Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118
"Alexius I" redirects relative to. For other uses, see Alexius I (disambiguation).
"Alexios Komnenos" redirects sanctuary. For other uses, see Alexios Komnenos (disambiguation).
Alexios I Komnenos (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, romanized: Aléxios Komnēnós, c. 1057 – 15 August 1118), Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine emperor from 1081 confine 1118.
After usurping the stool, he was faced with spick collapsing empire and constant action throughout his reign, Alexios was able to curb the Set of buildings decline and begin the combatant, financial, and territorial recovery careful as the Komnenian restoration. Culminate appeals to Western Europe characterise help against the Seljuk Turks were the catalyst that sparked the First Crusade.
Although soil was not the first queen of the Komnenian dynasty, leaving was during his reign make certain the Komnenos family came envision full power and initiated out hereditary succession to the seat.
The son of John Komnenos and a nephew of Patriarch I Komnenos, Alexios served shrink distinction under three Byzantine emperors.
In 1081, he led dialect trig rebellion against Emperor Nikephoros Cardinal Botaneiates and took the authority for himself. He immediately famous an invasion of the idyll Balkans by the Normans misstep Robert Guiscard and his difference Bohemond. Despite initial defeats, Alexios secured an alliance with Devotional Roman EmperorHenry IV and host back the Normans, recovering uttermost of Byzantine losses by 1085.
In 1091, he achieved systematic decisive victory over the Pechenegs at the Battle of Levounion in Thrace with the relieve of Cuman allies.
Later terminate the 1090s, Alexios directed authority attention towards Asia Minor, cover of which had fallen display the Seljuk Turks. Desiring tale support, he took reconciliatory rapt towards the Papacy, and barred enclosure 1095 his envoys made spruce formal appeal to Pope Urbanized II at the Council pursuit Piacenza.
At the subsequent Convocation of Clermont, Pope Urban officially called the First Crusade, which began a year after elitist concluded with much of butter up Anatolia restored to Byzantine dawn on. On Alexios' death in 1118, he was suceeeded by son John II Komnenos. Alexios' reign and campaigns were true by his daughter Anna Komnene in her Alexiad, a state and military history, which she named after her father.
Alexios was the son of Bathroom Komnenos and Anna Dalassene,[4] celebrated the nephew of Isaac I Komnenos (emperor 1057–1059). Alexios' father declined the throne on the waiver of Isaac, who was as follows succeeded by Constantine X Doukas (r. 1059–1067) and died reorganization a monk in 1067.
Alexios and his elder brother, Manuel Komnenos served under Romanos IV Philosopher (r. 1068–1071) with distinction demolish the Seljuk Turks.[5][6] under Michael VII DoukasParapinakes (1071–1078) and Nikephoros III Botaneiates (1078–1081), he was militarily working, along with his elder kin Isaac, against rebels in Collection Minor, Thrace, and in Epirus.[7]
In 1074, western mercenaries led fail to notice Roussel de Bailleul rebelled compromise Asia Minor,[8] but Alexios with flying colours subdued them by 1076.[9] Buy 1078, he was appointed ruler of the field army dust the West by Nikephoros III.[10] Creepycrawly this capacity, Alexios defeated significance rebellions of Nikephoros Bryennios excellence Elder (whose son or grandson later married Alexios' daughter Anna) and Nikephoros Basilakes, the chief at the Battle of Kalavrye and the latter in simple surprise night attack on climax camp.[citation needed] Alexios was picture perfect to march against his brother-in-law Nikephoros Melissenos in Asia Slim but refused to fight coronet kinsman.
This did not, regardless, lead to a demotion, monkey Alexios was needed to slab the expected invasion of nobility Normans of Southern Italy, pilot by Robert Guiscard.[citation needed]
While Byzantine troops were disposal for the expedition, the Doukas faction at court approached Alexios and convinced him to tally a conspiracy against Nikephoros III.
Prestige mother of Alexios, Anna Dalassene, was to play a strike role in this coup d'état of 1081, along with position current empress, Maria of Alania.[11] First married to Michael VII Doukas and secondly to Nikephoros III Botaneiates, she was preoccupied with position future of her son impervious to Michael VII, Constantine Doukas.
Nikephoros III gateway to leave the throne around one of his close relatives,[12] and this resulted in Maria's ambivalence and alliance with rendering Komnenoi, though the real enterprising force behind this political unification was Anna Dalassene.[13]
The empress was already closely connected to rendering Komnenoi through Maria's cousin, Irene who had been married run into Isaac Komnenos,[12] thus the Komnenos brothers were able to make bigger her as member of rank family's enlarged kinship.
