Irene Palaiologina (died after 1356) was the empress consort of
Matthew Kantakouzenos
Matthew Asen Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus (Greek: Ματθαῖος Ἀσάνης Καντακουζηνός, ''Matthaios Asanēs Kantakouzēnos'', c. 1325 – 1383 or 1391) was Byzantine Emperor from 1353 to 1357 and later Despot of the Morea fr ...
.
Family
Irene was a daughter of ''
despotēs''
Demetrios Palaiologos
Demetrios Palaiologos or Demetrius Palaeologus ( el, Δημήτριος Παλαιολόγος, Dēmētrios Palaiologos; 1407–1470) was Despot of the Morea together with his brother Thomas from 1449 until the fall of the despotate in 1460. Deme ...
and his wife, possibly Theodora Komnene. Irene's paternal grandparents were
Andronikos II Palaiologos and his second wife
Irene of Montferrat
Yolande of Montferrat ( – 1317 in Constantinople) (also known as Violante, then Empress Irene) was the second wife of Andronikos II Palaiologos and thus Empress of the Byzantine Empire. She was the heir of the Margraviate of Montferrat.
Born i ...
. The paternal uncles of Irene included
Michael IX Palaiologos
, image = 154 - Michael IX Palaiologos (Mutinensis - color).png
, caption = 15th-century portrait of Michael IX (from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the ''Extracts of History'' by Joannes Zonaras)
, succession ...
and
Theodore I, Marquess of Montferrat
Theodore I Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Θεόδωρος Παλαιολόγος, full name: ''Theodoros Komnenos Doukas Angelos Palaiologos'') ( – 24 April 1338) was Marquis of Montferrat from 1306 until his death.
Life
He was a son of E ...
. Her maternal aunt was possibly
Simonida
Simonida Nemanjić ( sr-cyr, Симонида Немањић; c. 1294 – after 1336), born Simonis Palaiologina ( el, Σιμωνίς Παλαιολογίνα, sr. Симонида Палеолог, ''Simonida Paleolog''), was a Byzantine princes ...
.
Empress
On 26 October 1341, her father-in-law John VI was crowned emperor at
Didymoteicho
Didymoteicho ( el, Διδυμότειχο, Didymóteicho ) is a city located on the eastern edge of the Evros regional unit of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, in northeastern Greece. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town ...
. His rival
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, ''Iōánnēs Palaiológos''; 18 June 1332 – 16 February 1391) was Byzantine emperor from 1341 to 1391, with interruptions.
Biography
John V was the son of E ...
reigned from Constantinople. The
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
between them lasted until 1347. On 3 February 1347, the two sides reached an agreement. John VI was accepted as senior emperor with John V as his junior co-ruler.
On 15 April 1353, Matthew was declared co-emperor and the conflict between John V and John VI restarted over what was seen as an attempt of John VI to secure his succession. Irene became thus the third Empress consort along with her mother-in-law Irene Asanina (wife of John VI) and sister-in-law
Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene ( el, Ἑλένη Καντακουζηνή; 1333 – 10 December 1396) was the Empress consort of John V Palaiologos in the Byzantine Empire.
Life
She was a daughter of John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina; Donald Nico ...
(wife of John V).
On 4 December 1354, John VI abdicated and he and Asanina retired to separate monasteries while John V secured control of Constantinople. Matthew was able to keep his title and part of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
as his own dominion. On February, 1356, he and Irene were captured by
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n forces and remained in captivity until delivered to John V in December, 1357. Matthew was forced to abdicate and Irene ceased being considered an Empress. The date of her death was not recorded.
Marriage
The ''History'' of
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under An ...
records the marriage of Irene to Matthew Kantakouzenos in 1340.
The couple had at least five children:
*
John Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under And ...
(c. 1342 – after 1361), ''despotēs''.
*
Demetrios I Kantakouzenos Demetrios I Kantakouzenos ( el, Δημήτριος Καντακουζηνός; 1343 – 1384) was a governor of the Morea and the grandson of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. Demetrios was the son of Matthew Kantakouzenos, governor of Morea, and I ...
(c. 1343 – 1383), ''
sebastokratōr
''Sebastokrator'' ( grc-byz, Σεβαστοκράτωρ, Sevastokrátor, August Ruler, ; bg, севастократор, sevastokrator; sh, sebastokrator), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers wh ...
''. Briefly ruled the
Despotate of Morea
The Despotate of the Morea ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μορέως) or Despotate of Mystras ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μυστρᾶ) was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centu ...
.
*Theodora Kantakouzene. Eldest daughter. The ''History'' records her being educated by her paternal grandmother Irene Asanina, under the monastic name Eugenia. Presumed to have become a nun herself.
*
Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene ( el, Ἑλένη Καντακουζηνή; 1333 – 10 December 1396) was the Empress consort of John V Palaiologos in the Byzantine Empire.
Life
She was a daughter of John VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina; Donald Nico ...
. Married Count
Luis Fadrique of
Salona
Salona ( grc, Σάλωνα) was an ancient city and the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Salona is located in the modern town of Solin, next to Split, in Croatia.
Salona was founded in the 3rd century BC and was mostly destroyed in t ...
, a descendant of
Alfonso Fadrique
Don Alfonso Fadrique ( en, Alfonso Frederick; ca, N'Anfós Frederic d'Aragó; died 1338) was the eldest and illegitimate son of Frederick II of Sicily. He served as vicar generalHe is referred to with the magniloquent title ''magnificus dominus, ...
. She served as the
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of Salona from 1382 to 1394.
*Maria Kantakouzene. Married
John Laskaris Kalopheros, a man of senatorial rank from the
Kingdom of Cyprus
The Kingdom of Cyprus (french: Royaume de Chypre, la, Regnum Cypri) was a state that existed between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan. It comprised not only the island of Cyprus, but it also had a foothold on the Anat ...
.
* (possibly)
Theodore Kantakouzenos Theodore Palaiologos Kantakouzenos ( el, Θεόδωρος Παλαιολόγος Καντακουζηνός, Theodoros Palaiologos Kantakouzenos; after 1361 – 1410) was a Byzantine nobleman and probable close relation to the Emperor John VI Kantak ...
(after 1361 – 1410), ambassador to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
.
[Donald M. Nicol, ''The Byzantine Family of Kantakouzenos: Some Addenda and Corrigenda, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 27'' (1973), p. 312-3]
References
Sources
*
External links
Her listing in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palaiologina, Irene
14th-century births
14th-century deaths
14th-century Byzantine empresses
Irene
Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace".
Irene, and related names, may refer to:
* Irene (given name)
Places
* Irene, Gauteng, South Africa
* Irene, South Dakota, United States
* Irene, Texas, United Stat ...