Constantine Aspietes ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Ἀσπιέτης, ) 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 ...

general active in the late 12th century. A member of the Aspietes family, of noble

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

origin, Constantine was probably a close relative of his contemporary Michael Aspietes, a distinguished general killed in 1176. Like his relative, Constantine too had earned distinction during

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...

' campaign against the

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

in 1167. The historian John Kinnamos records that he held the rank of '' sebastos''. He is next recorded as being active in 1190/1, during the Byzantine efforts to suppress the

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

– Vlach

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen. The historian

Niketas Choniates Niketas or Nicetas Choniates ( el, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης; c. 1155 – 1217), whose actual surname was Akominatos (Ἀκομινάτος), was a Byzantine Greek government official and historian – like his brother Michael Akominatos, wh ...

records that, in an effort to sustain the troops and bolster their morale, Aspietes decided to distribute to them their delayed annual salaries. This act, however, enraged Emperor Isaac II Angelos, who saw in it almost an attempt to bribe the army to support Aspietes in overthrowing him. The emperor had Aspietes arrested and blinded, after which nothing further is known of him. He possibly died in the early years of the 13th century.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aspietes, Constantine 12th-century births 13th-century deaths 12th-century Byzantine people

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...

Byzantine generals Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars Generals of Manuel I Komnenos Sebastoi