Andronic II Paleologist

Andronic II Paleologist , born the March 25th 1259, died with Monte Athos the February 13rd 1332, it was Byzantine Empereur December 11th 1282 with the May 23rd 1328, he is the son of Michel VIII Paleologist and Théodora Vatatzès.

Restoration of orthodoxy

Associated with the throne in 1272, Andronic II goes up on the throne decided to proclaim the restoration and the total independence of orthodoxy: its first instrument consists in denouncing the {{IIe}} council of Lyon and proclaiming the return to orthodoxy.

Under the pressure of his/her aunt Eulogie Palélogue, Andronic retracts its adhesion with the Union and makes stop, on December 26th, 1282, the patriarch Jean XI Vekkos, restoring the patriarch Joseph on his throne.

It also makes release all the prisoners who had survived terror under Michel VIII and makes purify the Holy-Sophie basilica of Constantinople. The priests who had been used as emissary between Michel VIII and the Pope, and who had heard the Latin mass, were excluded from the clergy.

The restoration of orthodoxy generated excesses however that Andronic did not try to repress: thus, in January 1283, a council meets in Constantinople to judge Jean Veccos.

In the same way, the restoration of the Joseph patriarch revived the fight between arsenites and joséphites , although the former patriarch Arsène Autorianos was for a long time deceased. In died of Joseph, on March 23rd, 1283, Andronic II believed to find a solution by naming patriarch laic, Georges of Cyprus, known to be an eminent scholar and who assembled on the throne patriarchal under the name of Gregoire II. This nomination did not calm the controversy and Gregoire II had to abdicate in June 1289.

The patriarchat of Athanase

To succeed Gregoire II, Andronic II obtains the election with the throne patriarchal of Athanase, hermit of the Mont Athos, known for its ascetic lifestyle and as being attached to the principles of the primitive Monachisme. Anxious to reform the Church, Athanase denounced excesses of the priests, shown to pile up richnesses and confiscated the goods of the monasteries to the profit of the needy ones. This policy caused the hostility of the inhabitants of Constantinople, so much so that Athanase had to abdicate in October 1293; it was withdrawn by writing an act anathémisant its detractors, who was discovered only after his death.

Athanase was replaced by the monk Cosmas de Sozopolis, who became patriarch under the name of Jean XII. This one entered quickly in conflict with the Emperor and had to abdicate in June 1303, making it possible Andronic II to point out Anastase.

During its second patriarchat, Athanase renews the policy which it had followed at the time of its first reign, ressuscitant the animosity of the clergy and the population: it thus came from there to strip the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioche and Jerusalem of their properties.

Succession of the patriarchs

Abdicating definitively in September 1309, Athanase was replaced by Niphon, bishop of Cyzique. This one was replaced in April 1314 by Jean Glykys, itself replaced in 1319 by the monk Gérasimos.

This instability with the head of the Church was however only apparent because the successive patriarchs transfer their prerogatives widened and reinforced by the Emperor himself. Thus, in November 1312, Andronic detached the Mont Athos of its authority to place it under the authority of the patriarch, deciding that the Primacy of the monasteries from now on would be named by the patriarch.

Interior policy

Inside, Andronic II lets control its ministers (Muzalon, Métochites).

Its reign is marked by the dilapidation of public finances, the relaxation of the administrative system, the reduction of manpower of the army, the removal of the fleet of war.

Financial problems

In order to support the economy, Andronic reduces the means of defense but runs up against the feudalization of the great properties, consequence of the decision of his/her father to authorize the hereditary transmission of the properties received in pronoia : instead of making return to the imperial field to died of their recipient, these grounds pass to the heirs to this one; as for the obligation of military aid which fell traditionally on the pronoiaires , it had fallen in disuse under the reign from Michel VIII.

This feudalization of the great détoune fields thus of important incomes to the profit of the aristocracy and the monasteries.

Supported by Athanase, Andronic II tries to subject to the tax the great landowners, laic O religious but raises great protests. In 1283, it raises a dîme to arm the fleet intended to fight in Thessalie but the pronoiaires make support the load of this tax on their farmers, who see their situation then worsening.

The economic difficulties also involve a massive depreciation of the Byzantine currency, the gold currency becoming thus an object of hoarding.

