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Alexios III AngelosByzantine Emperor from 1195 to 1203
Date of Birth: 01.01.1153
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- The Rule of Manuel Komnenos
- The Rise of Andronikos Komnenos
- Andronikos Komnenos's Regency
- The Assassination of Alexios II
- Alexios III's Exile and Return
- The Reign of Alexios III
- The Fourth Crusade
- Alexios III's Downfall
Early Life and Family
The Angelos dynasty was founded by Constantine Angelos, an admiral of Sicily who married Theodora, the younger daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Alexios III's father was Andronikos Doukas Angelos, a military commander in Asia Minor, and his mother was Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. As emperor, Alexios III added the name Komnenos to his surname, emphasizing his noble lineage.
The Rule of Manuel Komnenos
Emperor Manuel Komnenos died on September 24, 1180, designating his young son Alexios as his heir. A struggle for the regency ensued, with the Latin and patriotic parties vying for control.
The Rise of Andronikos Komnenos
In 1182, Andronikos Komnenos, a cousin of Manuel, revolted from Paphlagonia. Supported by the provincial population, he raised an army against the imperial forces led by Andronikos Angelos. After defeating the imperial army at Charax, Andronikos Angelos defected to Andronikos Komnenos, who welcomed him with the biblical quote, "Behold, I send an angel before you, who will prepare your way before you."
Andronikos Komnenos's Regency
Upon entering the capital, Andronikos Komnenos declared his loyalty to the young emperor Alexios II as his regent. However, he gradually consolidated his power, exiling and blinding noblemen. In 1182, he ordered the execution of Maria of Antioch, Alexios II's mother.
The Assassination of Alexios II
In 1183, Andronikos Komnenos was proclaimed co-emperor. Shortly after, Alexios II was assassinated by Tripsykh and Daddibrin, strangling him with a bowstring. Andronikos then married Alexios's widow, the 11-year-old French princess Anne.
Alexios III's Exile and Return
In 1183, Alexios Angelos, along with his brothers and father, participated in an unsuccessful plot against Andronikos Komnenos. He fled to Palestine but returned to the court of his brother Isaac in 1190. According to Geoffrey of Villehardouin and Robert de Clari, Isaac ransomed his older brother from Muslim captivity.
The Reign of Alexios III
In 1195, Alexios III blinded Isaac and seized the throne. His reign was marked by incompetence and a lack of leadership. The empire fell into further decline, with power concentrated in the hands of the aristocracy.
The Fourth Crusade
In 1203, Alexios IV, the son of the deposed Isaac, arrived with the Fourth Crusade to reclaim the throne. After a brief reign, Alexios IV was killed by the Crusaders, and the city of Constantinople fell to the Europeans in 1204. The Byzantine Empire fragmented into a number of independent states.
Alexios III's Downfall
Alexios III fled into exile after the fall of Constantinople. He spent the rest of his life wandering through the former Byzantine lands, unable to find refuge. In 1210, he sought sanctuary at the court of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, where he unsuccessfully attempted to seize the throne of the Nicaean Empire. Defeated in battle, Alexios III ended his days in a monastery.
