖼️Now on the other hand, this cathedral has the same elements which are found in Byzantine churches such as for instance the large mosaic of Christ Pantokrator at the main apse (images 1&2), the mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Child, images of saints in Byzantine style outfits, and even a porphyry sarcophagus wherein the one here belongs to King William I of Sicily (r. 1154-1166, image 10) the church's founder's father. The mosaics now feature scenes from the life of Christ (image 3) and scenes from the Old Testament (images 7 and 9) while additionally some of the mosaics here resemble those seen in Constantinople's Hagia Sophia and some even showing Arabic style art which do not portray human images but rather natural motifs whereas the columns feature Corinthian capitals. Additionally (on image 4) you will see a mosaic of the church's founder William II dressed in Byzantine imperial robes being crowned by Christ. Interestingly, the subjects on the mosaics all appear to be of Byzantine origin wherein its basis was the Menologion of Emperor Basil II. * Swipe right ➡️ to see the rest of the images of this impressive cathedral! #byzantine #byzantineart
Illustration of an Eastern Roman light Cavalryman from the the 12th/13th Century A.D. This type of light cavalryman was used throughout the reign of the Komnenians and under the Angeloi after the 4th Crusade and with the division into fragmented empires, only the emperors of Nicaea used this unit for the first 20 years of their reign, after which this type of armour is rarely found. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #emperor #imperator #kaiser #imperatorromanorum #imperatorgraecorum #basileustonromaion #komnenos #komneniandynasty #angelos #angeloi #laskaris #empireofnicea #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #constantinopoli #konstantinopel #konstantinyye #istanbul #nicaea
💠The "Accidental" Death of Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos, 1143 * 🏹John II Komnenos (r. 1118-1143) was one of Byzantium's most successful emperors both in terms of military conquests and state administration. In 1142, John II set off on a major campaign to conquer the Crusader Principality of Antioch ruled by Raymond of Poitiers, which was a Byzantine vassal and fully place it under direct imperial rule. Before the campaign started, John's eldest son and heir Alexios died and so did his second son Andronikos, thus he was only left with 2 sons being Isaac and Manuel. As John was preparing for his campaign against Antioch, he set up camp in the region of Cilicia in Southern Asia Minor from winter until the spring of 1143. As spring came, all while the army was preparing, John went on a hunting trip. Here, as John was aiming his arrow at a wild boar, he suddenly and accidentally cut himself in the hand with what happened to be a poisoned arrow. At first John ignored the wound, though it eventually got infected that within a week since cutting himself, he died probably of septicemia. * 💀On the other hand, there may be some kind of conspiracy theory here to the emperor John's death. This theory suggests that John was not killed by a poisoned arrow but assassinated by his Latin troops who were not willing to fight their fellow Latins at Antioch. These Latin troops now could have poisoned him in order to avoid the campaign against Antioch and to also place John's pro-Western youngest son Manuel on the throne. Before dying, John true enough chose Manuel as his successor despite him being the youngest as Manuel's surviving elder brother Isaac was seen as unfit to rule due to his bad temper and unpredictability whereas Manuel proved to be capable and courageous. Another theory also suggests that John chose Manuel because of the AIMA prophecy which said that John's (Ioannes) successor's name shall start with an "M" which therefore is Manuel. Whatever may be true here, Manuel succeeded as emperor and immediately canceled the campaign on Antioch to secure his position as emperor against his older brother Isaac. * continued ⬇️
