293:
382:, while his body was displayed at Blachernae. A similar fate befell many of his supporters that night, while others were captured and tortured to extract the names of all the conspirators. Alexios Mourtzouphlos was likely put in prison for his role in this affair (he is known to have been in prison in 1203), and the two Komnenos brothers, Alexios and David, seem to have fled the capital immediately after the coup's failure.
151:
342:
Having gained control of the western portions of the palace, John sat on the imperial throne, which broke under his great weight. He took no further actions to consolidate his position, other than appoint his chief followers to the Empire's highest posts. At the same time, his supporters, who along
377:
The loyalist force marched to the
Hippodrome, where they drove away most of John's supporters. They then entered the palace, where they found scarce opposition from John's attendants. John was captured after a short chase in the palace and his head was immediately cut off, to be displayed the next
117:
among rival aristocratic families and the common people, who were dissatisfied by the dynasty's failures against external foes. John had previously been an obscure figure, but he became the figurehead of the uprising because of his imperial blood, as he was descended from the illustrious
224:, clergy and merchants to contribute, while the lower and middle classes of the imperial capital frequently displayed their discontent with riots against corrupt officials. The most notable of these was a large-scale uprising in February 1200 against the warden of the
373:
north of the Great Palace. It was led by the emperor's son-in-law
Alexios Palaiologos, who at that point was likely regarded as his heir-apparent, and quickly made contact with the Varangians who had held out in the palace's northern parts, around the Chalke Gate.
273:
However, the revolt was also fuelled by a general feeling of discontent and humiliation at the failures of the
Angeloi, especially in terms of foreign policy. This much is evident from the β albeit embellished β account of the eyewitness
269:
respectively. This marriage not only spoke of increasing confidence for the
Emperor, but also provided for the imperial succession and began the establishment of a separate aristocratic power-base, which must have displeased many noble families.
364:
With the coming of night, most of the crowd that had accompanied the storming of the palace earlier that day departed, intending to resume looting the next day. In the meantime, Alexios III, who resided in the
791:
929:
361:, Nicholas Mesarites, with a small guard provided by John Komnenos. Mesarites and his men managed to drive the looters back, until he was wounded in the skirmish and withdrew to the Pharos Church.
142:. Most of the urban mob dispersed for the night, and the Varangians had little difficulty in suppressing the coup. John Komnenos was captured and executed with many of his followers.
784:
1142:
777:
394:
deals with it briefly and rather dismissively, but
Nicholas Mesarites left a long eyewitness account of events, in which his own role is suitably emphasized. The scholars
300:
John's coup was launched on 31 July 1201, when the conspirators broke into the Hagia Sophia, where they swore to restore the Empire to its ancient bounds against the
939:
245:, was named as the real mastermind behind the coup. He was certainly supported by a wider circle of nobles from the Komnenian era, possibly even the brothers
257:(1204β1461). Thus the historian Michael Angold traces the coup's inception to the events of early 1199, when Alexios III married his two daughters Irene and
1132:
315:
had hidden himself inside a cupboardβthe capital's populace rioted outside and set fire to a number of churches. The conspirators then marched towards the
923:
220:) had been troubled from the outset: the aristocracy conspired against him, his pressing demand for new sources of revenue was blocked by the refusal of
422:
of
Trebizond (r. 1204β1222), but that is conjectural: the family name Axouchina is ascribed to her because her eldest son, the Trebizondian emperor
1258:
1004:
919:
369:
in the city's northwestern corner, rallied for a counter-strike. A small force was dispatched with boats around the city's peninsula to the
187:
dynasty and provided a number of distinguished generals. The two families also intermarried: John's mother Maria was the daughter of
769:
171:
1228:
1223:
717:
284:, that her enemies would be vanquished, and that the kings of all the earth would come to pay homage to Constantinople.
