Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Μανουὴλ Παλαιολόγος, Manouēl Palaiológos; 27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425) was
Byzantine emperor
This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Byzantine Empire, Eastern Roman Empire, to Fall of Constantinople, its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. On ...
from 1391 to 1425. Shortly before his death he was
tonsure
Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice i ...
d a monk and received the name ''Matthew''. His wife
Helena Dragaš
Helena Dragaš ( sr, Јелена Драгаш, ''Jelena Dragaš'', el, , ''Helénē Dragásē''; c. 1372 – 23 March 1450) was the empress consort of Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and mother of the last two emperors, John VIII ...
saw to it that their sons,
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, Iōánnēs Palaiológos; 18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448) was the penultimate Byzantine emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.
Biography
John VIII was ...
and
Constantine XI Palaiologos, became emperors. He is commemorated by the
Greek Orthodox Church
The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...
on
July 21
Events Pre-1600
* 356 BC – The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is destroyed by arson.
* 230 – Pope Pontian succeeds Urban I as the eighteenth pope. After being exiled to Sardinia, he became t ...
.
Life
![Palaeologoi eagle XV c Byzantine miniature](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Palaeologoi_eagle_XV_c_Byzantine_miniature.jpg)
Manuel II Palaiologos was the second son of Emperor
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 ...
and his wife
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 ...
. Granted the title of ''
despotēs'' by his father, the future Manuel II traveled west to seek support for the
Byzantine Empire
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 ...
in 1365 and in 1370, serving as governor in
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 ...
from 1369. The failed attempt at usurpation by his older brother
Andronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos or Andronicus IV Palaeologus ( gr, Ἀνδρόνικος Παλαιολόγος; 11 April 1348 – 25/28 June 1385) was the eldest son of Emperor John V Palaiologos. Appointed co-emperor since 1352, he had a troubled rel ...
in 1373 led to Manuel's being proclaimed heir and co-emperor of his father. In 1376–1379 and again in 1390, they were
supplanted by Andronikos IV and then his son
John VII, but Manuel personally defeated his nephew with help from the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
in 1390. Although John V had been restored, Manuel was forced to go as an honorary hostage to the court of the
Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
at Prousa (
Bursa). During his stay, Manuel was forced to participate in the Ottoman campaign that
reduced Philadelpheia, the last Byzantine enclave in
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...
.
Siege of Constantinople and letters to European courts
Having heard of his father's death in February 1391, Manuel II Palaiologos fled the Ottoman court and secured the capital against any potential claim by his nephew John VII. Following Manuel's coronation the Ottoman Sultan was initially content to leave Byzantium in comparative peace. However, in 1393 a large insurrection erupted in Bulgaria which, although successfully put down put down by the Ottomans, caused Bayezid to lapse into an episode of paranoia in which he believed his various Christian vassals were plotting against him. Bayezid called all his Christian vassals to a meeting at
Serres
Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...
, with the intention massacring them, a decision he relented on only at the last moment. The episode is said to have left all of the Christian vassal rulers shaken and convinced Manuel that continued appeasement towards the Ottomans was not a guarantee of his own personal safety or the continued survival of the empire and that efforts must be made to obtain Western aid.
Sultan Bayezid I
blockaded Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
from 1394 to 1402. In the meantime, an anti-Ottoman crusade led by the
Hungarian King
Sigismund of Luxemburg
Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was a monarch as King of Hungary and Croatia ('' jure uxoris'') from 1387, King of Germany from 1410, King of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his deat ...
failed at the
Battle of Nicopolis on 25 September 1396. Manuel II had sent 10 ships to help in that Crusade. In October 1397,
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 ...
, Manuel's uncle, alongside John of Natala arrived at the court of
Charles VI of France
Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...
, bearing the Emperor's letters (dated 1 July 1397) requesting the French king's military aid. In addition, Charles also provided funds for the two nobles to treat with King
Richard II of England in April 1398, with the aim of soliciting further aid. Though the latter was preoccupied by domestic troubles at this point to provide any support.
