TheAlamanikon (Greek:Ἀλαμανικόν), or “German tax”, was a tax levied by theByzantine emperor,Alexios III, in 1197 in order to pay theHoly Roman Emperor,Henry VI, a tribute of 1,600 pounds of gold.
Henry had originally demanded 5,000 pounds from Alexios after Alexios usurped the throne from Alexios's brotherIsaac II in 1195. Henry, after his conquest of theKingdom of Sicily, had taken custody of Isaac's daughter,Irene Angelina, widow ofRoger III of Sicily. He proceeded to marry her to his younger brotherPhilip,Duke of Swabia, and proclaim himself the defender of his brother's rights in Byzantium through his wife. He threatened to invade Alexios's empire unless he received tribute.[1]
In order to get support for taxingConstantinople, Alexios called a meeting of theSenate, the clergy (mostly drawn from the bureaucratic class) and the members of the trade guilds (the professional class).[2][3] He proposed a property assessment of the assembled classes, but they rejected it as being contrary to custom.[2] The assembly became riotous, accusing Alexios of wasting public money and imposing his incompetent relations, including men who had beenblinded, as governors of the provinces.[2][4] After abandoning the planned tax, Alexios tried to collect those gold and silver objects of the churches' that were not used in services.[2] The clergy continued to resist, this being the only time in Alexios's reign that they opposed him.[3] Alexios finally abandoned the idea of a tax on the capital and took the gold and silver from thetombs of his predecessors. Only that ofConstantine the Great was spared.[2][5]
Although the capital had exempted itself, theAlamanikon continued to be collected in the provinces.[6] The total collection came to 7,000 pounds of silver and some gold, but because of the death of Henry VI on 28 September 1197 the tribute was never sent.[2] Although later chroniclers, such asNiketas Choniates, claimed thatHenry's crusade was actually intended to subjugate Byzantium, there is no contemporary evidence to suggest this.[5]