Phillip I of Valeria

Phillip Kantakouzenous, known as Phillip I of the Kingdom of Valeria (February 7th, 805 - July 12th, 866) was king of Valeria from 826 until his death. He ended the line of succession that descended directly from St. Valerian (Valerian II) and began a new line that indirectly goes on today.

Early Life and Rise to Power

Phillip was the son of a general in service of Valeria. He was born in Metashas, to General Hadrian Kantakouzenos and his wife Helene. As a child, he was sent to the army to learn tactics and the art of war, to follow his father's footsteps in the trade. At this point in time, Valeria was under the prosperous reign of Tigranes II. Phillip made his father proud and soon became his second-in-command of his army from Metashas.

However, when Tigranes II died, his son rose to power. Nicholas IV was nothing more than an arbitrary leader who relied too heavily on the opinions of overpowerful nobles.