Constantine Laskaris - Wikipedia Constantine Laskaris From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search This article is about the Byzantine emperor. For the scholar of Greek, see Constantine Lascaris. Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans Constantine Laskaris Κωνσταντίνος Λάσκαρις Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans Emperor of Nicaea Claimant Byzantine Emperor Reign 1204–1205 Predecessor Alexios V Doukas (Byzantine Emperor) Successor Theodore I Laskaris Born 1170 Constantinople Died 1205 House Laskaris Father Manuel Laskaris Mother Ioanna Karatzaina Constantine Laskaris (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Λάσκαρις) may have been Byzantine Emperor for a few months from 1204 to early 1205. He is sometimes called "Constantine XI", a numeral now usually reserved for Constantine Palaiologos. Contents 1 Early years 2 Elevation as Emperor 3 Career at Nicaea 4 Family 5 Historical uncertainty of coronation 6 References 7 Sources Early years[edit] Constantine Laskaris was born of a noble but not particularly renowned Byzantine family.[citation needed] Virtually nothing is known of him prior to the events of the Fourth Crusade. He found favour after his brother Theodore married into the imperial family, becoming the son-in-law of Emperor Alexios III Angelos.[citation needed] During the first siege of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1203 he was given command of the best body of troops available and led the Greek defenders on sorties against the entrenched Crusaders. None were successful in their goal of lifting the siege, and finally Constantine was ordered to attack the Burgundians who were on guard at the time.[1] The Greeks issued forth from the city, but were soon driven back to the gates, notwithstanding the stones that the defenders on the walls threw down onto the advancing Crusaders. Constantine himself was captured whilst mounted on his horse by William of Neuilly[1] and probably kept for ransom, which was the usual practice of the times. At some point he was released, as he was soon swept up in the events of the second siege of Constantinople in 1204. Elevation as Emperor[edit] After the Crusaders entered Constantinople on 12 April 1204 and began to sack the city, a large body of citizens as well as what remained of the Varangian Guard gathered together in the church of Hagia Sophia to elect a new emperor, as Alexios V had fled the city.[2] Two nominees presented themselves – Constantine Laskaris and Constantine Doukas (probably the son of John Angelos Doukas, and thus a first cousin to Isaac II Angelos and Alexios III).[3] Both presented their case to be nominated emperor, but the people could not decide between them, as both were young and had proven military skills. Eventually lots were cast and Laskaris was selected by what remained of the army as the next emperor. Laskaris refused to accept the imperial purple; escorted by the Patriarch of Constantinople, John X, to the Milion, he urged the assembled populace to resist the Latin invaders with all their strength. However, the crowd was unwilling to risk their lives in such a one-sided conflict, and so he turned to the Varangians and asked for their support. Though his pleas to honour fell on deaf ears, they agreed to fight for increased wages, and he marched out to make a final stand against the Latin Crusaders. However, the Varangians betrayed Constantine and fled at the sight of the mail-clad Latin troops.[citation needed] Seeing all was lost, he quickly fled the capital in the early hours of 13 April 1204.[2] Career at Nicaea[edit] Greek resistance to the Latin conquerors began almost immediately under the leadership of Theodore Laskaris, and he was soon joined by Constantine. They were hard pressed at first, and by early 1205 they had lost the important city of Adramyttion to the new Latin Emperor, Henry of Flanders. Theodore was keen to reverse this setback, and so he sent Constantine at the head of a large body of troops towards the city.[4] Henry of Flanders had advance warning of the attack via an Armenian source, and prepared his forces to meet the Greeks. The two armies fought the Battle of Adramyttion on Saturday, 19 March 1205[4] outside the city walls, and the result was a massive defeat for Constantine Laskaris and the Greeks, with most of the army either perishing or being captured.[5] Nothing more is heard of Constantine Laskaris after this battle, so it is presumed that he either perished in the defeat, or was captured.[citation needed] Family[edit] Constantine had six brothers: Manuel Laskaris (died after 1256), Michael Laskaris (died 1261/1271), Georgios Laskaris, Theodore, Alexios Laskaris, and Isaac Laskaris. The last two fought with the Latin Empire against Theodore Laskaris' successor, John III Doukas Vatatzes, and were imprisoned and blinded.[citation needed] According to "The Latins in the Levant. A History of Frankish Greece (1204–1566)" by William Miller, the seven brothers may also have had a sister, the wife of Marco I Sanudo and mother of Angelo Sanudo. He based this theory on his own interpretation of Italian chronicles. However, the Dictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza rejected the theory based on the silence of Byzantine primary sources.[6] Historical uncertainty of coronation[edit] The primary source for the elevation of Constantine Laskaris is Niketas Choniates, an eyewitness who recounted the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders. However, given Constantine's apparent subordinate role under his brother Theodore in 1205, historians such as Sir Steven Runciman[7] and Donald Queller[8] have argued that it was in fact Theodore and not Constantine who was in Hagia Sophia that fateful day, and it was Theodore who was nominated and thus succeeded Alexios V.[9] This uncertainty, plus the fact that Constantine remained uncrowned, means that he is not always counted among the Byzantine emperors.[9] Therefore, the convention when it comes to Constantine Laskaris is that he is not usually assigned a numeral. If he is counted as Constantine XI, then Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Emperor, is counted as Constantine XII.