Electrum coin of Isaac II Angelos, depicting the Virgin Mary with bust of Christ as a child.

Isaac II Angelos or Angelus (Greek: Ισαάκιος Β’ Άγγελος, Isaakios II Angelos) (September 1156 – January 1204) was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This is a list of the Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire by modern historians

His father Andronikos Dukas Angelos, a military leader in Asia Minor (c. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking The word leadership can refer to Those entities that perform one or more acts of leading Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black 1122 – aft. 1185), married bef. 1155 Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa (c. 1125 – aft. 1195), was a son of Theodora Komnene (b. January 5, 1096/1097), the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Eirene Doukaina, by her marriage c. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France. Alexios I Komnenos, or Comnenus (Greek Αλέξιος Α' Κομνηνός (1048 &ndash August 15, 1118) Byzantine emperor (1081&ndash1118 Irene Doukaina or Ducaena ( Greek: Ειρήνη Δούκαινα, Eirēnē Doukaina) (c 1120 to Konstantinos Angelos, Admiral of Sicily (c. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. 1085 – aft. July 1166), son of one Manolis Angelos from Philadelphia. Alaşehir ( Greek: Philadélphia (Φιλαδέλφεια is a town and district of Manisa Province in the Aegean region of Turkey Thus Isaac was a member of the extended imperial clan.

Rising by revolt

During the brief reign of Andronikos I Komnenos, Isaac was involved (alongside his father and brothers) in the revolt of Nicaea and Prousa. Andronikos I Komnenos or Andronicus I Comnenus ( Greek: Ανδρόνικος Α’ Κομνηνός Andronikos I Komninos; c Bursa (historically also known as Prussa, Greek: Προύσα and later as Brusa) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat Atypically, the Emperor did not punish him for this disloyalty, and Isaac remained at Constantinople. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS

On September 11, 1185, during Andronikos' absence from the capital, the latter's lieutenant Stephanos Hagiochristophorites moved to arrest Isaac. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Stephen Hagiochristophorites (in Greek Stephanos Hagiochristophorites; d Isaac killed Hagiochristophorites and took refuge in the church of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Αγία Σοφία " Holy Wisdom " Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia) is a former patriarchal Basilica, later Andronikos, in some ways a capable ruler, was hated for his efforts to keep the aristocracy obedient and his cruelty. Isaac appealed to the populace, and a tumult arose which spread rapidly over the whole city. When Andronikos arrived he found that his authority was overthrown, and that Isaac had been proclaimed emperor. Andronikos attempted to flee by boat but was apprehended. Isaac handed him over to the people of the City, and he was killed on September 12, 1185. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the

First reign

Isaac II Angelos strengthened his position as emperor with dynastic marriages in 1185 and 1186. His niece, Eudokia Angelina, was married to Stefan, son of Stefan Nemanja of Serbia. Eudokia Angelina or Eudocia Angelina ( Greek: Ευδοκία Αγγελίνα Serbian: Evdokija) was a daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Stefan II or Stephen II, known afterwards as Stefan Prvovenčani (lit Stefan Nemanja ( Old Church Slavonic: Стѣфань Serbian: Стефан Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country Isaac's sister, Theodora, was married to the Italian marquis Conrad of Montferrat. Conrad of Montferrat, or Conrad I of Jerusalem ( Piedmontese: Conrà ëd Monfrà; Italian Corrado del Monferrato; mid-1140s &ndash In January 1186 Isaac himself married Margaret of Hungary (who was renamed Maria), daughter of king Béla III. Margaret ( Margit) (1175 &ndash 1223 was the Empress consort of Isaac II Angelos, Byzantine Emperor. Béla III ( Hungarian: III Béla, Croatian: Bela II, Slovak: Belo III) (c Hungary was one of the empire's largest and most powerful neighbours, and Margaret also had the benefit of high aristocratic descent, being related to the royal families of Kiev, the Holy Roman Empire, Italy, Provence, and earlier Byzantine dynasties. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe.

