| Constantine Doukas | |
|---|---|
| Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans | |
_on_the_Holy_Crown.jpg) Cloisonné engraving of Constantine Doukas from theHoly Crown of Hungary | |
| Byzantine emperor | |
| Reign | c. 1074–1078 |
| Predecessor | Michael VII Doukas |
| Successor | Nikephoros III Botaneiates |
| Co-emperors | Michael VII (1071–1078) Konstantios (1071–1078) Andronikos (1068–1070s) |
| 2nd reign | 1081–1087 |
| Predecessor | Nikephoros III Botaneiates |
| Successor | Alexios I Komnenos |
| Born | c. 1074 |
| Died | 12 August 1094 (aged about 20) |
| Spouse | Anna Komnene |
| Dynasty | Doukas |
| Father | Michael VII Doukas |
| Mother | Maria of Alania |
Constantine Doukas orDucas (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Δούκας,romanized: Kōnstantīnos Doúkās;c. 1074 – 12 August 1094) wasByzantine junior emperor from 1074 to 1078, and again from 1081 to 1087. He was born to EmperorMichael VII Doukas and EmpressMaria of Alania in about 1074, and elevated to junior emperor probably in the same year. He was junior emperor until 1078, when Michael VII was replaced byNikephoros III Botaneiates. Because Constantine was not made junior emperor under Nikephoros III, his betrothal toOlympias, the daughter ofRobert Guiscard, was broken, which Robert Guiscard used as a pretext to invade theByzantine Empire.John Doukas forced Nikephoros to abdicate in favor ofAlexios I Komnenos in 1081, and shortly afterwards Alexios elevated Constantine to junior emperor. Constantine married Alexios's daughterAnna Komnene, and remained junior emperor until 1087, when Alexios had a son,John II Komnenos. Constantine died inc. 1095.
Constantine Doukas was born in about 1074 to Byzantine EmperorMichael VII and his wifeMaria of Alania, as aporphyrogennetos, meaning he was born during his father's reign.[1][2] Constantine wascrowned co-emperor by his father shortly after his birth, and was betrothed toOlympias, the daughter ofRobert Guiscard, the Norman duke of Apulia. This arrangement was cancelled after Michael abdicated in 1078, whereupon Maria and Constantine retired to theMonastery of Petrion.[3][4] Maria marriedNikephoros III Botaneiates, who seized power after Michael's abdication, at the urging of Michael's uncleJohn Doukas, but was unable to convince him to elevate Constantine to junior emperor, thereby breaking the betrothal.[5][6][7] Robert Guiscard thereforelaunched an invasion of theByzantine Empire, using the broken betrothal as apretext.[8]
In order to combat this invasion,Alexios I Komnenos was given a large force to repel the Norman army led by Guiscard. John Doukas, who had previously urged Nikephoros to seize power, conspired against Nikephoros, intending to overthrow him and replace him with Alexios.[9] Nikephoros, unable to form an alliance with either theSeljuks orNikephoros Melissenos, was forced to abdicate to Alexios in 1081.[10] After Alexios ascended the throne in 1081, he elevated Constantine to junior emperor,[11] and betrothed his daughterAnna Komnene to him in 1083, shortly after her birth.[12] However, he was replaced as junior emperor and favored heir by Alexios' son,John II Komnenos, in 1087, shortly after his birth to Alexios andIrene Doukaina.[11] Constantine died on 12 August 1094.[13]
Constantine Doukas is thought to be engraved on theHoly Crown of Hungary, which was given to Hungarian KingGéza I of Hungary by Constantine's father Michael VII, depicted alongside King Geza I and Michael VII;[14] although the figure may actually beKonstantios Doukas.[15]
{{cite book}}:|website= ignored (help)Constantine Doukas (co-emperor) Doukid dynasty Born: 1074 Died: 1095 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Byzantine emperor 1074–1078 withMichael VII Doukas 1071–1078 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Byzantine emperor 1081–1088 withAlexios I Komnenos 1081–1118 | Succeeded by |