John VIII Palaiologos - Wikipedia John VIII Palaiologos From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search Byzantine emperor from 1425 to 1448 Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans John VIII Palaiologos Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans Portrait by Benozzo Gozzoli Byzantine emperor Reign 21 July 1425 – 31 October 1448 Coronation 19 January 1421 Predecessor Manuel II Palaiologos Successor Constantine XI Palaiologos Born 18 December 1392 Died 31 October 1448(1448-10-31) (aged 55) Spouse Anna of Moscow ​ ​ (m. 1414; died 1417)​ Sophia of Montferrat ​ ​ (m. 1421⁠–⁠1426)​ Maria of Trebizond ​ ​ (m. 1427; died 1439)​ Dynasty Palaiologos Father Manuel II Palaiologos Mother Helena Dragaš Religion Catholic/Orthodox This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (May 2021) John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, romanized: Iōánnēs Palaiológos; 18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448) was the penultimate Byzantine emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448. Contents 1 Biography 2 Marriages 3 Representation in art 3.1 Gallery 4 Ancestry 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 8 Further reading Biography[edit] John VIII was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš,[1] the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš. He was associated as co-emperor with his father before 1416 and became sole emperor on 1 July 1425,[2] although he had already assumed full power on 19 January 1421.[3][4][5] In June 1422, John VIII Palaiologos supervised the defense of Constantinople during a siege by Murad II,[6] but had to accept the loss of Thessalonica, which his brother Andronikos had given to Venice in 1423. To secure protection against the Ottomans, he made two journeys to Italy in 1423 and 1439. In 1423 he became the last Byzantine emperor (the first since emperor Constans II´visit in 663) to make a visit to Rome.[7] During the second journey he visited Pope Eugene IV in Ferrara and consented to the union of the Greek and Roman churches. The Union was ratified at the Council of Florence in 1439, which John attended with 700 followers including Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople and George Gemistos Plethon, a Neoplatonist philosopher influential among the academics of Italy. The Union failed due to opposition in Constantinople, but through his prudent conduct towards the Ottoman Empire he succeeded in holding possession of the city. John VIII Palaiologos named his brother Constantine XI, who had served as regent in Constantinople in 1437–1439, as his successor. Despite the machinations of his younger brother Demetrios Palaiologos his mother Helena was able to secure Constantine XI's succession in 1448. John VIII died at Constantinople in 1448, becoming the last reigning Byzantine emperor to die of natural causes. Marriages[edit] John VIII Palaiologos was married three times. His first marriage was in 1414 to Anna of Moscow, daughter of Grand Prince Basil I of Moscow (1389–1425) and Sophia of Lithuania.[8] She died in August 1417 of plague. The second marriage, arranged by his father Manuel II and Pope Martin V, was to Sophia of Montferrat in 1421.[8] She was a daughter of Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat, and his second wife Joanna of Bar. Joanna was a daughter of Robert I, Duke of Bar, and Marie de Valois. Her maternal grandparents were John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. His third marriage, arranged by the future cardinal, Bessarion, was to Maria of Trebizond in 1427.[8] She was a daughter of Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene.[8] She died in the winter of 1439, also from plague.[9] None of the marriages produced any children. Representation in art[edit] John VIII Palaiologos was famously depicted by several painters on the occasion of his visit to Italy.[10] Perhaps the most famous of his portraits is the one by Benozzo Gozzoli, on the southern wall of the Magi Chapel, at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, in Florence. According to some interpretations, John VIII would be also portrayed in Piero della Francesca's Flagellation. A portrait of John appears in a manuscript at the Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. Gallery[edit] Portrait of John VIII Palaiologos from a manuscript at Saint Catherine's Monastery circa 1440 Medal of the Emperor John VIII Palaiologos during his visit to Florence, by Pisanello (1438). The legend reads, in Greek: "John the Palaiologos, basileus and autokrator of the Romans". Sketches of John VIII Palaiologos during his visit at the Council of Florence in 1438, by Pisanello Piero della Francesca's Flagellation, possibly depicting John VIII Palaiologos as Pontius Pilatus (the leftmost figure) Device of the Emperor John VIII Palaiologos, featuring the double-headed eagle with the sympilema (family cypher) of the Palaiologos dynasty Ancestry[edit] Ancestors of John VIII Palaiologos 16. Michael IX Palaiologos 8. Andronikos III Palaiologos 17. Rita of Armenia 4. John V Palaiologos 18. Amadeus V, Count of Savoy 9. Anna of Savoy 19. Maria of Brabant 2. Manuel II Palaiologos 20. Michael Kantakouzenos 10. John VI Kantakouzenos 21. Theodora Palaiologina Angelina Kantakouzene 5. Helena Kantakouzene 22. Andronikos Asen 11. Irene Asanina 23. Tarchaneiotissa 1. John VIII Palaiologos 12. Dejan 6. Constantine Dragaš 26. Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia 13. Theodora of Serbia 27. Maria Palaiologina 3. Helena Dragaš See also[edit] Byzantine Empire portal List of Byzantine emperors References[edit] ^ Çelik 2021, p. xx. ^ Chasin 1989, p. 281. ^ Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, p. 1053 ^ Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit, "Palaiologos, Ioannes VIII." ^ Speake, Graham (2021). Encyclopedia of Greece and the Hellenic Tradition. Routledge. p. 852. ISBN 9781135942069. ^ Barker 1969, p. xxxiv. ^ Çelik 2021, p. 380. ^ a b c d Nicol 1992, p. 5. ^ Runciman 1965, p. 21. ^ Drawings of John VIII Palaiologos Archived 5 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine by Pisanello, Florence 1439 Sources[edit] Barker, John W. (1969). Manuel II Palaeologus (1391-1425): A Study in Late Byzantine Statesmanship. Rutgers University Press. Çelik, Siren (2021). Manuel II Palaiologos (1350–1425): A Byzantine Emperor in a Time of Tumult. Cambridge University Press. Chasin, Martin (1989). "The Crusade of Varna". In Hazard, Harry W.; Zacour, Norman P. (eds.). A History of the Crusades:The Impact of the Crusades on Europe. 6. University of Wisconsin Press. Nicol, Donald M. (1992). The Immortal Emperor: The Life and Legend of Constantine Palaiologos, Last Emperor of the Romans. Cambridge University Press. Runciman, Steven (1965). The Fall of Constantinople, 1453. Cambridge University Press. Further reading[edit] Harris, Jonathan, The End of Byzantium. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-300-11786-8 Kolditz, Sebastian, Johannes VIII. Palaiologos und das Konzil von Ferrara-Florenz (1438/39). 2 Vol., Stuttgart: Anton Hiersemann Verlag 2013–2014, ISBN 978-3-7772-1319-4. Lazaris, Stavros, "L’empereur Jean VIII Paléologue vu par Pisanello lors du concile de Ferrare – Florence", Byzantinische Forschungen, 29, 2007, p. 293-324 [1] Nicol, Donald M. (1993) [1972]. The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261-1453. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ioannes VIII Palaiologos. John VIII Palaiologos Palaiologos dynasty Born: 18 December 1392 Died: 31 October 1448 Regnal titles Preceded by Manuel II Palaiologos Byzantine Emperor 1425–1448 Succeeded by Constantine XI Palaiologos Dragases 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. 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