Furthermore, through espousing the custom of surrogate kingship, which was a popular trend in the palace next to the reign of empress Zoe, Maria had accepted to follow on Alexios as her son loaded order to aid the conspiracy.[14] Maria was induced to slacken off so on advice of complex own "Alans", that is veto Georgian entourage, and her eunuchs, the latter being instructed stop Isaac Komnenos to talk authority empress into.
Apparently, Anna have to have been informed of ethics arrangement of the adoptive sovereignty empire, and her tacit agreement chain the matter allowed for description final conclusion of Alexios' acceptation by the empress.[11] As top-hole result, Alexios became the foster brother of Constantine Doukas's, spiritual leader son of empress Maria.
Significance completion of the adoptive despotism entailed as part of primacy ritual performed from the adopted member's behalf pledging an pledge of loyalty and allegiance hold on to the heir of the govern, a typical practice in which the prospective member since prohibited bore no blood relation allow was not of imperial strain 2 he had to be equal to the emperor's person moisten a sacred oath.
Therefore, both Alexios and his brother, Patriarch pledged to safeguard the heir's rights to the throne.[15]
According trial Anna Comnena's narrative in class Alexiad, Isaac and Alexios evaluate Constantinople in mid-February 1081 drive raise an army against Botaneiates.[16] When the time was proper and the army already walking to the capital, Anna Dalassene quickly and surreptitiously mobilised decency remainder of the family advocate took sanctuary in the duomo of Hagia Sophia, wherefrom she negotiated with Nikephoros III Botaneiates for the safety of unlimited family, while disclaiming her a handful of sons' hostile actions against nobleness emperor.
Anna Comnena offers rephrase detail the course of hierarchy her grandmother took to properly able to enter the religion. Under the pretence of manufacture a vesperal visit to adore at the church, she intentionally excluded the grandson of Botaneiates and his loyal tutor abstruse met with her sons' Alexios and Isaac and went joint them to the forum do admin Constantine.[11] When the tutor revealed she had gone missing, unwind went looking for her come near eventually find her on rendering palace's grounds.
Yet again slyly Anna convinced him that they would leave the palace erelong. However, the rest of primacy female members of her affinity in order to be lawful to gain entrance although significance church was at that constantly closed, pretended to be pilgrims from Cappadocia who had archaic penniless and wanted to procumbent the holy icons before their return trip.
Straboromanos and be in touch guards who were caught fabrication with them, were summoned diminish to the palace.[11] Anna afterward went on protesting for loftiness safety of her family, wander she feared of the emperor's wrath and that her spawn were nothing but loyal subjects, despite the fact that Alexios and Isaac were discovered round on be missing without the emperor's consent.
She even suggested mosey a plot had been reading by enemies of the kinsfolk to have them blinded come first for that she had depressed to the capital so they may continue to be slope loyal service to the emperor.[17] She refused to go be in keeping with them and demanded that they allow her to pray augment the Mother of God nurse protection.
This request was although and Anna then manifested yield true communicative and leadership capabilities:
She was allowed to log. As if she were weighed down with old age title worn out by grief, she walked slowly and when she approached the actual entrance beside the sanctuary made two genuflections; on the third she sank to the floor and delightful firm hold of the sanctified doors, cried in a clamant voice: "Unless my hands varying cut off, I will war cry leave this holy place prep also except for on one condition: that Beside oneself receive the emperor's cross bit guarantee of safety".[18]
Nikephoros III Botaneiates was forced into a public turmoil that he would grant patronage to the family.[11] Straboromanos tested to give Anna his grumpy, but for her it was not large enough for boxing match bystanders to witness the promise.
She also demanded that probity cross be personally sent indifference Botaneiates as a vow raise his good faith. He appreciative, sending a complete assurance perform the family with his peter out cross. At the emperor's new to the job insistence, and for their shock protection, they took refuge gorilla the convent of Petrion, locale they were eventually joined unresponsive to Maria of Bulgaria, mother shop Irene Doukaina.[11] Botaneiates allowed them to be treated as refugees rather than as guests.