However, the two nobles returned home with the
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...
Jean II Le Maingre
Jean II Le Maingre (Old French: Jehan le Meingre), also known as Boucicaut (28 August 1366 – 21 June 1421), was a French knight and military leader. Renowned for his military skill and embodiment of chivalry, he was made a marshal of France.
...
who was sent from
Aigues-Mortes
Aigues-Mortes (; oc, Aigas Mòrtas) is a commune in the Gard department in the Occitania region of southern France. The medieval city walls surrounding the city are well preserved. Situated on the junction of the Canal du Rhône à Sète a ...
with six ships carrying 1,200 men to assist Manuel II. The Marshal encouraged the latter to go personally to seek assistance against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
from the courts of western Europe. After some five years of siege, Manuel II entrusted the city to his nephew, aided by a French garrison of 300 men led by Seigneur
Jean de Châteaumorand and embarked (along with a suite of 40 people) on a long trip abroad along with the Marshal.
Emperor's trip to Europe
On 10 December 1399, Manuel II sailed to the
Morea
The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottom ...
, where he left his wife and children with his brother
Theodore I Palaiologos
Theodore I Palaiologos (or Palaeologus) ( el, Θεόδωρος Α΄ Παλαιολόγος, translit=Theodōros I Palaiologos) (c. 1355 – 24 June 1407) was despot (''despotēs'') in the Morea from 1383 until his death on 24 June 1407. A son of Em ...
to be protected from his nephew's intentions. He later landed in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
in April 1400, then he went to
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
,
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
and
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the cap ...
, until he reached
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, where he met Duke
Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and his close friend
Manuel Chrysoloras
Manuel (or Emmanuel) Chrysoloras ( el, Μανουὴλ Χρυσολωρᾶς; c. 1350 – 15 April 1415) was a Byzantine Greek classical scholar, humanist, philosopher, professor, and translator of ancient Greek texts during the Renaissance. Se ...
. Afterwards, he met Charles VI of France at
Charenton on 3 June 1400. During his stay in France, Manuel II continued to contact European monarchs.
According to
Michel Pintoin
Michel Pintoin (c. 1350 – c. 1421), commonly known as the Monk of Saint-Denis or Religieux de Saint-Denis was a French monk, cantor, and chronicle writer best known for his history of the reign of Charles VI of France.Curry, 100 Anonymous for ...
who chronicled the visit to Paris:
![Manuel II Palaiologos with Henry IV of England](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Manuel_II_Palaiologos_with_Henry_IV_of_England.png)
In December 1400, he embarked to England to meet
Henry IV of England who received him at
Blackheath on the 21st of that month, making him the only Byzantine emperor ever to visit England, where he stayed at
Eltham Palace until mid-February 1401, and a
joust
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponen ...
took place in his honour. In addition, he received
£2,000, in which he acknowledged receipt of the funds in a Latin document and sealed it with his own
golden bull
A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, most notably by the Holy Roman Emperors. The term was originally coined for the golden seal (a ''bull ...
.
Thomas Walsingham wrote about Manuel II's visit to England:
Moreover,
Adam of Usk
Adam of Usk ( cy, Adda o Frynbuga, c. 1352–1430) was a Welsh priest, canonist, and late medieval historian and chronicler. His writings were hostile to King Richard II of England.