Empress Theodora Petraliphaina of Arta, Despotitza of Epiros and Consort of Michael II Komnenos of Epiros, is commemorated today in the Gregorian Calendar. When her husband, Michael II, was deceived by a witch, he became infatuated with that witch and ignored his lawful bond to the most pious Despotitza. He exiled her from his courts while she was still with child! For five years the Despotitza wandered in exiled, her and her son cared for by a priest, until the nobles of the Emperor revealed the witch's deceits. Theodora's life is that of a confessor and a faithful wife for she never dismissed her lawful relations and forgave her husband when she was recalled to the throne. After her husband's death, she founded the monastery of St. George. She reposed in peace some time after 1270 A.D. #RoyalSaints #GreekSaints #SingleMother #WidowSaints #HolyEmpresses #ByzantineHistory #ByzantineImperialHistory #Komnenos
Berat, Albania 🇦🇱 Via Michele Comneno Road Michael Komnenos #berat #qarkuiberatit #shqipëria #albania #città #city #viaggio #travel #trip #turismo #tourism #cultura #culture #storia #history #castello #castle #via #road #vista #view #montagna #mountain #michele #michael #comneno #komnenos
💠The Byzantine Double-Headed Eagle, Official Board Game Logo * 🦅This here is the official logo for our upcoming board game "Battle for Byzantium" which is soon to be released! The game's logo illustrated by @alessiahv depicts the symbol most associated with the Byzantine Empire, the double headed eagle with a porphyry tile as the background. Now here's a bit of history behind this famous symbol, first of all it was NOT a Byzantine invention as the double-headed eagle had already existed since the Bronze Age wherein it was used as a symbol- though not an official one but as a motif- by the Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Mycenaean Greeks. The double-headed eagle however disappeared for 2 millennia wherein it would reappear in Byzantium. For the Byzantines, the double-headed eagle was first used in art during the 10th-11th centuries and not yet as an official symbol of the emperor of empire. It was only in the 13th century when this eagle became an imperial emblem under the Palaiologos Dynasty, the last dynasty of Byzantium. Because of its use as the imperial emblem, Western European sources say that this eagle was a Byzantine state emblem. * 📖Modern theories however connect the introduction of the double-headed eagle to the Komnenos Dynasty beginning with Emperor Isaac I Komnenos (r. 1057-1059). This theory says that the Komnenoi adopted this symbol from the ancient Hittite double-headed eagle from Paphlagonia, the region in Asia Minor where they originated from. However during the 11th-12th centuries, the Byzantines were not the only ones to use this symbol as apparently it was used notably by the Seljuk Turks. Before the Byzantines used the double-headed eagle, they had apparently used the Ancient Roman single-headed eagle as an imperial symbol, although rarely as the centuries went by. Now it was only in Byzantium's last years when the double-headed eagle was really associated as an imperial symbol that would be on flags, sewn on clothes and boots, and in imperial documents. Because the Byzantines used this eagle, several states such as Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, and later Russia would adopt this symbol as theirs using the Byzantine model of it.
Golden coin (hyperperon) of Alexios I Komnenos. Demonstrates certain similarity with coin of Romanos III Argyros posted earlier today #byzantium #coin #alexios #komnenos #numismatics #aesthetics #borrowedhashtags #emperor #empire #византия #византийскаяимперия #монеты #нумизматика #эстетика #чужиехэштеги