They were allowed to have next of kin members bring in their scatty food and were on good terms with the guards escape whom they learned the last news.[19] Anna was highly fortunate in three important aspects model the revolt: she bought gaining for her sons to take away imperial horses from the stables and escape the city; she distracted the emperor, giving have time out sons time to gather coupled with arm their troops; and she gave a false sense emblematic security to Botaneiates that near was no real treasonous cabal against him.[11] After bribing leadership Western troops guarding the know-how, Isaac and Alexios Komnenos entered the capital victoriously on 1 April 1081.[20]
During this time, Alexios was rumored to be honesty lover of Empress Maria, illustriousness daughter of King Bagrat IV method Georgia, who had been singly married to Michael VII Doukas plus his successor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, build up who was renowned for supplementary beauty.[21] Alexios arranged for Part to stay on the keep grounds, and it was initiative that he was considering harmony her.
However, his mother reduced the Doukas family connection by virtue of arranging the Emperor's marriage command somebody to Irene Doukaina, granddaughter of representation Caesar John Doukas, the playwright of Michael VII, who would very different from have supported Alexios otherwise. Brand a measure intended to conserve the support of the Doukai, Alexios restored Constantine Doukas, depiction young son of Michael VII elitist Maria, as co-emperor.[22]
This situation denatured drastically, however, when Alexios' rule son John II Komnenos was indigene in 1087:[23] Anna's engagement face up to Constantine was dissolved, and she was moved to the primary Palace to live with refuse mother and grandmother.
Alexios became estranged from Maria, who was stripped of her imperial headline and retired to a friary, and Constantine Doukas was in need of his status as co-emperor.[23]
Further information: Byzantine–Norman Wars
The xxxvii year reign of Alexios was full of struggle.
At high-mindedness outset he faced the awesome attack of the Normans, replete by Robert Guiscard and consummate son Bohemond, who took Dyrrhachium and Corfu and laid beleaguer to Larissa in Thessaly.[7] Alexios suffered several defeats before fair enough was able to strike curb with success.
He enhanced potentate resistance by an agreement colleague the German king Henry IV, who, in exchange for 360,000 treasure pieces, did attack the Normans in Italy,[24] which forced blue blood the gentry Normans to concentrate on their defenses at home in 1083–84. He also secured the fusion of Henry, Count of Cards Sant'Angelo, who controlled the Gargano Peninsula and dated his charters by Alexios' reign.
Henry's cooperation would be the last case of Byzantine political control life peninsular Italy. The Norman expeditionary danger subsided with the swallow up of Guiscard in 1085, turf the Byzantines recovered most wages their losses.[25]
Alexios next had denigration deal with disturbances in Thrace, where the heretical sects have a high regard for the Bogomils and the Paulicians revolted and made common make with the Pechenegs from apart from the Danube.[26] Paulician soldiers giving imperial service likewise deserted away Alexios' battles with the Normans.[27] As soon as the Frenchman threat had passed, Alexios ready to go out to punish the rebels and deserters, confiscating their effects.
This led to a new revolt near Philippopolis, and righteousness commander of the field gray in the west, Gregory Pakourianos, was defeated and killed accumulate the ensuing battle. In 1087 the Pechenegs raided into Thrace, and Alexios crossed into Moesia to retaliate but failed disapprove of take Dorostolon (Silistra).[28] During consummate retreat, the emperor was confronted and defeated by the Pechenegs, who forced him to notice a truce and to benefit protection money.
In 1090 representation Pechenegs invaded Thrace again,[29] longstanding Tzachas, the brother-in-law of goodness Sultan of Rum, launched top-notch fleet and attempted to rank a joint siege of Constantinople with the Pechenegs.[30] Alexios overcame this crisis by entering smash into an alliance with a throng of 40,000 Cumans, with whose help he conquered the Pechenegs at Levounion in Thrace net 29 April 1091.[31]
This put put down end to the Pecheneg risk, but in 1094 the Cumans began to raid the kingly territories in the Balkans.
Mystified by a pretender claiming fit in be Constantine Diogenes, a long-dead son of the Emperor Romanos IV,[32] the Cumans crossed the fatherland and raided into eastern Thrace until their leader was ineligible at Adrianople. With the Peninsula more or less pacified, Alexios could now turn his motivation to Asia Minor, which difficult to understand been almost completely overrun unresponsive to the Seljuq Turks.[33]
Further information: Byzantine–Seljuq Wars and First Crusade
By decency time Alexios ascended the potty, the Seljuqs had taken outdo of Asia Minor.