1253:
435:
352:
740:
662:
233:
John
Komnenos was a rather unimportant figure in the court, and in a marginal note dating to the late 13th century,
1233:
1113:
731:
316:
130:
in
Constantinople's southeastern corner, which the mob proceeded to loot, and John Komnenos was crowned in the
127:
238:
188:
113:
in a short-lived coup in
Constantinople on 31 July 1201 (or 1200). The coup drew on opposition to the ruling
1238:
328:
262:
226:
453:
1201 is the traditional chronology, but some scholars interpret the year as 1200. cf. Brand (1968), p. 348
1248:
309:
1172:
1014:
830:
799:
836:
893:
889:
395:
301:
335:, which was connected to the palace precinct. John's supporters indeed managed to drive off the
1243:
1162:
856:
846:
419:
246:
230:, Constantinople's chief prison, John Lagos, which was bloodily suppressed by imperial troops.
1263:
811:
278:, whereby John Komnenos's supporters proclaimed that henceforth everything would go well for
258:
95:
138:, and he sent forces by sea to land in the part of the Great Palace still held by the loyal
1218:
885:
379:
305:
135:
8:
1182:
1166:
973:
820:
423:
266:
254:
210:
110:
126:. With the support of the capital's populace, the plotters managed to seize most of the
122:(1081β1185). However, the real driving force behind his coup was probably the ambitious
1078:
1042:
998:
909:
415:
399:
275:
202:). John was thus able to claim a pedigree comparable, if not superior, to the reigning
1192:
1146:
1038:
949:
759:
736:
726:
713:
694:
686:
668:
658:
391:
370:
366:
336:
1087:
1074:
994:
876:
801:
750:
Williams, Kelsey
Jackson (2007), "A Genealogy of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond",
312:
234:
221:
192:
123:
106:
31:
1058:
707:
324:
139:
114:
154:
Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos, the probable mastermind behind John Komnenos' coup
1152:
1126:
1122:
1091:
1052:
984:
953:
943:
933:
899:
650:
250:
242:
180:
163:
86:
58:
649:
Angold, Michael (2005), "Byzantine politics vis-Γ -vis the Fourth Crusade", in
292:
1212:
763:
698:
672:
347:
and Italian mercenaries, began to loot the buildings. They even reached the
390:
John's coup was written extensively about by contemporaries: the historian
348:
280:
183:. The Axouchoi were a family of Turkish origin closely associated with the
176:
131:
355:, the Empire's chief depository of holy relics, which was defended by its
1156:
1097:
1024:
957:
824:
357:
320:
680:
134:. Alexios III, however, was secure in his residence in the northwestern
903:
1032:
961:
411:
344:
1062:
913:
850:
339:
guard placed there and entered the palace through the Kareia Gate.
184:
167:
119:
752:
Foundations: The Journal of the Foundation for Mediaeval Genealogy
1196:
1028:
1018:
1008:
203:
690:
308:. While John was being proclaimed emperor and crowned by a monkβ
1186:
1176:
1136:
1101:
988:
864:
840:
159:
860:
150:
319:, the ancient seat of the Byzantine emperors. Avoiding the
800:
Rebels, secessionists, and autonomous magnates in the
685:. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
109:
noble who attempted to usurp the imperial throne from
402:
wrote speeches in celebration of the coup's failure.
237:, who briefly became emperor during Constantinople's
655:
Urbs capta: the Fourth Crusade and its consequences
100:
145:
758:(3), Chobham: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy,
712:(in French), Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne,
1210:
735:. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.
343:with the urban mob included a sizeable group of
596:
594:
785:
709:Pouvoir et contestations Γ Byzance (963β1210)
591:
584:
582:
572:
570:
568:
566:
16:Usurper of the Byzantine Empire (died 1201)
792:
778:
484:
482:
472:
470:
468:
749:
579:
563:
327:, they made for the imperial box in the
291:
149:
1259:People executed by the Byzantine Empire
725:
705:
682:Byzantium Confronts the West, 1180β1204
479:
465:
191:, eldest son and co-emperor of Emperor
1211:
657:, Paris: Lethielleux, pp. 55β68,
648:
773:
678:
414:consider John a possible father to
174:. His father was the distinguished
13:
732:The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
436:List of shortest-reigning monarchs
353:Church of the Virgin of the Pharos
166:ancestry descending from both the
14:
1275:
426:(r. 1235β1238), bore it as well.