[10] References[edit] ^ a b Geoffrey De Villehardouin, 'Memoirs Or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople', Echo Library, 2007, pg 31 ^ a b Harry J. Magoulias, 'O city of Byzantium: annals of Niketas Choniatēs', Wayne State University Press, 1984, pg 314 ^ Donald E. Queller, Thomas F. Madden, Alfred J. Andrea, 'Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople', University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999, pg 189 ^ a b Geoffrey De Villehardouin, 'Memoirs Or Chronicle of the Fourth Crusade and the Conquest of Constantinople', Echo Library, 2007, pg 63 ^ Harry J. Magoulias, pg 331 ^ Cawley, Charles, Profile of "Laskaraina", Medieval Lands database, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy,[self-published source][better source needed] ^ Steven Runciman, 'A History of the Crusades, Vol. 3: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades', Cambridge, 1954, pg 122 ^ Donald E Queller, 'The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople 1201–1204', University Park, 1977, pg 147; 216–217 ^ a b Donald Nicol, 'The Last Centuries of Byzantium: 1261–1453', Cambridge University Press, 1993, pg 369 ^ Britannica Sources[edit] Magoulias, Harry J., ed. (1984). O City of Byzantium: Annals of Niketas Choniatēs. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-1764-8. Nicol, Donald M. (1993). The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261–1453 (Second ed.). London: Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd. ISBN 0-246-10559-3. Constantine Laskaris Laskarid dynasty Born: 1170 Died: 1205 Regnal titles Preceded by Alexios V Doukas Emperor of Nicaea 1204 Succeeded by Theodore I Laskaris v t e Roman and Byzantine emperors and ruling empresses Principate 27 BC – AD 235 Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus (Pescennius Niger) (Clodius Albinus) Septimius Severus Caracalla Geta Macrinus Diadumenian Elagabalus Severus Alexander Crisis 235–285 Maximinus Thrax Gordian I Gordian II Pupienus Balbinus Gordian III Philip the Arab Philip II Decius Herennius Etruscus Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus Volusianus Aemilianus Valerian Gallienus Saloninus Claudius Gothicus Quintillus Aurelian Ulpia Severina Tacitus Florian Probus Carus Carinus Numerian Gallic emperors Postumus (Laelianus) Marius Victorinus (Domitianus II) Tetricus I with Tetricus II as caesar Palmyrene emperors Vaballathus Zenobia Septimius Antiochus Dominate 284–395 Diocletian Maximian Galerius Constantius I Severus Constantine the Great Maxentius Licinius Maximinus Daza (Valerius Valens) (Martinian) Constantine II Constantius II Constans I Magnentius Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian I (west) Valens (east) Gratian (west) Valentinian II (west) Theodosius I Magnus Maximus Victor (Eugenius) Western Empire 395–480 Honorius Constantine III with son Constans II Constantius III Joannes Valentinian III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorian Libius Severus Anthemius Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos Romulus Augustulus Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 395–1204 Arcadius Theodosius II Marcian Leo I Leo II Zeno Basiliscus Marcus Anastasius I Dicorus Justin I Justinian I Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice with son Theodosius as co-emperor Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Constantine IV with brothers Heraclius and Tiberius and then Justinian II as co-emperors Justinian II (first reign) Leontios Tiberius III Justinian II (second reign) with son Tiberius as co-emperor Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosius III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe with son Theophylact as co-emperor Leo V the Armenian with Symbatios-Constantine as junior emperor Michael II the Amorian Theophilos Michael III Basil I the Macedonian Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Romanos I Lekapenos with sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine as junior co-emperors Romanos II Nikephoros II Phokas John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoë (first reign) and Romanos III Argyros Zoë (first reign) and Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael V Kalaphates Zoë (second reign) with Theodora Zoë (second reign) and Constantine IX Monomachos Constantine IX Monomachos (sole emperor) Theodora Michael VI Bringas Isaac I Komnenos Constantine X Doukas Romanos IV Diogenes Michael VII Doukas with brothers Andronikos and Konstantios and son Constantine Nikephoros III Botaneiates Alexios I Komnenos John II Komnenos with Alexios Komnenos as co-emperor Manuel I Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos with John Komnenos as co-emperor Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Angelos Nicholas Kanabos (chosen by the Senate) Alexios V Doukas Empire of Nicaea 1204–1261 Constantine Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris John III Doukas Vatatzes Theodore II Laskaris John IV Laskaris Byzantine Empire 1261–1453 Michael VIII Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos with Michael IX Palaiologos as co-emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos with John V Palaiologos and Matthew Kantakouzenos as co-emperors John V Palaiologos Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos Andronikos V Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos Constantine XI Palaiologos Italics indicates a junior co-emperor, while underlining indicates a usurper. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constantine_Laskaris&oldid=1003086694" Categories: Laskarid dynasty 13th-century Byzantine emperors Eastern Orthodox monarchs 1170 births 1205 deaths People of the Empire of Nicaea Hidden categories: All articles with self-published sources Articles with self-published sources from August 2012 All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from August 2012 Wikipedia articles incorporating an MLCC with a warning Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles containing Greek-language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018 Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020 Navigation menu Personal tools Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Namespaces Article Talk Variants Views Read Edit View history More Search Navigation Main page Contents Current events Random article About Wikipedia Contact us Donate Contribute Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file Tools What links here Related changes Upload file Special pages Permanent link Page information Cite this page Wikidata item Print/export Download as PDF Printable version Languages Afrikaans العربية Aragonés تۆرکجه Български Català Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 Hrvatski Italiano ქართული Македонски مصرى Nederlands 日本語 Norsk bokmål Polski Português Română Русский Српски / srpski Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Zazaki Edit links This page was last edited on 27 January 2021, at 10:09 (UTC). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Contact Wikipedia Mobile view Developers Statistics Cookie statement