Alexios Charon ( el, Ἀλέξιος Χάρων, ) 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 ...

official in

southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the pe ...

and the maternal grandfather of Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

(reigned 1081–1118), the founder of the

Komnenian dynasty Komnenos ( gr, Κομνηνός; Latinized Comnenus; plural Komnenoi or Comneni (Κομνηνοί, )) was a Byzantine Greek noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185, and later, as the Grand Komnenoi (Μεγαλοκομνην� ...

. Very little is known about his life. The only references to him come from the history of

Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger Nikephoros Bryennios (or Nicephorus Bryennius; Greek: Νικηφόρος Βρυέννιος, ''Nikēphoros Bryennios; ''1062–1137) was a Byzantine general, statesman and historian. He was born at Orestias ( Adrianople) in the theme of Macedoni ...

, who married his great-granddaughter

Anna Komnene Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...

. Bryennios reports that "Charon" was a sobriquet given to him for his bravery, referring to the ferryman of the underworld in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

, but the name is attested as an actual surname as well. On Alexios' career, Bryennios only reports that he "handled the emperor's affairs" in the Byzantine provinces of southern Italy (the

Catepanate of Italy The Catepanate (or Catapanate) of Italy ( el, ''Katepaníkion Italías'') was a province of the Byzantine Empire from 965 until 1071. At its greatest extent, it comprised mainland Italy south of a line drawn from Monte Gargano to the Gulf of S ...

) some time in the first half of the 11th century. The exact office that Alexios held is unknown; it has been suggested that he may have been the governor ( catepan) of Italy, but his name appears in no other source. The historian of Byzantine Italy Vera von Falkenhausen suggested that he might be identical with

Alexios Xiphias Alexios Xiphias ( gr, Ἀλέξιος Ξιφίας, la, Alexius Xifea) was a Byzantine ''protospatharios'' and catepan of Italy from 1006 to 1007, following the long term of office of Gregory Tarchaneiotes. In March 1007, he promulgated a diploma ...

, who was catepan in 1006/07, but Xiphias died in 1007, and Charon's daughter—and mother of Emperor

—

Anna Dalassene Anna Dalassene ( el, ; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. As '' Augusta'', a title bestowed upon her by her son, A ...

was not born until sometime between 1020 and 1030.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charon, Alexios 11th-century Byzantine people 11th-century deaths Catepanate of Italy