Difference between revisions of "Constantine XX Comnenus"
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His Imperial Majesty Emperor '''Constantine XX''' was the eldest son of [[Constantine XVIII Comnenus|Emperor Constantine XVIII]], and elder brother of the senior emperor [[John IX Comnenus|John IX]]. He didn't succeed his father as senior emperor because his father was convinced he had been poisoned by Constantine, and thus left the crown to John. | His Imperial Majesty Emperor '''Constantine XX''' was the eldest son of [[Constantine XVIII Comnenus|Emperor Constantine XVIII]], and elder brother of the senior emperor [[John IX Comnenus|John IX]]. He didn't succeed his father as senior emperor because his father was convinced he had been poisoned by Constantine, and thus left the crown to John. | ||
| − | His unprepared brother relied on Constantine's support through his early reign, and by 1630 he had decided to give up his crown. Having seen the decision coming for some time, Constantine had arranged to marry the daughter of the late junior Emperor [[Constantine XVII Angelus]], [[Irene | + | His unprepared brother relied on Constantine's support through his early reign, and by 1630 he had decided to give up his crown. Having seen the decision coming for some time, Constantine had arranged to marry the daughter of the late junior Emperor [[Constantine XVII Angelus]], [[Irene Angela]], to firm up his own powerbase around [[New Constantinople]]. He was crowned co-emperor in 1630, but his aspirations to be senior emperor went unfulfilled when [[Maria the Florentine|Empress Maria]] convinced his brother not to give up the throne. Instead, [[John IX Comnenus|John the Good]] retired to the countryside and mostly kept out of affairs of state. |
| − | Constantine XX proved a more competent ruler than [[John IX Comnenus|John IX]], but lacked the extraordinary ability (and the paranoid delusions) of his father [[Constantine XVIII Comnenus|Constantine XVIII]]. The most significant event of his reign was the disastrous [[Third Pantocratorian Crusade]]. Constantine XX managed to stabilise relations with [[Julius II Comnenus|the Exarch of New Jerusalem]], but the event remains a black mark on the reign. His more lasting achievement was founding the Comneni-Angeli sub-branch of the House of Comnenus-Palaeologus, uniting the claims of the Comneni and the Angeli in the form of his two children with [[Irene | + | Constantine XX proved a more competent ruler than [[John IX Comnenus|John IX]], but lacked the extraordinary ability (and the paranoid delusions) of his father [[Constantine XVIII Comnenus|Constantine XVIII]]. The most significant event of his reign was the disastrous [[Third Pantocratorian Crusade]]. Constantine XX managed to stabilise relations with [[Julius II Comnenus|the Exarch of New Jerusalem]], but the event remains a black mark on the reign. His more lasting achievement was founding the Comneni-Angeli sub-branch of the House of Comnenus-Palaeologus, uniting the claims of the Comneni and the Angeli in the form of his two children with [[Irene Angela|Empress Irene]], [[Demetrius VIII Comnenus|Demetrius]] and [[Irene Comnena]]. |
| − | He died a relatively peaceful death from | + | He died a relatively peaceful death from a gangrenous leg at the age of 52. |
[[Category:Pantocratoria]] | [[Category:Pantocratoria]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:11, 23 September 2006
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His Imperial Majesty Emperor Constantine XX was the eldest son of Emperor Constantine XVIII, and elder brother of the senior emperor John IX. He didn't succeed his father as senior emperor because his father was convinced he had been poisoned by Constantine, and thus left the crown to John.
His unprepared brother relied on Constantine's support through his early reign, and by 1630 he had decided to give up his crown. Having seen the decision coming for some time, Constantine had arranged to marry the daughter of the late junior Emperor Constantine XVII Angelus, Irene Angela, to firm up his own powerbase around New Constantinople. He was crowned co-emperor in 1630, but his aspirations to be senior emperor went unfulfilled when Empress Maria convinced his brother not to give up the throne. Instead, John the Good retired to the countryside and mostly kept out of affairs of state.
Constantine XX proved a more competent ruler than John IX, but lacked the extraordinary ability (and the paranoid delusions) of his father Constantine XVIII. The most significant event of his reign was the disastrous Third Pantocratorian Crusade. Constantine XX managed to stabilise relations with the Exarch of New Jerusalem, but the event remains a black mark on the reign. His more lasting achievement was founding the Comneni-Angeli sub-branch of the House of Comnenus-Palaeologus, uniting the claims of the Comneni and the Angeli in the form of his two children with Empress Irene, Demetrius and Irene Comnena.
He died a relatively peaceful death from a gangrenous leg at the age of 52.