Isaac inaugurated his reign with a decisive victory over the Norman King of Sicily William II (on the banks of the Strymon, 7 September 1185), who had invaded the Balkans with 80,000 men and 200 ships towards the end of Andronicus I's reign. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. William II (French language Guillaume II, 1155 &ndash November 11 1189 Palermo) called the Good, was king of Sicily Strymon redirects here For the Strymon Gulf see Strymonian Gulf. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Elsewhere his policy was less successful. In late 1185, he sent a fleet of 80 galleys to liberate his brother Alexius III from Acre, but it was destroyed by the Normans of Sicily. Alexios III Angelos ( Greek: Αλέξιος Γ' Άγγελος (c The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. He then sent a fleet of 70 ships, but it failed in its attempt to recover Cyprus from the rebellious noble Isaac Comnenus, thanks to Norman interference. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Isaac Komnenos or Comnenus ( Greek: Ισαάκιος Κομνηνός Isaakios Komnēnos) (c

The oppressiveness of his taxes, increased to pay his armies and finance his marriage, resulted in the Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion late in 1185. The rebellion led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire under the Asen dynasty. The Second Bulgarian Empire ( Bulgarian: Второ българско царство Vtorо Balgarskо Tsartsvo) was a Medieval Bulgarian state The Asen dynasty (Асеневци Asenevtsi) were a dynasty of rulers of a medieval state called in modern histography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1187 In 1187, Alexios Branas, the victor over the Normans, was sent against the rebels but turned his arms against his master, and attempted to seize Constantinople, only to be defeated and slain by Isaac's brother-in-law Conrad of Montferrat. Alexios Branas or Alexius Branas (died 1187 was a Byzantine nobleman and military leader of the late 12th century Also in 1187, an agreement was made with Venice, in which the republic would provide 40-100 galleys at six months' notice in exchange for favorable trading concessions. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the As each Venetian galley was manned by 140 oarsmen, that means there were about 18,000 Venetians still in the empire even after Manuel I's arrests. ^[1]

The emperor's attention was next demanded in the east, where several claimants to the throne successively rose and fell. In 1189 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa sought and obtained permission to lead his troops on the Third Crusade through the Byzantine Empire; but he had no sooner crossed the border than Isaac, who had meanwhile sought an alliance with Saladin, threw every impediment in his way. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Frederick I Barbarossa (1122 &ndash 10 June 1190) was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned The Third Crusade (1189&ndash1192 also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin Salahadin Ayyubi ( Arabic:صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب Kurdish: سه‌لاحه‌دین ئه‌یوبی Selah'edînê Eyubî; c In retaliation, Barbarossa's army occupied the city of Philippopolis and defeated a Byzantine army of 3,000 men that attempted to recapture the city. ^[2] Thus compelled by force of arms, Isaac II was forced to fulfil his engagements in 1190. By 1196, Isaac II had allowed the once powerful Byzantine navy to decline to only 30 galleys.

The next five years were disturbed by continued warfare with Bulgaria, against which Isaac led several expeditions in person. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian In spite of a promising start, these ventures had little effect, and on one occasion in 1190 Isaac barely escaped with his life. While preparing for yet another offensive against Bulgaria in 1195, Alexios Angelos, the emperor's older brother, taking advantage of the latter's absence from camp on a hunting expedition, proclaimed himself emperor, and was readily recognised by the soldiers as Emperor Alexios III. Alexios III Angelos ( Greek: Αλέξιος Γ' Άγγελος (c Isaac was blinded and imprisoned in Constantinople.

Second reign

After eight years of captivity, he was raised from his dungeon to his throne once more after the arrival of the Fourth Crusade and the flight of Alexios III from the capital. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. But both mind and body had been enfeebled by confinement, and his son Alexios IV Angelos was associated on the throne as the effective monarch.

Heavily beholden to the crusaders, Alexios IV was unable to meet his obligations and his vacillation caused him to lose the support of both his crusader allies and his subjects. At the end of January, 1204, the influential court official Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos took advantage of riots in the capital to imprison Alexios IV and seize the throne as Emperor Alexios V. At this point Isaac II died, allegedly of shock, while Alexios IV was strangled on January 28 or 29.

