Alexios II Komnenos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexios II Komnenos |
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| Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans | |
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Portrait of Alexios II from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of History by Joannes Zonaras
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| Byzantine emperor | |
| Reign | 24 September 1180 – September 1183 |
| Coronation | 1171 as co-emperor |
| Predecessor | Manuel I Komnenos |
| Successor | Andronikos I Komnenos |
| Born | 14 September 1169 Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Died | September 1183 (aged 14) Constantinople |
| Spouse |
Anna of France
(m. 1180) |
| Dynasty | Komnenos |
| Father | Manuel I Komnenos |
| Mother | Maria of Antioch |
Alexios II Komnenos (Medieval Greek: Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός; born September 14, 1169 – died September 1183) was a Byzantine emperor who ruled from 1180 to 1183. He became emperor when he was still a child. Because he was so young, other people called "regents" actually held the power during his short time as ruler.
Contents
A Young Emperor's Life
Early Years and Marriage
Alexios was born in Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. He was the son of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and Maria of Antioch. Being born in the purple meant he was born into the royal family while his father was ruling. This made him a prince from birth.
In 1171, when he was just two years old, Alexios was crowned as a co-emperor alongside his father. This meant he was being prepared to rule one day. In 1175, he traveled with his father to a city called Dorylaion to help rebuild it.
When Alexios was eleven, he married Agnes of France. She was ten years old and the daughter of King Louis VII of France. After their marriage, Agnes became known as Anna.
The Regents Take Charge
When his father, Emperor Manuel I, passed away in September 1180, Alexios II became the new emperor. He was only eleven years old at the time. Alexios was more interested in having fun than in ruling the empire.
So, the power was taken over by a group of regents. The main regents were his mother, the Empress Dowager Maria (a dowager empress is the widow of a former emperor), and a cousin also named Alexios Komnenos. This cousin held a high title called prōtosebastos.
These regents made some choices that caused problems. They spent a lot of the empire's money. They also gave special benefits to merchants from Italy and to the wealthy families in the Byzantine Empire.
Challenges and Uprisings
While the regents were in charge, the empire faced attacks from its neighbors. Béla III of Hungary attacked from the west, and Kilij Arslan II from the east. The regents even had to ask for help from the Pope and from Saladin, a powerful Muslim leader.
Inside Constantinople, some people were unhappy with the regents. Alexios II's half-sister, Maria Komnene, and her husband, John, led protests. They believed Alexios II should have more power. These protests led to riots in the streets of the capital city.
The regents managed to stop these protests in April 1182. However, another powerful cousin, Andronikos Komnenos, saw this as a chance to gain power. He entered Constantinople and was welcomed by many people.
Andronikos Takes Control
When Andronikos arrived, there was a terrible event called the massacre of the Latins. Many Italian merchants in Constantinople were attacked. Andronikos did not try to stop this violence.
On May 16, 1182, Andronikos pretended to be Alexios's protector. He officially put Alexios back on the throne. But in reality, Andronikos was the one in charge. He did not let Alexios have any say in how the empire was run.
Andronikos slowly removed all of Alexios's supporters. This included his half-sister Maria and her husband. Even Alexios's mother, Empress Dowager Maria, was put in prison.
In 1183, Alexios was forced to agree to his own mother's death. Later that year, in September 1183, Andronikos was officially declared emperor. Around the same time, Andronikos ordered Alexios's death. Alexios was only 14 years old.
After Alexios's passing, several young men who looked like him tried to claim they were the lost emperor. But none of these "false Alexios" figures ever became emperor.
Portrayal in Fiction
Alexios is a character in a historical novel called Agnes of France. This book was written by the Greek author Kostas Kyriazis in 1980. The story tells about the time of Manuel I, Alexios II, and Andronikos I through the eyes of Agnes, Alexios's wife.
Images for kids
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Alexios II, Manuel I Komnenos and Agnes of France depicted in an illuminated manuscript, around 1179.
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See Also