Kaisar Heinrich VI (1191–1197) mewarisi Kekaisaran Romawi Suci yg kuat dari Friedrich I Barbarossa (1155–1190). Sebaliknya, Romawi Timur baru diguncang perebutan kekuasaan pasca wafatnya Basileios Manuil I Komnenos (1143–1180) serta pemberontakan hebat Bulgaria. — Alexios III Angelos (1195–1203) melengserkan adiknya sendiri, Isaakios II Angelos (1193–1195). Kaisar Heinrich VI telah menikahkan putri Isaakios, Eirene Angelina, pada adiknya, Pangeran Philip dari Swabia. Pelengseran Isaakios membuat Heinrich bisa mengklaim bahwa hak Philip telah dilanggar dan ia mengancam akan menyerang Romawi Timur seandainya ia tidak diberi 'kompensasi' sebesar 5.000 pon emas dan perak. — Ancaman Heinrich ini yg membuat Alexios berusaha menerapkan "Pajak Jerman" untuk mengumpulkan uang & membayar Heinrich. Tapi, langkah Alexios ditolak keras oleh warga Romawi di Konstantinopel yg merasa Alexios telah melanggar hak kewarganegaraan mereka. Akhirnya Alexios membatalkan penerapan pajak ini, memilih untuk menjarah emas dan perak dari makam para kaisar terdahulunya. — "Pajak Jerman" ini tetap diberlakukan pada warga Romawi di provinsi, yg terkumpul menjadi 7.000 pon emas dan perak. Pada akhirnya Romawi Timur diinvasi tapi bukan oleh pasukan Romawi Suci melainkan Crusader yg disewa Alexios IV, putra Isaakios. — #RomawiSuci #HRE #EasternRoman #Angelos #Palaiologos #Komnenos #HolyRomanEmpire #HolyRomanEmperor
The origins of the Komnenian dynasty. The Dynasty’s ethnic roots have been controversial but interesting. According to the historians of the time, the Komnenos family descended from the so called “Fields of the Komnene” of Thrace (in now Bulgaria) where they inherited the surname “Komnenos”, soon were associated with the “dynatoi” (strong) of the Empire and were of Entirely Greek origin. According to the French 17th century Scholar Du Cange, suggested that the Komnenos descended from an ancient Roman noble family, which converted to Christianity and followed Constantine the Great to the New Rome. These claims were told at that time, but there are no actual proofs of any of these. According to this theory, they were probably of Greco-Roman origin. Another theory was introduced in 1924 by the Romanian historian and sympathizer of the Iron Guard, George Murnu, who claimed that the Komnenians were of Vlach origin. Most of Academic scholars agree that the dynasty was purely of Greek origin. But we can’t really know. These 3 are the most mainstream theories. #komnenos #byzantineempire #byzantines #byzantine #romanempire #romans
💠Sebastokrator, a Byzantine Title and its Meaning * 👑The Byzantine Empire was surely well known for its imperial court having a large variety of titles wherein some of them had great prestige but no practical use. One such court title was that of Sebastokrator, simply a fancy honorary title given to members of the ruling dynasty which gave its holder such great prestige yet the one holding this title never really wielded real power. Basically, a Byzantine Sebastokrator played an honorary role as the man standing next to the emperor in lavish silk robes which looks almost as if he was wearing the emperor's clothes except for the purple shoes which were only reserved for emperors, so instead the Sebastokrator wore blue shoes. * 🛡️This imperial title was thus created by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118) for his older brother Isaac as a way to settle down his older brother to prevent him from putting his eyes on the throne. Because of this occasion, emperors from Alexios I onwards gave this title to their brothers or sons- who weren't in the line of succession- just so that they held an important title which was to prevent them from usurping power, and it sure enough worked except for the Sebastokrator Alexios Angelos in 1195 who usurped power from his brother the emperor Isaac II Angelos. In fact the title of Sebastokrator was only 2nd to that of the emperor himself until 1163 when the title of Despotes was created for members of the imperial family. Now the title of Sebastokrator soon enough wasn't only used in the Byzantine imperial court but also in Bulgaria, Serbia, and even in the Latin Empire that took over Constantinople from 1204-1261. In Byzantium the title was used up until the 14th century and usually by brothers or cousins of the emperor. * 🖼️The image on the right shows my illustration of a Byzantine Sebastokrator in his respective outfit which includes a distinct embroidered hat and a cloak with eagle patterns- as described by Byzantine historians- which appears in my cards. The upper-left image is a fresco of the Serbian Sebastokrator Jovan Oliver, and on the lower-left is Sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos the son of Alexios I.
