| Alexios Komnenos | |
|---|---|
| Emperor of the Romans | |
 Mosaic of Alexios Komnenos inHagia Sophia. | |
| Byzantine co-emperor | |
| Reign | 1119–1142 |
| Coronation | 1119as co-emperor |
| Born | October 1106 Balabista,Macedonian Theme (nowSidirokastro,Greece) |
| Died | Summer 1142 (aged 36) Attaleia,Pamphylia (nowAntalya,Turkey) |
| Spouse | Eupraxia-Dobrodjeja of Kiev Eirene-Kata of Georgia |
| Issue | Maria Komnene |
| Dynasty | Komnenos |
| Father | John II Komnenos |
| Mother | Irene of Hungary |
Alexios Komnenos,latinised asAlexius Comnenus (Greek:Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός; October 1106 – summer 1142), and sometimes calledAlexios the Younger,[1] was the eldest son of theByzantine emperorJohn II Komnenos and his wifeEirene of Hungary. He was crowned co-emperor in 1119, at 13 years of age, but predeceased his father in 1142. He was an elder brother of the emperorManuel I Komnenos, and had a twin sister, Maria Komnene (plus other siblings).
Alexios was born atBalabista (todaySidirokastro) inMacedonia (Greece).[3] His exact birthday is not recorded, but it was shortly before the feast ofDemetrius of Thessaloniki on 26 October 1106.[4] He was crowned co-emperor by his father in 1119, between 12 July and 7 October (historians often date his coronation to 1122, but this is a mistake).[5] He died of a sudden disease in summer 1142, only one year before his father's death as the result of a hunting accident.[6] The reign of John II is less well chronicled than those of his father,Alexios I, or successor, Manuel I, and coverage of the life of his son Alexios is very sparse.
Apanegyrical poem byTheodore Prodromos was addressed to John and his son on the occasion of the coronation of Alexios. It hailed both rulers as "kings born of kings and emperors, reformers of old customs and privileges, with whom the august throne and sceptre-bearing are a paternal acquisition, a matter of inheritance."[7]
His final illness is described: "...of the severest kind and of short duration, took the form of a rushing fever attacking the head as though it were an acropolis."[8] The location of Alexios' death, at Attalia, suggests that he was on campaign with his father, who had established this city as a base from which to pacify the inland areas around Lake Pousgousē (probably the modernBeyşehir Gölü).[8] Alexios' younger brotherAndronikos was charged with escorting the body back to Constantinople, however, while discharging this duty, he too was taken ill and died.[9]
It is possible that Alexios married twice, the first wife beingDobrodjeja Mstislavna of Kiev, a daughter ofMstislav I of Kiev, and the second beingKata of Georgia, a daughter ofDavid IV of Georgia. While both women are known to have married members of theKomnenoi, several theories have been suggested as to the identities of their husband or husbands.[6]
His daughter, Maria Komnene, married thepansebastosAlexios Axouch. He was the son ofJohn Axouch, themegas domestikos (commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army), who was a close friend of John II.[10] Alexios Axuch served as Duke ofCilicia andprotostrator. However, he eventually fell out of favor withManuel I Komnenos in 1167.John Kinnamos andNiketas Choniates report that the accusations against him included the practice ofwitchcraft. He and an unnamed "Latinwizard" were accused of causing the pregnancy ofMaria of Antioch, the Empress consort, to result in amiscarriage. They supposedly managed to do so by providingdrugs to Maria.[11] Maria Komnene, "wife of Alexios theprotostrator" was mentioned in a seal. According to theDictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza, this Maria was suffering frominsanity by the end of her life.[12]
They were the parents ofJohn Komnenos "the Fat", a short-lived rival emperor toAlexios III Angelos.Theodora Axuchina, wife ofAlexios I of Trebizond, is considered a possible daughter of John the Fat.[13]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}:|website= ignored (help)Alexios Komnenos (co-emperor) Komnenos dynasty Born: 1106 Died: 1142 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Byzantine Emperor 1129–1142 With: John II Komnenos | Succeeded by |