Historical reputation

Isaac has the reputation of one of the most unsuccessful princes that occupied the Byzantine throne. Surrounded by a crowd of slaves, mistresses and flatterers, he permitted his empire to be administered by unworthy favourites, while he squandered the money wrung from his provinces on costly buildings and expensive gifts to the churches of his metropolis. During his reign the empire lost Lefkada, Kefallonia, and Zakynthos to the Normans in 1185. Lefkada, or Leucas (Λευκάδα le̞fˈkaða Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς Leukás; Santa Maura is a Greek The island of Kefalonia, also known as Cephallenia, Cephallonia, Kefallinia, or Kefallonia (Ancient Greek Κεφαλληνία Modern The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Then he lost Bulgaria to the Vlachs and Bulgarians in 1186. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Vlachs is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe The Bulgarians (българи balgari) are a South Slavic people generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language After that Cilicia was retaken by the Armenians and Cyprus wrested from the empire by the Franks. Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía The Franks or Frankish people (Franci or gens Francorum) were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an Ethnic group

Family

The identity of Isaac II's first wife is unknown, but her name, Herina (i. e. , Eirene), is found on the necrology of Speyer Cathedral, where their daughter Irene is interred. The Speyer Cathedral is a very large and imposing Basilica of red Sandstone in Speyer, Germany. (It must be noted, however, that it would have been extremely unusual for a mother and daughter to bear the same name, unless the mother's name was monastic. )^[3] Isaac's wife may have been a member of the Palaiologos family. The Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( Greek: Παλαιολόγος pl ^[4] A possible foreign origin is also given to her due to having the same name as her daughter. ^[5][6] Their third child was born in 1182 or 1183 and she was dead or divorced by 1185, when Isaac remarried. Their children were:

• Euphrosyne Angelina, a nun.
• Irene Angelina, married first to Roger III of Sicily, and secondly to Philip of Swabia. Irene Angelina (1181 &ndash 1208 was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos by his first wife Herina Roger III (1175 &ndash 24 December 1193) was the son and heir of Tancred of Sicily by Sibylla of Acerra. Philip of Swabia (1177 &ndash June 21, 1208) was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.
• Alexios IV Angelos.

By his second wife, Margaret of Hungary (renamed Maria), Isaac II had two sons:

• John Angelos (b. Margaret ( Margit) (1175 &ndash 1223 was the Empress consort of Isaac II Angelos, Byzantine Emperor. ca. 1193 - d. 1259). He migrated to Hungary and ruled over Syrmia and Bacs (1227-42) as a vassal of king Béla IV of Hungary. Bač (Бач, Bács is a town and municipality in South Bačka District of Vojvodina, Serbia. Béla IV (IV Béla (1206 &ndash 3 May 1270 King of Hungary and Croatia (1214-1270 Duke of Styria (1254-1258
• Manuel Angelos (b. after 1195 - d. 1212)

Notes

References

• Nicetas Choniates, Historia, ed. Niketas Choniates ( Greek: Νικήτας Χωνιάτης c 1155 &ndash 1215 or 1216 sometimes called Acominatus, was a Byzantine Greek Historian J. -L. Van Dieten, 2 vols. (Berlin and New York, 1975); trans. as O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniates, by H. J. Magoulias (Detroit; Wayne State University Press, 1984).

External links

• Foreign policy of the Angeli from A History of the Byzantine Empire by Al. Vasilief

Bibliography

• Angold, Michael, The Byzantine Empire: A Political History, 1025-1204, 2nd edition (London and New York, 1997)
• Brand, C. M. , Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180-1204 (Cambridge, MA, 1968)
• Harris, Jonathan, Byzantium and the Crusades (London, 2003)
• Hiestand, Rudolf, 'Die Erste Ehe Isaaks II Angelus und Seine Kinder', Jahrbuch der Osterreichischen Byzantinistik, 47 (1997).
• The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, 3 vols (Oxford,, 1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (often abbreviated to ODB) is a three volume book by the Oxford University Press.
• K. Varzos, Ē genealogia tōn Komnēnōn (Thessalonica, 1984) vol. 2 pp. 807-840.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone