| Andronikos Komnenos | |
|---|---|
| Sebastokrator of theByzantine Empire | |
| Born | 18 September 1091 Constantinople (modern-dayIstanbul,Turkey) |
| Died | 1130/31 Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) |
| House | Komnenos |
| Father | Alexios I Komnenos |
| Mother | Irene Doukaina |
Andronikos Komnenos (Greek:Ἀνδρόνικος Κομνηνός; 18 September 1091 – 1130/31) was aByzantine prince and military commander. The second-born son of EmperorAlexios I Komnenos, he was namedsebastokrator and participated in theBattle of Philomelion against theSeljuk Turks. He opposed the succession of his older brotherJohn II Komnenos to the throne in 1118, but was allowed to remain at court, and served in at least two of John II's campaigns in the Balkans. He died of an illness in 1130/31. His wife and offspring are relatively obscure, and may have died early.
Andronikos Komnenos was the fourth child and second son of theByzantine emperorAlexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) and EmpressIrene Doukaina, and was named after his maternalgrandfather.[1][2] As his parents were reigning at the time of his birth, he was accorded the appellationporphyrogennetos.[3] The commonly accepted date of his birth is that given by theCodex Mosquensis 53/147 manuscript, 18 September 1091,[1][2] but according to Skoulatos, the narrative of theAlexiad, written by his oldest sisterAnna Komnene, seems to indicate that in 1116 he was still an adolescent, which would put his birth around the year 1099/1100.[2]
Following the death of his uncleIsaac Komnenos sometime in 1102–04, he succeeded him to the high title ofsebastokrator.[1] According toZonaras, this followed his marriage, which occurred after he came of age.[2] In 1116, Andronikos commanded the left wing of his father's army at theBattle of Philomelion against theSeljuk Turks. During the battle he led a daring pursuit of the Turks, capturing the tent of theSultan of Iconium,Malikshah.[4] In theAlexiad this feat is accompanied with Andronikos'epitaph, which has led several scholars to erroneously claim that he was killed during the battle.[5][6]
When Alexios lay dying in August 1118, due to his close relationship with his sister, Andronikos sided with Anna and his mother, who schemed to place Anna's husband,Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger, on the throne, rather than his older brother,John II Komnenos. Nevertheless, John pardoned him and allowed him to remain at court.[7][8] In 1122, he again led troops in his brother's campaign against thePechenegs. According to amonody byMichael Italikos, he was crucial in turning the tide of the battle and securing a victory for the Byzantines, by rallying the retreating troops, and even threatening the army's standard-bearer with immediate execution if he did not stand his ground.[7][9] According to another monody byTheodore Prodromos, he also participated in John II'svictorious expedition againstStephen II of Hungary in 1129.[7][9]
He died following a long illness inAsia Minor in 1130 or 1131. His mother and Nikephoros Bryennios escorted his body toConstantinople. During the crossing of theBosporus, the ship carrying the body and its entourage was nearly sunk by a sudden storm, but arrived safely in the capital. Following an elaborate public funeral, he was probably buried in theMonastery of Christ Philanthropos, alongside his father.[10] Michael Italikos and Theodore Prodromos each wrote a monody in his honour, and Prodromos also wrote another long poem to console his mother Irene Doukaina.[9] His close relationship with his sister and mother has ensured a very favourable treatment of Andronikos in both theAlexiad and in the works of the two court poets, who belonged to the Empress-mother's court circle.[11][12]
His wife Irene, in all likelihood a Slavic princess, was possibly the daughter ofVolodar of Peremyshl, whom thePrimary Chronicle indicates as being the subject of marriage negotiations between Alexios and Volodar in 1104.[13] She had an exceptional beauty according to the court poetTheodore Prodromos.[14] She was also a patron of the arts, and she commissioned theSynopsis Chronike ofConstantine Manasses.[15] Varzos dated her death to around 1122,[14] but modern scholars now date her death to 1153.[15] The couple had one known child, Alexios, who died in childhood shortly before his mother, around 1120.[16][17]
It is possible that Andronikos remarried, as a poem fromCodex marcianus 524 records asebastokrator Andronikos and his wife, thesebastokratorissa Anna, but the two Andronikoi are most likely distinct persons.[16] Andronikos is also reported as the father of another son, John Doukas, who is mentioned only in a list of participants for a Churchsynod on 6 March 1166.[16][18] He is also recorded as having a daughter Maria,[16] and possibly a second daughter Anna.[19] If their mother was Irene, the absence of both daughters from the monodies may possibly be due to either the poets' emphasizing male descent, or to their death in early infancy.[16]
| Preceded by | Sebastokrator of theByzantine Empire c. 1105–1130/31 With:Isaac Komnenos (from 1118), Andronikos Komnenos (from 1122), Isaac Komnenos (from 1122), Manuel Komnenos (from 1122) | Succeeded by |