385:
206:, albeit from the maternal side.
630:
621:
612:
603:
554:
545:
536:
323:, which was held by the feared
296:Map of Byzantine Constantinople
215:
197:
146:Origin and political background
527:
518:
509:
500:
491:
456:
447:
424:John I Megas Komnenos Axouchos
1:
1229:13th-century Byzantine people
1224:12th-century Byzantine people
706:Cheynet, Jean-Claude (1996),
441:
1088:Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos
235:Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos
124:Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos
7:
533:Cheynet (1996), pp. 443β444
506:Cheynet (1996), pp. 444β445
429:
101:
10:
1280:
679:Brand, Charles M. (1968).
642:
1254:Executed Byzantine people
1111:
1072:
971:
874:
831:Andronikos Kontostephanos
809:
609:Brand (1968), pp. 123β124
560:Brand (1968), pp. 122β123
551:Angold (2005), pp. 59, 61
524:Brand (1968), pp. 119β120
497:Brand (1968), pp. 119β122
405:
90:
64:
54:
46:
38:
28:
23:
627:Angold (2005), pp. 59β61
600:Angold (2005), pp. 61β62
515:Angold (2005), pp. 60β61
420:Alexios I Megas Komnenos
412:genealogical researchers
253:, who later founded the
102:Ioannis Komninos o pahys
91:αΌΈΟΞ¬Ξ½Ξ½Ξ·Ο ΞΞΏΞΌΞ½Ξ·Ξ½α½ΈΟ α½ ΟΞ±ΟΟΟ
1234:13th-century executions
1173:Michael Komnenos Doukas
1015:Michael Komnenos Doukas
636:Williams (2007), p. 173
396:Nikephoros Chrysoberges
287:
158:John was ultimately of
1114:fall of Constantinople
857:Theodore Kantakouzenos
847:John Komnenos Vatatzes
542:Cheynet (1996), p. 445
462:Kazhdan (1991), p. 239
297:
261:to the young noblemen
155:
50:31 July 1201 (or 1200)
42:31 July 1201 (or 1200)
1049:John Komnenos the Fat
812:Andronikos I Komnenos
295:
153:
940:Constantine Tatikios
618:Brand (1968), p. 124
588:Angold (2005), p. 62
576:Brand (1968), p. 123
488:Brand (1968), p. 122
476:Angold (2005), p. 60
380:Forum of Constantine
371:Hodegetria Monastery
136:Palace of Blachernae
1239:13th-century rebels
974:Alexios III Angelos
821:Andronikos Lapardas
263:Alexios Palaiologos
255:Empire of Trebizond
211:Alexios III Angelos
111:Alexios III Angelos
1249:Byzantine usurpers
1143:John Kantakouzenos
1079:Alexios IV Angelos
910:Theodore Mangaphas
727:Kazhdan, Alexander
651:Laiou, Angeliki E.
418:, wife of Emperor
416:Theodora Axouchina
400:Euthymios Tornikes
298:
276:Nicholas Mesarites
156:
1206:
1205:
1193:Manuel Maurozomes
1183:Theodore Laskaris
1039:John Spyridonakes
978:
719:978-2-85944-168-5
392:Niketas Choniates
367:Blachernae Palace
267:Theodore Laskaris
120:Komnenian dynasty
99:
72:
71:
1271:
1163:Alexios Komnenos
995:Dobromir Chrysos
976:
877:Isaac II Angelos
802:Byzantine Empire
794:
787:
780:
771:
770:
766:
746:
722:
702:
675:
637:
634:
628:
625:
619:
616:
610:
607:
601:
598:
589:
586:
577:
574:
561:
558:
552:
549:
543:
540:
534:
531:
525:
522:
516:
513:
507:
504:
498:
495:
489:
486:
477:
474:
463:
460:
454:
451:
313:John X Kamateros
304:, Turks and the
302:Vlach-Bulgarians
247:Alexios Komnenos
219:
218: 1195β1203
217:
201:
200: 1118β1143
199:
193:John II Komnenos
189:Alexios Komnenos
104:
94:
92:
32:Byzantine Empire
21:
20:
1279:
1278:
1274:
1273:
1272:
1270:
1269:
1268:
1209:
1208:
1207:
1202:
1133:Theodore Gabras
1107:
1068:
1059:Manuel Kamytzes
967:
870:
805:
798:
743:
720:
665:
645:
640:
635:
631:
626:
622:
617:
613:
608:
604:
599:
592:
587:
580:
575:
564:
559:
555:
550:
546:
541:
537:
532:
528:
523:
519:
514:
510:
505:
501:
496:
492:
487:
480:
475:
466:
461:
457:
452:
448:
444:
432:
408:
388:
378:morning at the
325:Varangian Guard
290:
214:
196:
148:
140:Varangian Guard
115:Angelid dynasty
30:Usurper of the
17:
12:
11:
5:
1277:
1267:
1266:
1261:
1256:
1251:
1246:
1241:
1236:
1231:
1226:
1221:
1204:
1203:
1201:
1200:
1190:
1180:
1170:
1160:
1153:David Komnenos
1150:
1140:
1130:
1127:Maeander River
1123:Sabas Asidenos
1119:
1117:
1109:
1108:
1106:
1105:
1095:
1092:Constantinople
1084:
1082:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1066:
1056:
1053:Constantinople
1046:
1036:
1022:
1012:
1005:Leo Chamaretos
1002:
992:
981:
979:
969:
968:
966:
965:
954:Maeander River
950:Pseudo-Alexios
947:
944:Constantinople
937:
934:Constantinople
930:Isaac Komnenos
927:
917:
907:
900:Alexios Branas
897:
882:
880:
872:
871:
869:
868:
854:
844:
837:Isaac Komnenos
834:
828:
817:
815:
807:
806:
797:
796:
789:
782:
774:
768:
767:
747:
741:
729:, ed. (1991).
723:
718:
703:
676:
663:
644:
641:
639:
638:
629:
620:
611:
602:
590:
578:
562:
553:
544:
535:
526:
517:
508:
499:
490:
478:
464:
455:
445:
443:
440:
439:
438:
431:
428:
407:
404:
387:
386:Historiography
384:
289:
286:
251:David Komnenos
243:Fourth Crusade
181:Alexios Axouch
147:
144:
81:), nicknamed "
77:(Latinized as
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
59:Alexios Axouch
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
40:
36:
35:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1276:
1265:
1262:
1260:
1257:
1255:
1252:
1250:
1247:
1245:
1244:Axouch family
1242:
1240:
1237:
1235:
1232:
1230:
1227:
1225:
1222:
1220:
1217:
1216:
1214:
1198:
1194:
1191:
1188:
1184:
1181:
1178:
1174:
1171:
1168:
1164:
1161:
1158:
1154:
1151:
1148:
1144:
1141:
1138:
1134:
1131:
1128:
1124:
1121:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1110:
1103:
1099:
1096:
1093:
1089:
1086:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1076:
1071:
1064:
1060:
1057:
1054:
1050:
1047:
1044:
1040:
1037:
1034:
1030:
1026:
1023:
1020:
1016:
1013:
1010:
1006:
1003:
1000:
996:
993:
990:
986:
983:
982:
980:
975:
970:
963:
959:
955:
951:
948:
945:
941:
938:
935:
931:
928:
925:
921:
920:Basil Chotzas
918:
915:
911:
908:
905:
901:
898:
895:
891:
887:
884:
883:
881:
878:
873:
866:
862:
858:
855:
852:
848:
845:
842:
838:
835:
832:
829:
826:
822:
819:
818:
816:
813:
808:
803:
795:
790:
788:
783:
781:
776:
775:
772:
765:
761:
757:
753:
748:
744:
742:0-19-504652-8
738:
734:
733:
728:
724:
721:
715:
711:
710:
704:
700:
696:
692:
688:
684:
683:
677:
674:
670:
666:
664:2-283-60464-8
660:
656:
652:
647:
646:
633:
624:
615:
606:
597:
595:
585:
583:
573:
571:
569:
567:
557:
548:
539:
530:
521:
512:
503:
494:
485:
483:
473:
471:
469:
459:
450:
446:
437:
434:
433:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
403:
401:
397:
393:
383:
381:
375:
372:
368:
362:
360:
359:
354:
350:
346:
340:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
314:
311:
307:
303:
294:
285:
283:
282:
277:
271:
268:
264:
260:
256:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
231:
229:
228:
223:
212:
209:The reign of
207:
205:
194:
190:
186:
182:
179:
178:
173:
169:
165:
161:
152:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
116:
112:
108:
103:
97:
88:
84:
80:
76:
75:John Komnenos
68:Maria Komnene
67:
63:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
34:
33:
27:
24:John Komnenos
22:
19:
1264:Hagia Sophia
1048:
914:Philadelphia
851:Philadelphia
833:(Asia Minor)
755:
751:
730:
708:
681:
654:
632:
623:
614:
605:
556:
547:
538:
529:
520:
511:
502:
493:
458:
449:
410:Some modern
409:
389:
376:
363:
356:
349:Nea Ekklesia
341:
332:
317:Great Palace
299:
279:
272:
232:
225:
208:
177:protostrator
175:
157:
132:Hagia Sophia
128:Great Palace
82:
78:
74:
73:
29:
18:
1219:1201 deaths
1157:Paphlagonia
1116:(1204β1205)
1098:Leo Gabalas
1081:(1203β1204)
1025:Leo Sgouros
977:(1195β1203)
958:Paphlagonia
879:(1185β1195)
825:Adramyttion
814:(1182β1185)
804:, 1182β1205
358:skeuophylax
321:Chalke Gate
239:final siege
1213:Categories
1112:After the
904:Adrianople
442:References
337:Macedonian
329:Hippodrome
227:praetorium
39:Usurpation
1167:Trebizond
1043:Macedonia
1033:Corinthia
999:Macedonia
962:Nicomedia
890:Ivan Asen
764:1479-5078
699:795121713
673:1147-4963
310:Patriarch
185:Komnenian
107:Byzantine
105:), was a
96:romanized
1075:Isaac II
1063:Thessaly
894:Bulgaria
886:Theodore
691:67-20872
430:See also
351:and the
345:Georgian
333:kathisma
170:and the
168:Komnenoi
79:Comnenus
1197:Phrygia
1147:Methone
1029:Argolid
1019:Phrygia
1009:Laconia
653:(ed.),
643:Sources
281:Romania
241:by the
204:Angeloi
164:Turkish
98::
83:the Fat
1187:Nicaea
1177:Epirus
1137:Amisus
1102:Rhodes
1073:Under
989:Thrace
985:Ivanko
972:Under
924:Tarsia
875:Under
865:Nicaea
861:Prussa
841:Cyprus
810:Under
762:
739:
716:
697:
689:
671:
661:
406:Family
331:, the
306:Latins
222:Senate
172:Axouch
65:Mother
55:Father
160:Greek
87:Greek
1077:and
1031:and
888:and
863:and
760:ISSN
737:ISBN
714:ISBN
695:OCLC
687:LCCN
669:ISSN
659:ISBN
398:and
288:Coup
265:and
259:Anna
249:and
162:and
47:Died
85:" (
1215::
960:,
956:,
754:,
693:.
667:,
593:^
581:^
565:^
481:^
467:^
216:r.
198:r.
93:,
89::
1199:)
1195:(
1189:)
1185:(
1179:)
1175:(
1169:)
1165:(
1159:)
1155:(
1149:)
1145:(
1139:)
1135:(
1129:)
1125:(
1104:)
1100:(
1094:)
1090:(
1065:)
1061:(
1055:)
1051:(
1045:)
1041:(
1035:)
1027:(
1021:)
1017:(
1011:)
1007:(
1001:)
997:(
991:)
987:(
964:)
952:(
946:)
942:(
936:)
932:(
926:)
922:(
916:)
912:(
906:)
902:(
896:)
892:(
867:)
859:(
853:)
849:(
843:)
839:(
827:)
823:(
793:e
786:t
779:v
756:2
745:.
701:.
213:(
195:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