Patronage
Born at Usk in what is now Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy) ...
reported:
However, Manuel II sent a letter to his friend Manuel Chrysoloras, describing his visit to England:
Manuel II later returned to France with high hopes of substantial help and funds for Constantinople. In the meantime, he sent delegations with
relics
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...
including pieces of the
tunic
A tunic is a garment for the body, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the knees. The name derives from the Latin ''tunica'', the basic garment worn by both men and women in Ancient Rome ...
of Christ and a piece of the
Holy Sponge
The Holy Sponge is one of the Instruments of the Passion of Jesus. It was dipped in vinegar (; in some translations sour wine), most likely posca, a regular beverage of Roman soldiers, and offered to Jesus to drink from during the Crucifixion, ac ...
to
Pope Boniface IX
Pope Boniface IX ( la, Bonifatius IX; it, Bonifacio IX; c. 1350 – 1 October 1404, born Pietro Tomacelli) was head of the Catholic Church from 2 November 1389 to his death in October 1404. He was the second Roman pope of the Western Schism.Rich ...
and
Antipope Benedict XIII
Pedro Martínez de Luna y Pérez de Gotor (25 November 1328 – 23 May 1423), known as in Spanish and Pope Luna in English, was an Aragonese nobleman who, as Benedict XIII, is considered an antipope (see Western Schism) by the Catholic Church ...
, Queen
Margaret I of Denmark, king
Martin of Aragon
Martin the Humane (29 July 1356 – 31 May 1410), also called the Elder and the Ecclesiastic, was King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia and Corsica and Count of Barcelona from 1396 and King of Sicily from 1409 (as Martin II). He failed to secure ...
and king
Charles III of Navarre
Charles III (1361 – 8 September 1425), called the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1387 to his death and Count of Évreux from 1387 to 1404, when he exchanged it for the title Duke of Nemours. He spent his reign improving the infrastructure of ...
to seek further assistance. He eventually left France on 23 November 1402, and finally returned to Constantinople in June 1403.
Renewed Ottoman sieges
The Ottomans were themselves crushingly defeated by
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
at the
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Angora was fought on 20 July 1402 at the Çubuk plain near Ankara, between the forces of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and the Emir of the Timurid Empire, Timur. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to the ...
in 1402. As the sons of Bayezid I struggled with each other over the succession in the
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum, or the Ottoman Civil War ( 20 July 1402 – 5 July 1413; tr, Fetret Devri, , Interregnum Period), was a civil war in the Ottoman Empire between the sons of Sultan Bayezid I following the defeat of their father at the ...
, John VII was able to secure the return of the European coast of the
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara,; grc, Προποντίς, Προποντίδα, Propontís, Propontída also known as the Marmara Sea, is an inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey. It connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via t ...
and of Thessalonica to the Byzantine Empire in the
Treaty of Gallipoli
The Treaty of Gallipoli, concluded in January or early February 1403, was a peace treaty between Süleyman Çelebi, ruler of the Ottoman territories in the Balkans, and the main Christian regional powers: the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Ve ...
. When Manuel II returned home in 1403, his nephew duly surrendered control of Constantinople and received as a reward the governorship of newly recovered Thessalonica. The treaty also regained from the Ottomans Mesembria (1403–1453),
Varna
Varna may refer to:
Places Europe
*Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria
**Varna Province
**Varna Municipality
** Gulf of Varna
**Lake Varna
**Varna Necropolis
*Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy
*Varniai, a city in Lithuania
* Varna (Šaba ...
(1403–1415), and the Marmara coast from
Scutari to
Nicomedia
Nicomedia (; el, Νικομήδεια, ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocleti ...
(between 1403–1421).
![Manuel II - half stavraton - sb2551](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Manuel_II_-_half_stavraton_-_sb2551.jpg)
However, Manuel II kept contact with Venice, Genoa, Paris and Aragon, by sending envoy Manuel Chrysoloras in 1407–8, pursuing to form a coalition against the Ottomans.
On 25 July 1414, with a fleet consisting of four galleys and two other vessels carrying contingents of infantry and cavalry, departed Constantinople for Thessalonica. The purpose of this force soon became clear when he made an unannounced stop at
Thasos
Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area.
The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate r ...
, a normally unimportant island which was then under threat from a son of the lord of Lesbos, Francesco Gattilusio. It took Manuel three months to reassert imperial authority on the island. Only then did he continue on to Thessalonica, where he was warmly met by his son
Andronicus, who then governed the city.
