Irlandos at 10:01, September 4, 2006

2006-09-04T10:01:13Z

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'''Theodore II Doukas Laskaris''' or '''Ducas Lascaris''' ([[Greek Language|Greek]]: Θεόδωρος Β΄ Δούκας Λάσκαρις, ''Theodōros II Doukas Laskaris'') ([[1221]]/[[1222]]–[[August 18]] [[1258]]) was [[Byzantine emperor|emperor]] of [[Empire of Nicaea|Nicaea]], [[1254]]–[[1258]].

==Life==

Theodore II Doukas Laskaris was the only son of Emperor [[John III Doukas Vatatzes]] and [[Irene Lascarina|Eirene Laskarina]], the daughter of Emperor [[Theodore I Laskaris]] and [[Anna Angelina]]. Anna was a daughter of Emperor [[Alexios III Angelos]] and [[Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamaterina]].

Theodore II received a scholarly education and remained devoted to science and art throughout his life. In contrast with earlier practice, Theodore II was not crowned co-emperor with his father, though he assisted in the government since c. [[1241]]. On the death of John III on [[November 4]], [[1254]], Theodore II was acclaimed emperor by the army and the court, but was crowned only after the appointment of a new patriarch, [[Arsenius Autoreianus|Arsenios Autoreianos]], in [[1255]].

The succession of Theodore II was exploited by the Bulgarians, who invaded [[Thrace]] under the leadership of the young and inexperienced Michael Asen I of Bulgaria in 1255. In spite of his own scholarly predisposition, Theodore II immediately marched against the Bulgarians and inflicted a crushing defeat on them. During his second expedition in [[1256]], he managed to conclude a favorable peace with Bulgaria, which may have plunged the latter into a crisis of leadership. Theodore II followed up his victory against Bulgaria by expanding his control in the west, where he annexed Durazzo and [[Servia]], effectively outflanking his rivals in [[Despotate of Epirus|Epirus]].

Internally, Theodore II favored bureaucrats from the middle classes, instead of members of the great aristocratic families. This caused considerable opposition by the nobility to the emperor and his chief minister, the ''megas domestikos'' George Mouzalon. The conflict led to the exile of one of the leaders of the aristocratic faction, the future Emperor [[Michael VIII Palaeologus]], who was accused of conspiring with the Seljuks of Rum. In the midst of this crisis, Theodore II's epileptic condition worsened, and the emperor died on [[August 18]] [[1258]], leaving George Mouzalon as the [[regent]] for his minor son [[John IV Laskaris]].

==Family==

Theodore II Doukas Laskaris married Elena, daughter of Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria in [[1235]], by whom he had several children including:
* [[John IV Laskaris|John IV Doukas Laskaris]]
* Eirene Doukaina Laskarina, who married Constantine I of Bulgaria
* Maria Doukaina Laskarina, who married [[Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas]] of [[Despotate of Epirus|Epirus]]

Michael VIII Palaiologos, having taken the imperial throne and made the 11-year old John IV ineligible for the emperorship by blinding, had Theodore's daughters married off to foreigners, so their descendants could not threaten his own children's claim to the imperial succession.

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{{succession box | before=[[John III Doukas Vatatzes|John III]] | title=[[Byzantine Emperor]] | years=1254–1258 | after=[[John IV Laskaris|John IV]]}}
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==References==
* ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', Oxford University Press, 1991.

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:1220s births]]
[[Category:1258 deaths]]
[[Category:Laskarid dynasty]]
[[Category:Byzantine emperors]]

Theodore II Lascaris - Revision history

Irlandos at 10:01, September 4, 2006