Maria Komnene (Greek:Μαρία Κομνηνή; 19 September 1085 – after 1136) was the second daughter of theByzantine emperorAlexios I Komnenos. She was initially betrothed toGregory Gabras, but married toNikephoros Katakalon.

Maria Komnene was born on Friday, 19 September 1085, as the second daughter and second child of theByzantine emperorAlexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) and EmpressIrene Doukaina.^[1][2] As the daughter of a reigning emperor, she bore the title ofporphyrogennete ("purpleborn").^[3]

In 1094 she was betrothed toGregory Gabras, the son of thedoux ofChaldiaTheodore Gabras.^[2] After Gregory tried to escape the palace and flee to his father, he was placed under arrest, and the betrothal was annulled.^[1][4]

Eventually, inc. 1099/1100 Maria marriedNikephoros Katakalon, the son ofConstantine Euphorbenos Katakalon, one of Alexios' most prominent and trusted generals.^[1][5][6] On the occasion, Nikephoros Katakalon was given the title ofpanhypersebastos.^[7][8] Along with her mother and her sisters, Maria attended her dying father in 1118.^[1]

Her husband died young, sometime between 1118 and 1130.^[9] Maria and Nikephoros had a number of children, but only two sons,Alexios Komnenos andAndronikos, are known by name, having held senior positions later in the century.^[5][7][10] Another son, John, is known only by his commemoration in thetypikon of theMonastery of Christ Philanthropos.^[11]

The couple also had an unknown number of daughters (at least three according to Varzos), as their existence is mentioned in thetypikon of theKecharitomene Monastery.^[7][12] This convent was founded by Irene Doukaina, who had originally decreed that her younger daughterEudokia should succeed her as patroness; after Eudokia died (c. 1130), Irene chose her oldest daughter, the scholar,physician,hospital administrator, and historianAnna Komnene instead, with Maria after her.^[13][12] The date of Maria's death is unknown, except that it occurred after 1136, when the deceased members of the imperial family were listed in thetypikon of thePantokrator Monastery.^[14]

In herAlexiad, her older sister Anna Komnene speaks with great affection and praise for her virtue, especially for her actions during their father's final days.^[14][15]

• Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
• Kouroupou, Matoula; Vannier, Jean-François (2005)."Commémoraisons des Comnènes dans le typikon liturgique du monastère du Christ Philanthrope (ms. Panaghia Kamariotissa 29)" [Commemorations of the Komnenoi in the liturgical typikon of the Monastery of Christ Philanthropos (ms. Panaghia Kamariotissa 29)].Revue des études byzantines (in French).63:41–69.doi:10.3406/rebyz.2005.2305.
• Skoulatos, Basile (1980).Les personnages byzantins de l'Alexiade: Analyse prosopographique et synthèse [The Byzantine Personalities of the Alexiad: Prosopographical Analysis and Synthesis] (in French). Louvain-la-Neuve and Louvain: Bureau du Recueil Collège Érasme and Éditions Nauwelaerts.OCLC 8468871.
• Varzos, Konstantinos (1984).Η Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών [The Genealogy of the Komnenoi](PDF) (in Greek). Vol. A. Thessaloniki:Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Thessaloniki.OCLC 834784634.

• 1085 births
• 12th-century deaths
• Daughters of Byzantine emperors
• 11th-century Byzantine women
• 12th-century Byzantine women
• Komnenos dynasty
• Porphyrogennetoi

• Articles containing Greek-language text
• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• CS1 Greek-language sources (el)
• Year of death unknown