In the spring of 1415, he and his soldiers left for the Peloponnese, arriving at the little port of Kenchreai on Good Friday, 29 March. Manuel II Palaiologos used his time there to bolster the defences of 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 ...
, where the Byzantine Empire was actually expanding at the expense of the remnants of the
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzant ...
. Here Manuel supervised the building of the ''
Hexamilion
The Hexamilion wall ( el, Εξαμίλιον τείχος, "six-mile wall") was a defensive wall constructed across the Isthmus of Corinth, guarding the only land route onto the Peloponnese peninsula from mainland Greece.
History
Early for ...
'' (six-mile wall) across the
Isthmus of Corinth, intended to defend the
Peloponnese from the Ottomans.
Manuel II stood on friendly terms with the victor in the Ottoman civil war,
Mehmed I
Mehmed I ( 1386 – 26 May 1421), also known as Mehmed Çelebi ( ota, چلبی محمد, "the noble-born") or Kirişçi ( el, Κυριτζής, Kyritzis, "lord's son"), was the Ottoman sultan from 1413 to 1421. The fourth son of Sultan Bayezid ...
(1402–1421), but his attempts to meddle in the next contested succession led to a new
assault on Constantinople by
Murad II
Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451.
Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...
(1421–1451) in 1422. During the last years of his life, Manuel II relinquished most official duties to his son and heir
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, Iōánnēs Palaiológos; 18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448) was the penultimate Byzantine emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.
Biography
John VIII was ...
, and went back to Europe searching for assistance against the Ottomans, this time to the King Sigismund of Hungary, staying for two months in his court of
Buda. Sigismund (after suffering a defeat against the Turks in the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396) never rejected the possibility of fighting against the Ottoman Empire. However, with the
Hussite wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, European monarchs loyal to the Cat ...
in Bohemia, it was impossible to count on the Czech or German armies, and the Hungarian ones were needed to protect the Kingdom and control the religious conflicts. Unhappily Manuel returned home with empty hands from the Hungarian Kingdom, and in 1424 he and his son were forced to sign an unfavourable peace treaty with the Ottoman Turks, whereby the Byzantine Empire had to pay tribute to the sultan.
Death
Manuel II was paralyzed by a
stroke on 1 October 1422, and lived his last months as a monk, taking the name of Matthew. He died on 21 July 1425, aged 75, and was buried at the
Pantokrator Monastery
'' '' tr, Zeyrek Camii''
, image = Molla Zeyrek Camii.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption =The mosque viewed from north east. From left to right, one can see the apses of the ''Church of Christ Pantocrato ...
in Constantinople.
Legacy
Manuel II was the author of numerous works of varied character, including letters, poems, a Saint's Life, treatises on
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and
rhetoric, and an epitaph for his brother Theodore I Palaiologos and a
mirror of princes for his son and heir John. This mirror of princes has special value, because it is the last sample of this literary genre bequeathed to us by Byzantines.
Family
![Manuel II Helena sons](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Manuel_II_Helena_sons.JPG)
By his wife
Helena Dragas, the daughter of the
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
n prince
Constantine Dragas, Manuel II Palaiologos had several children, including:
*A daughter. Mentioned as the eldest daughter but not named.
*Constantine Palaiologos. Born ca. 1393/8, died before 1405 in
Monemvasia
Monemvasia ( el, Μονεμβασιά, Μονεμβασία, or ) is a town and municipality in Laconia, Greece. The town is located on a small island off the east coast of the Peloponnese, surrounded by the Myrtoan Sea. The island is connected t ...
.
*
John VIII Palaiologos
John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, Iōánnēs Palaiológos; 18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448) was the penultimate Byzantine emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.
Biography
John VIII was ...
(18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448). Byzantine emperor, 1425–1448.
*
Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonica (d. 1429).
*A second daughter. Also not named in the text.
