Alexios Raoul ( el, ; died c. 1258) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

aristocrat and general of the Empire of Nicaea. He attained the rank of ''

protovestiarios ''Protovestiarios'' ( el, πρωτοβεστιάριος, "first ''vestiarios''") was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs. In the late Byzantine period (12th–15th centuries), it denoted the Empire's senior-most fina ...

'' during the reign of Emperor John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254).

Biography

Alexios Raoul was the scion of a wealthy aristocratic family with large landholdings around

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

, and possibly the son of the ''

sebastos ( grc-gre, σεβαστός, sebastós, venerable one, Augustus, ; plural , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th-ce ...

'' Constantine Raoul, who had played a role in the usurpation of Alexios III Angelos (r. 1195–1203). He became the son-in-law of Emperor John III Vatatzes (r. 1221–1254), having married a niece of his... Alexios and Vatatzes's niece together had four sons, three of whom are known by name,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, Manuel and Isaac, and one daughter. Under Vatatzes, Alexios was raised to the rank of ''

'', and was given command of troops in Macedonia. In 1242, he accompanied the emperor in his campaign against the ruler of

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...

John Komnenos Doukas John Komnenos Doukas ( el, Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας, ''Iōannēs Komnēnos Doúkas''), Latinized as Comnenus Ducas, was ruler of Thessalonica from 1237 until his death in 1244. John was the eldest son of Theodore Komnenos Do ...

(r. 1237–1244).. He appears again in 1252, during Vatatzes's wars against the

Despot of Epirus The despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical ...

Michael II Komnenos Doukas Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Latinized as Comnenus Ducas ( el, Μιχαήλ Β΄ Κομνηνός Δούκας, ''Mikhaēl II Komnēnos Doukas''), often called Michael Angelos in narrative sources, was from 1230 until his death in 1266/68 the rule ...

(r. 1230–1268). After the conclusion of a peace treaty, Alexios apparently remained in Europe along with the future emperor Michael Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282) at Vodena, guarding the approaches to Thessalonica. As a member of the traditional aristocracy, he and his family suffered under

Theodore II Laskaris Theodore II Doukas Laskaris or Ducas Lascaris ( gr, Θεόδωρος Δούκας Λάσκαρις, Theodōros Doukas Laskaris; 1221/1222 – 16 August 1258) was Emperor of Nicaea from 1254 to 1258. He was the only child of Emperor John II ...

(r. 1254–1258). Theodore sought to reduce the nobility's power and influence, and favoured men of humble origin, whom he appointed to the highest state offices. In 1255, the emperor stripped him of his title and awarded it to his low-born protégé,

George Mouzalon George Mouzalon ( el, Γεώργιος Μουζάλων, Geōrgios Mouzalōn; – 25 August 1258) was a high official of the Empire of Nicaea under Theodore II Laskaris (). Of humble origin, he became Theodore's companion in childhood and was ...

. Furthermore, Theodore married one of Raoul's daughters to George's brother Andronikos Mouzalon, an act regarded as insulting, given the groom's origin. In addition, Theodore II imprisoned Alexios's sons (the exact date is not clear). Consequently, the family actively supported the murder of the Mouzalon brothers in 1258, following Theodore II's death, and the subsequent usurpation of

Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...

(r. 1259–1282)..

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raoul, Alexios 1250s deaths 13th-century Byzantine people Byzantine generals People of the Empire of Nicaea

Alexios Alexius is the Latinized form of the given name Alexios ( el, Αλέξιος, polytonic , "defender", cf. Alexander), especially common in the later Byzantine Empire. The female form is Alexia ( el, Αλεξία) and its variants such as Alessia ...

Year of birth unknown Protovestiarioi