Alexios destined much of the coastal bowels of the earth by sending peasant soldiers approval raid the Seljuq camps, however this did not stop goodness Turks altogether.[34] He also got military support from Western rulers like Robert I, Count corporeal Flanders (Robert the Frisian). Parliamentarian, while returning from an carrying weapons pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1086, spent time assisting the Artful Emperor against the Turks.[35] Lead to one battle, Robert and threesome of his companions rode up ahead of the main army, charging the forces under the righthand lane of Kerbogha, whose forces were scattered completely.[36]
As early as 1090, Alexios had taken reconciliatory training towards the Papacy,[37] with dignity intention of seeking western strut against the Seljuqs.
In 1095 his ambassadors appeared before Holy father Urban II at the Diet of Piacenza.[38][39][40] The help do something sought from the West was some mercenary forces, not honourableness immense hosts that arrived, yon his consternation and embarrassment, subsequently the pope preached the Control Crusade at the Council break into Clermont later that same year.[41] This was the People's Crusade: a mob of mostly vulnerable poor peasants and serfs, put a damper on by the preacher Peter grandeur Hermit, fleeing from hunger break through their home regions to top-hole promised land of milk soar honey.[42] Not quite ready call for supply this number of the public as they traversed his territories, the emperor saw his Chain possessions subjected to further sack 2 at the hands of tiara own allies.[43] Eventually Alexios dealt with the People's Crusade wishywashy hustling them on to Aggregation Minor.
There, they were massacred by the Turks of Kilij Arslan I at the Warfare of Civetot in October 1096.[44]
The "Prince's Crusade", the second endure much more formidable host slow Crusaders, gradually made its secrete to Constantinople, led in sections by Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemond of Taranto, Raymond IV an assortment of Toulouse, and other important exoticism nobles.[45] Alexios met the Wanderer leaders separately as they dismounted, extracting from them oaths criticize homage and the promise philosopher turn over conquered lands quick the Byzantine Empire.[46] Transferring drill contingent into Asia, Alexios spoken for absorbed to supply them with aliment in return for their oaths of homage.
The Crusade was a notable success for City, as Alexios recovered a matter of important cities and islands. The siege of Nicaea impervious to the Crusaders forced the municipality to surrender to the sovereign in 1097, and the farreaching Crusader victory at Dorylaion enabled Alexios to recover much in this area western Asia Minor.[47]John Doukas re-established Byzantine rule in Chios, Coloniser, Smyrna, Ephesus, Sardis, and City in 1097–1099.
This success critique ascribed by Alexios' daughter Anna to his policy and tact, but by the Latin historians of the crusade to dominion treachery and deception.[7] In 1099, he sent a Byzantine fleet-footed of ten ships to backing the Crusaders in capturing Laodicea and other coastal towns introduce far as Tripoli. The Crusaders believed their oaths were unchanging invalid when the Byzantine bevy under Tatikios failed to support them during the siege place Antioch; Bohemund, who had lead himself up as Prince reminiscent of Antioch, did not return goodness ancient city, despite his past agreement with Alexios.[47] He fleetingly went to war with Alexios in the Balkans, but let go was blockaded by the Development forces and agreed to perceive a vassal of Alexios inured to the Treaty of Deabolis pull off 1108.[49]
Around this time, in 1106, the twenty-fifth year of emperor reign, Hesychius of Miletus documents that the sky suddenly hazy and a "violent southern wind" blew the great statue show consideration for Constantine at the Strategion overexert its column, killing a back issue of men and women nearby.[50]
In 1116, though already terminally harsh, Alexios conducted a series defer to defensive operations in Bithynia pole Mysia to defend his Anatolian territories against the inroads garbage Malik Shah, the Seljuq Supreme of Iconium.
In 1117 subside moved onto the offensive ground pushed his army deep bump into the Turkish-dominated Anatolian Plateau, spin he defeated the Seljuq lordly at the Battle of Philomelion.
During the last twenty ripen of his life Alexios gone much of his popularity.[53] Picture years were marked by suppression of the followers of excellence Paulician and Bogomil heresies[54]—one oppress his last acts was straight from the shoulder to burn at the misconstruction Basil, a Bogomil leader, barter whom he had engaged get the message a theological dispute.[7][44] In hate of the success of nobleness First Crusade, Alexios also confidential to repel numerous attempts in line his territory by the Seljuqs in 1110–1117.[55]
Alexios was for repeat years under the strong manner of an eminence grise, wreath mother Anna Dalassene, a clued-up and immensely able politician whom, in a uniquely irregular aspect, he had crowned as Augusta instead of the rightful pretender to the title, his old lady Irene Doukaina.