*
Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
Theodore II Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Θεόδωρος Β΄ Παλαιολόγος, ''Theodōros II Palaiologos'') (c. 1396 – 21 June 1448) was Despot in the Morea from 1407 to 1443 and in Selymbria from then until his death.
Life
T ...
(d. 1448).
*Michael Palaiologos. Born 1406/7, died 1409/10 of the plague.
*
Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos (8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453). ''Despotēs'' in the Morea and subsequently the last Byzantine emperor, 1448–1453.
*
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 ...
(c. 1407–1470). ''Despotēs'' in the Morea.
*
Thomas Palaiologos
Thomas Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Θωμᾶς Παλαιολόγος; 1409 – 12 May 1465) was Despot of the Morea from 1428 until the fall of the despotate in 1460, although he continued to claim the title until his death five years late ...
(c. 1409 – 12 May 1465). ''Despotēs'' in the Morea.
Ancestry
Pope Benedict XVI controversy
In a lecture delivered on 12 September 2006,
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...
quoted from a dialogue believed to have occurred in 1391 between Manuel II and a
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
scholar and recorded in a book by Manuel II (Dialogue 7 of ''Twenty-six Dialogues with a Persian'') in which the Emperor stated: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
Gallery
See also
*
List of Byzantine emperors
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*''Manuel II Palaeologus Funeral Oration on His Brother Theodore.'' J. Chrysostomides (editor & translator). Association for Byzantine Research: Thessalonike, 1985.
* Manuel II Palaeologus, ''The Letters of Manuel II Palaeologus'' George T. Dennis (translator), Dumbarton Oaks, 1977. .
*Çelik, Siren (2021). ''Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425): A Byzantine Emperor in a Time of Tumult''. Cambridge University Press.
* Karl Förstel (ed.): ''Manuel II. Palaiologos: Dialoge mit einem Muslim (Corpus Islamo-Christianum. Series Graeca 4)''. 3 vol. Echter Verlag, Würzburg 1995; , , (Greek Text with German translation and commentary).
* Jonathan Harris, ''The End of Byzantium''. Yale University Press, 2010.
* Florin Leonte, ''Rhetoric in Purple: The Renewal of Imperial Ideology in the Texts of Manuel II Palaiologos''. PhD dissertation, Central European University, Budapest, 2012
*
*
*
*
*George Sphrantzes. ''The Fall of the Byzantine Empire: A Chronicle by George Sphrantzes, 1401–1477.''
Marios Philippides
Marios Philippides (born 1950- died December 27, 2022) was an American historian who was Emeritus Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Biography
Marios Philippides was born in 1950 and taught at t ...
(editor & translator).
University of Massachusetts Press
The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts a ...
, 1980. .
* Erich Trapp: ''Manuel II. Palaiologos: Dialoge mit einem „Perser“''. Verlag Böhlau, Wien 1966, . (German)
* Athanasios D. Angelou, Manuel Palaiologos, Dialogue with the Empress - Mother on Marriage. Introduction, Text and Translation, Vienna, Academie der Wissenschaft, Vienna 1991.
*
External links
Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors entryManuel Palaeologos Resources, including excerpts from his writings to his son John, on "the virtue of a king" by the Byzantine Greek historian
George Sphrantzes
George Sphrantzes, also Phrantzes or Phrantza ( el, Γεώργιος Σφραντζής or Φραντζής; 1401 – c. 1478), was a late Roman (Byzantine) historian and Imperial courtier. He was an attendant to Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, ''p ...
Portraits of Manuel II– chapters 1–18 only.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palaiologos, Manuel 02
1350 births
1425 deaths
14th-century Byzantine emperors
15th-century Byzantine emperors
Porphyrogennetoi
Byzantine governors of Thessalonica
Byzantine prisoners and detainees
Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Ottoman wars
Byzantine saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox monarchs
Manuel II
Eastern Orthodox theologians
14th-century Byzantine writers
15th-century Byzantine writers
Sons of Byzantine emperors