Diplomacy

In June 1285, Andronic signs a commercial treaty with the Venetian ones, ensuring a district of businesses to them Constantinople and confirming the rights of the Republic of Venice on principality of Négrepont has. July 22nd 1296, however, the Venetian ones attacked the colony génoise Galata and Andronic II made stop all the Venetian residents of Constantinople.

The commercial competition between Venice and Genoa led thus to an armed confrontation between Venice and Byzance, which ended only with one new agreement signed in September 1302 and renewed in 1310. This agreement obliged Byzance however to pour a strong allowance with the Venetian ones.

Military campaigns

The rebuilding of the empire was called into question by the wars threatening the borders by the Serb ones, the Bulgarian ones, Latin, and the Greeks of Épire and Thessalonique, which obliges it with the defensive in spite of the annexation of the Valachie in 1318.

In 1302, its armies, ordered by his/her oldest son, the associated basileus Michel IX Paleologist, is overcome by the Turks close to Magnésie, then with Nicomédie. This last defeat makes it possible to the Turks to advance until the Marmara Sea.

In Asia, to stop the advance of the Turks, it calls upon Catalan mercenaries, the Almogavres, ordered by Roger de Flor, which reject the Turks to the mountains of the Taurus. In front of military successes of Roger de Flor and his influence on Anatolia, Andronic makes it assassinate during a banquet. The companies of Catalans, in order to avenge their commander, quickly will devastate the empire and will be established in the Latin duchy of Athens.

The Turks, released of the military constraints, will leave with the Empire only some places in Asia Mineure.

Family difficulties

Successive marriages

1 - In 1272, Andronic marries Anne of Hungary, girl of the king Etienne V of Hungary: if this marriage were arranged by his/her father Michel VIII for political reasons, it was not less one happy marriage and Andronic was very affected death of his wife, in 1281. Two children were born from this union:

Michel , which became the associated basileus Michel IX Paleologist;

Constantin Porphyrogénète , which accepted the title of despot.

2 - In 1284, it remarie with Yolande de Montferrat, girl of Guillaume V of Montferrat and Beatrice de Castille. This marriage makes it possible Andronic to make sure the title of king de Thessalonique , carried by his/her father-in-law and to extinguish the claims of the Montferrat family on Thessalonique. Renamed Irene, this second wife gave him four children:

Theodore Paleologist , which inherited the marquisat of Montferrat and left in Italy where it founded another Paléologue dynasty;

Jean Paleologist , which married a girl of the minister Nicéphore Choumnos and died without posterity;

Démétrios Paleologist , which left three children;

Simone Paleologist, born in 1292, died after 1336, married in 1300 with Etienne Uros II of Serbia († 1321)

Anxious to respect the Latin traditions, Irene required that the Empire was shared between all the children of Andronic, thus ensuring a share of the heritage to her own sons the detriment of Michel IX. Andronic was opposed to it and Irene left Constantinople with her sons to be established with Thessalonique where it did not cease any more intriguing against her husband. She died there in 1317.

Succession

Andronic II hoping to ensure its succession made, of alive sound, to crown basilei associated his/her son Michel IX Paleologist and his grandson Andronic III Paleologist.

Raised by his grandfather, the young person Andronic III showed signs of impatience however, trying to have a personal principality in Arménie or Morée. Being itself enthusiast of a lady of Constantinople, it assembled one evening a ambush to eliminate one from its rivals; unfortunately, in the night, its henchmen were mistaken in victim and assassinated his/her younger brother, Manuel Paleologist .

Michel IX was so affected by this accident which he died on October 12th 1320, in Thessalonique and Andronic II disavowed its grandson, relieving it with the profit of the younger brother of Michel, Constantin Porphyrogénète.

Benefitting from the unpopularity of his/her grandfather, Andronic III Paleologist declared the war to him: a compromise was then found, under the terms of which Andronic II associated its grandson with the throne but preserved the essence of the imperial capacity, thus preventing Andronic III and its advisers to carry out the reforms for which the need was felt. The civil war began again however in 1326 and Andronic III carried out a propaganda intended to increase its popularity in the army as in the public opinion.

Supported by the patriarch, Andronic III forced his grandfather to abdicate on May 23rd 1328. Become almost blind, Andronic II became monk under the name of Antoine and withdrew in 1330 in a monastery where he died on February 13rd 1332.

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