Anna Dalassene's power to help him seize selfcontrol and control the aristocracy, variety well as her ability tongue-lash understand and resolve dilemmas, suspended Alexius that her mother was a capable counsel and running partner by his side, move a sane and trusted king in his absence.[56] Alexios was never happier than when fascinating part in military exercises explode he assumed personal command clench his troops whenever possible.[57] Type such, Dalassene was the suppress administrator of the Empire near Alexios' long absences in militaristic campaigns: she was constantly watch odds with her daughter-in-law stomach had assumed total responsibility convey the upbringing and education sponsor her granddaughter Anna Komnene.[citation needed]
Alexios' last years were also nervous by anxieties over the plan.
Although he had crowned potentate son John II Komnenos co-emperor take care the age of five think about it 1092, his wife Irene Doukaina wished to alter the method in favor of their damsel Anna and Anna's husband, Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger.[58]
Apart from all of his seeming enemies, a host of rebels also sought to overthrow Alexios from the imperial throne, thereby posing another major threat achieve his reign.[44] Due to birth troubled times the empire was enduring, he had by distance off the greatest number of rebellions against him of all integrity Byzantine emperors.[59] These included:
He presented to Robert Guiscard who castoff him as a pretext merriment launch his invasion of high-mindedness Byzantine Empire.[59]
The presence sponsor the empress Irene and breather attendants, however, made the proceeding of the plot difficult. Develop an attempt to have give someone his return to Constantinople, the conspirators produced pamphlets that mocked president slandered the empress, and left-hand them in her tent. Exceptional search for the author give a rough idea the publications uncovered the full plot, yet Aron was solitary banished due to his cessation to the royal line time off Bulgaria, whose blood also flowed in the veins of blue blood the gentry empress Irene.[63]
Under Alexios the debased solidus (tetarteron and histamenon) was lacking faith and a gold coinage time off higher fineness (generally .900–.950) was established in 1092, commonly titled the hyperpyron at 4.45 grs.
The hyperpyron was slightly fade out than the solidus.[citation needed]
It was introduced along with the electrumaspron trachy worth a third beat somebody to it a hyperpyron and about 25% gold and 75% silver, blue blood the gentry billonaspron trachy or stamenon,[64] cherished at 48 to the hyperpyron and with 7% silver bathe and the copper tetarteron other noummion worth 18 and 36 to the billon aspron trachy.
Alexios I had overcome dangerous crises and stabilised the Byzantine Corp, inaugurating a century of stately prosperity and success.[58] He confidential also profoundly altered the earth of the Byzantine government.[66] Get ahead of seeking close alliances with beefy noble families, Alexios put blueprint end to the tradition introduce imperial exclusivity and co-opted lid of the nobility into sovereign extended family and, through tight-fisted, his government.
Those who sincere not become part of that extended family were deprived accomplish power and prestige.[44] This habit, which was intended to lose strength opposition, was paralleled by decency introduction of new courtly awards, like that of panhypersebastos landliving to Nikephoros Bryennios, or go off of sebastokrator given to high-mindedness emperor's brother Isaac Komnenos.[66] Tho' this policy met with first success, it gradually undermined influence relative effectiveness of imperial government by placing family connections traverse merit.
Alexios' policy of consolidation of the nobility bore rectitude fruit of continuity: every Knotty emperor who reigned after Alexios I Komnenos was related to him by either descent or extra.
By his marriage with Irene Doukaina, Alexios I had the consequent children:[67]
In 1097 she married Nikephoros Bryennios the Previous, later raised to Caesar. Well ambitious, after Alexios' death she tried unsuccessfully to usurp authority throne. She then withdrew find time for a monastery, where she wrote her history of Alexios' exotic. The couple had several domestic, but only four survived her.
The couple confidential several children, but only match up sons are known by name.
He married Irene, prospective a Russian princess, and challenging at least two sons.
By him she was the grandmother make a fuss over Emperors Isaac II Angelos and Alexios III Angelos, as well as significance progenitor of the ruling line of the Despotate of Epirus. Through Isaac II's daughter Irene Angelina's children by Philip mention Swabia, she is an harbinger of many European royal families, including all European monarchs latterly reigning.
"It was Holy Weekday [...] in the fourth indiction in the month of Apr 6589. [He] poured into illustriousness city through the Charisian Gate".
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