Alexios IV Angelos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexios IV Angelos |
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| Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans | |||||
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A 15th-century picture of Alexios IV
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| Byzantine emperor | |||||
| Reign | 19 July 1203 – 27 January 1204 | ||||
| Coronation | 1 August 1203 | ||||
| Predecessor | Alexios III Angelos | ||||
| Successor | Alexios V Doukas | ||||
| Co-Emperor | Isaac II Angelos | ||||
| Born | c. 1182 | ||||
| Died | February 1204 (aged 21) Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
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| Dynasty | Angelos | ||||
| Father | Isaac II Angelos | ||||
| Mother | Irene (Palaiologos?) | ||||
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox | ||||
Alexios IV Angelos (Greek: Ἀλέξιος Ἄγγελος, romanized: Aléxios Ángelos; around 1182 – February 1204) was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from August 1203 to January 1204. He was the son of Emperor Isaac II Angelos. His uncle, Alexios III Angelos, had taken the throne from his father. Many people believe Alexios IV made a very bad decision. He asked the Fourth Crusade to help him become emperor. This choice eventually led to the famous attack on Constantinople.
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Becoming a Prince in Exile
Young Alexios was put in prison in 1195. This happened when his uncle, Alexios III, took over the empire from Alexios's father, Isaac II. His father was blinded, but Alexios himself was not hurt.
In 1201, two merchants helped Alexios escape from Constantinople. He traveled to the Holy Roman Empire. There, he found safety with his brother-in-law, Philip of Swabia, who was the King of Germany.
While Alexios was at Philip's court, he met Boniface of Montferrat. Boniface was chosen to lead the Fourth Crusade. He had left the Crusade for a short time to visit Philip. Alexios and Boniface reportedly talked about changing the Crusade's path. They discussed sending it to Constantinople. The goal was to help Alexios get his father's throne back.
Boniface returned to the Crusaders. Soon after, Alexios's messengers made a big offer to them. Alexios promised 10,000 Byzantine soldiers for the Crusade. He also offered to keep 500 knights in the Holy Land. The Byzantine navy (20 ships) would help transport the Crusader army to Egypt. He also offered a large sum of money, 200,000 silver marks, to pay off the Crusaders' debt to Venice. On top of that, he promised to bring the Greek Orthodox Church under the Pope's authority.
Most Crusader leaders and the Venetians liked this plan. However, some Crusaders disagreed and left the mission. In 1202, the Crusader fleet arrived at Constantinople. Alexios was shown outside the city walls. But the citizens did not seem to care much. Even though Alexios III had taken the throne illegally, the people of Constantinople accepted him as their emperor.
Becoming Emperor
On July 18, 1203, the Crusaders attacked Constantinople. Alexios III quickly ran away to Thrace. The next morning, the Crusaders were surprised. The citizens had freed Isaac II from prison. They had declared him emperor, even though he was blind and not supposed to rule.
The Crusaders did not accept this. They forced Isaac II to declare his son, Alexios IV, as co-emperor. This meant they would rule together.
Alexios had made many big promises. But his father, Isaac, knew the empire could not pay the Crusaders' huge debt. Alexios, however, did not seem to understand how much the empire's money had decreased. Alexios did manage to raise half of the promised money (100,000 silver marks). He did this by taking treasures from churches. He also took property from people he saw as enemies.
He then tried to defeat his uncle, Alexios III, who still controlled Thrace. Attacking some towns in Thrace helped Alexios a little. But at the same time, the Crusaders and the people of Constantinople started to dislike each other more and more.
By December 1203, fighting broke out between the citizens and the Crusaders. Angry crowds attacked and killed any foreigners they found. The Crusaders felt Alexios had not kept his promises. Alexios refused their demands, saying, "I will not do any more than I have done."
While relations with the Crusaders worsened, Alexios became very unpopular with his own people. His own father, Isaac II, who was blind and had little power, did not like sharing the throne. One writer called Alexios "childish." He also criticized Alexios for being too friendly with the Crusaders and for his fancy lifestyle. In early January 1204, Alexios IV tried to fight back against the Crusaders. He set 17 ships on fire and sent them towards the Venetian fleet. But his plan failed.
Losing the Throne
In late January 1204, the people of Constantinople rebelled. They tried to name a new emperor, Nicolas Canabus. He found safety inside the Hagia Sophia church. Alexios IV tried to make peace with the Crusaders. He sent a court official, Alexios Doukas Murzuphlus, to get their support.
However, Alexios Doukas instead imprisoned both Alexios IV and his father on the night of January 27, 1204. Isaac II died soon after, possibly from old age or poison. Alexios IV was killed, probably on February 8. Alexios Doukas then became the new emperor, Alexios V.
During Alexios IV's short rule, some parts of the empire along the Black Sea coast declared independence. This led to the creation of the Empire of Trebizond. The situation in Constantinople was so unstable that the empire could not control Trebizond. So, it became independent, even though it was still officially part of the empire.
The Fourth Crusade and Its Impact
The events around Alexios IV's rule were part of a big crisis in Constantinople. The city was attacked by the Crusaders. This chaos led to the creation of the Latin Empire, which lasted until 1261 AD.
Alexios IV's actions left the Byzantine Empire in a much worse state than before. It lost a lot of land. The power struggles and the Crusade continued to weaken it. After the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Empire became a much smaller power. It did get back some strength later. Constantinople was recaptured in 1261, almost 60 years after Alexios's short rule. However, the Fourth Crusade's effects were a major reason for the empire's fall to the Ottoman empire much later.
It is hard to say if Alexios is fully to blame for the empire's decline. He had a very short reign. There were also many dangerous outside threats to the empire. He did not have enough money or experience to handle the situation well. He also did not have a normal royal upbringing or education. This was because he was imprisoned and exiled, which likely made him less prepared to rule.
See Also
In Spanish: Alejo IV Ángelo para niños