A beautiful picture of the Pantokrator Monastery (today Molla Zeyrek Mosque) in Constantinople/Istanbul it is definitely one of my favourite buildings after the Hagia Sophia from the Eastern Roman/Byzantine period. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #ioanneskomnenos #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #byzantineimperialfamily #panrokrator #panrokratormonastery #mollazeyrekcamii #zeyrekcamii #byzantinechurch #orthodox #orthodoxchurch #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #konstantinopel #konstantinye #istanbul #byzantineimperialtombs #palaiologos
💠Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king in Byzantium * 👑Many may remember that the famous King of Norway Harald III Hardrada (r. 1046-1066) spent time in Byzantine Constantinople serving the emperor in the Varangian Guard force in the 1030s-40s before being king. However, a couple of decades later, another Norwegian king came to Constantinople which was Sigurd the Crusader, and unlike Harald who came to Constantinople when he wasn't yet a king, Sigurd Magnusson was already ruling Norway when coming to Byzantium then ruled by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081-1118). Sigurd's stay in Constantinople now was part of his journey back from the Holy Land to support the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem founded by the First Crusade in 1099 which made Sigurd therefore the first European king to take part in a Crusade. Sigurd who left Norway in 1107 to join the Crusade then came to Constantinople possibly in around 1110 after returning from Jerusalem, the other Crusader states in the Levant (Outremer), and Byzantine Cyprus too. * 📖It is recorded that Sigurd spent a long time in Constantinople following his return from the Levant and before he headed home to Norway. In Constantinople (Miklagard), Sigurd was said to have entered the city through a gate known as the gold tower (possibly the Golden Gate). He also spent much time with the emperor Alexios I who gave Sigurd a large number of strong horses for his return trip home by land as Sigurd gave all his ships and most of his treasures to Alexios I. Additionally, many of Sigurd's men from Norway who joined him in his Crusade stayed behind in Constantinople to serve the emperor in the Varangian Guard. With the horses given by the emperor, Sigurd traveled by land all the way north to Denmark from where he returned to Norway in 1111 by ship. His rule over Norway until his death in 1130 was viewed as a successful one with Norway being a prosperous kingdom. * 🖼️ Image 1: Sigurd the Crusader enters Constantinople. Image 2 ➡️: Map of Sigurd's round trip journey from 1107-1111.
Electron aspron trachy from the Era of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. #byzantine #medieval #middleages #byzantium #komnenos #money #dinheiro #dineiro #artofcoins #instagood #instaphoto #instadaily #instalike #instaathens #argent #numismaticmuseum #numismaticmuseumofathens #coins #coin #collection #art
(Fiktives) Wappen der Komnenen, Herrscher (zeitweilig Kaiser) von Trapezunt. Aus dem Wappenbuch des Conrad Grünenberg #ConradGrünenberg #Komnenos #Trapezunt #Cockatrice #Cockatrix #Hahndrache #Drache #Drachen #Dragon #Dragons #Wappen #coatsofarms #Heraldik #Heraldry #Wappenbuch #Armorial #Heraldica #heraldique #Wappenkunst #blason #coatofarms #Kulturerbe #Heritage #Héritage
Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen. Nicolae traited Byzantine aristocratic descent from the Komnenos (from the french branch). He served As Romania's ambassador to N-zi Germany. Nicolae worked in favor of nationalism, strongly anti-socialist and he was famous for his publicizing of the Greater Romanian cause. He was born in Bucharest on August 24, 1884, he was part-Greek: his maternal grandmother, Ecaterina, was of the last descendant of the Greek family of Komnenos of Corsica. Petrescu-Comnen soon joined the National Liberal Party (PNL), a nationalist romanian party and, in the November 1919 election, he won a Durostor County seat in the Assembly of Deputies. He was often mocked by the left wing of Romania cause of his Medieval Emperor descent, he was portrayed as a “snobbish” elitist by the left’s newspapers. He wanted Romania to align herself with the anti-League Kingdom of Italy as a safeguard, personally befriending Benito Mussolini. He believed that the Olympics carried out by germany were purely a mean of propaganda, but later, Comnen accepted the Olympics Cross, First Class from H!tler himself. Comnen also spearheaded a project to encourage a mass emigration of Romanian Jews, a draft of which was presented by Wilhelm Filderman and accepted on behalf of government by Mihai Ralea. He was against Romania joining the axis, he preferred Romania to stay in full neutrality in the coming war. As a nationalist libertarian, was also very disappointed by the German-soviet pact. He claimed “never try with the germans again” when he found out that the Germans carried out the invasion of Poland along with soviets. Choosing to remain in exile to Italy after the Soviet occupation of Romania (1944) Petrescu-Comnen spoke out against communization. After his downfall he worked in creating an anti-communist organization in order to overthrow the communist regime of Romania, but it never happened. He died in Florence in 1958. #romania #romanianhistory #ww2 #komnenos #ww2history #ironguard #byzantineempire
Walls of Ayvansaray Made by Emperor Manuel Komnenos in the 12th century #wall #tower #ayvansaray #blachernai #komnenos #istanbul
♧The Crusaders before Constantinople 1144♧ King Conrad III. the Hohenstaufen and King Louis VII. Of France at the gates of Constantinople, the Crusaders passed through Constantinople for the Second Crusade 1144, but when the Byzantines saw the crowd of uncouth and uncivilised Crusaders, Emperor Manuel I. Komnenos would not let them into the city, and as Conrad was not prepared to face the Emperor with due respect (seeing himself as equal to the Emperor) there was initially no meeting between the two monarchs, the Byzantine chroniclers report that the Crusaders behaved in a very uncivilised manner, fighting among themselves and plundering the countryside around Constantinople, even plundering the Exophilopation palace so much that Manuel had to have it completely renovated after Conrad and the Crusaders had moved on to Anatolia. #byzantineart #byzantinehistory #easternromanempire #byzantineempire #romanempire #romanemperor #byzantineemperor #basileus #emperor #imperator #kaiser #manuelkomnenos #komnenos #komneniandynasty #secondcrusade #conradofhohenstaufen #kinglouistheseventh #theodosianwalls #byzantine #byzantium #byzantion #constantinople #constantinopolis #constantinopoli #konstantinopel #konstantinye #istanbul #byzantineillustration #easternromanillustration #romanillustration
Boztepe hill; Trabzon was a settlement that was found by Caucasian tribes migrating to the region of Pontus, however it started developing as a major Anatolian port due to the Milesian migrations jn the region. The Turkic migrations and raids, as well as the Fourth Crusade, brought the Dynasty of Komnenoi in power during the Pax Mongolica period. Kizlar Monastery was developed as a Monastery hosting nuns and female students. The Monastery survived the Ages due to Fatih Mehmed's tolerance of religion dogma and today it's open to the public as a museum. #trabzon #kızlarmanastırı #boztepe #anatolia #komnenos #ottomanempire #byzantineempire #türkiye
💠On this Day- Bulgaria secedes from Byzantium, 1185 * 🔥In 1018, Emperor Basil II conquered the Bulgarian Empire annexing it to the Byzantine Empire, however 167 years later on this day (October 26) in 1185, the Bulgarians led by the brothers Asen and Theodor proclaim Bulgaria independent from Byzantine rule. Meanwhile, Byzantium in 1185 was in chaos as a month earlier a revolution took place in Constantinople where the emperor Andronikos I Komnenos was overthrown and killed by the people and thus replaced by Isaac II Angelos while their second city Thessaloniki was sacked by the Normans. Taking advantage of the chaos Byzantium was in but also feeling humiliated and oppressed by Byzantine taxes, the brothers Asen and Theodor rallied their people in Tarnovo declaring independence and the rebirth of the Bulgarian Empire slain by Basil II long ago. * 📜Now, there were a number of reasons to why the Asen brothers rebelled and declared Bulgaria independent. First of all, the new emperor Isaac II imposed a heavy tax to simply pay for his upcoming lavish wedding to the Hungarian princess Margaret, the daughter of King Bela III of Hungary which the Bulgarians could not afford. Second, the Asens were humiliated some time earlier by Isaac who slapped them and sent them away when they came to his camp requesting for some autonomy over their lands in Bulgaria in exchange for helping the Byzantines battle the invading Normans. Now to seem like their cause for secession from Byzantium was valid, Asen and Theodor used a propaganda campaign by pretending that the icon of St. Demetrios in Thessaloniki flew to Bulgaria saying that the Normans captured it because of that, therefore God no longer favored the Byzantines but rather the Bulgarians, and these people rallying behind the brothers being Bulgarians, Vlachs, Slavs, Cumans, and Pechenegs fell of it. * ⚔Although the Byzantines retaliated by launching counter-attacks against the Bulgarian rebels, they were powerless to stop it, thus eventually Bulgaria became independent as the 2nd Bulgarian or Vlach-Bulgarian Empire until its fall to the Ottomans in 1393. Continued ⬇