Jean VI Cantacuzène

Rise towards the capacity

Jean Cantacuzène is cousin of Andronic III Paleologist, who creates it Grand Servant, i.e. chief of the armies, which places it in second position in the Byzantine hierarchy.

May 23rd 1328, it takes part in the catch of Constantinople by Andronic III and in the deposition of Andronic II Paleologist. It becomes then, in fact, the Prime Minister for the new government, deciding on all the nominations and controlling the businesses of the State.

On several occasions he refuses the title of Co-emperor or regent, preferring to support the rights of the reigning Emperor.

The civil war (1341-1347)

With died of Andronic III, he becomes regent de facto of the Empire, in spite of the absence of instructions of the late Emperor. He runs up however against the opposition of a large fraction of the population of the Empire and, in particular, the patriarch Jean Kalékas.

Pressed by Alexis Apokaukos to be made proclaim Emperor, Jean Cantacuzène refuses in order to preserve the rights of the Paléologue dynasty and proposes to withdraw businesses; the Anne empress persuades it to remain with the head of the government and it leaves soon to order a military forwarding in order to restore the order in Macedonia then in Thrace.

Apokaukos benefits from its absence to persuade the Kalékas patriarch as well as the empress that Jean Cantacuzène is a usurper and a danger to peace. Taken refuge with Didymotika, it made there proclaim Emperor by his partisans on October 27th, 1341, the nobility of Andrinople announced the election of Jean Cantacuzène to the imperial throne, causing a popular rebellion. The insurrection gained then the main cities of the Empire.

As from April 1343, several towns of Macedonia and Thessalie, giving up the party of Apokaukos, recognized Jean Cantacuzène as Empereur; whereas it had up to that point joined with him, the king Etienne Dusan of Serbia points out the troops which it had placed at his disposal, the insulator militarily in Thessalonique. In 1344, the proper son of Apokaukos, Manual Apokaukos, joins in Cantacuzène, following in that the example of Jean Vatatzès, itself relative of the Kalékas patriarch.

The rallyings were accentuated after the assassination of Apokaukos, on June 11th 1345.

May 21st 1346, Jean Cantacuzène confirms his proclamation as Empereur while agreeing to receive the imperial crown, in Andrinople, of the hands of the Patriarch of Jerusalem but he categorically refuses to make proclaim his Mathieu son as associated emperor. Finally, on February 3rd 1347, it enters to Constantinople.

The reign (1347-1354)

Become Emperor, Jean Cantacuzène takes the title of Jean VI , showing thus that he refuses the precedence of row of the legitimate Emperor, Jean V Paleologist. This arrangement is however not taste of the Paléologue family, which persists in seeing in him only one usurper.

Anxious to bring back peace in the Empire, it grants a general amnesty to those which had fought it, except for Jean Kakélas who always refused to be forgiven like forgiving him and maintained the excommunication which it had pronounced against him in 1341.

It is crowned in the church of the Virgin of the Blachernes by the new patriarch Isidore, on May 21st 1347. Revealing signs of the poverty of the Empire, crowning could not take place with Holy-Sophie, too dilapidated, the crown jewels (guaranteed in Venice) were replaced by small glassware and the crockery was of terra cotta…!

The hésychasme

Born under the last years from the reign of Andronic III, the movement of the Hésychasme develops under the reign of Jean VI threatening the integrity of the orthodoxe Church. Jean VI itself supports the hésychastes which, carried out by Gregoire Palamas, had supported it against Kakélas and Anne of Savoy.

In 1351, Jean VI fact of joining together a council which opens under its presidency with the Palais of Blachernes on May 28th, 1351. The council will conclude with conformity from the hésychasme to orthodoxy. Tomos containing the official decisions of the council was proclaimed in the Holy-Sophie basilica the next on August 15th, then cosigné by the emperor Jean V Paleologist in February 1352.

Interior disorders

The reign of Jean VI is marked by many interior disorders, as well on the social plan as on the military level:

the Black Death falls down on the Empire as of the first year of the reign, devastating Constantinople in particular, worsening the state of discouragement and apathy in which the Byzantines were after two civil wars;

its old allies and those of Anne of Savoy (Venetian and Turkish) are done threatening, in particular Etienne V, tsar of Serbia;

it owes face also with a popular and religious opposition, with a revolt of the Zealoies with Thessalonique;

in August 1348 the génois invade the Corne of Gold and set fire to the Byzantine fleet.

it must yield to the génois Salymbria and Héraclée in 1352, in spite of the contest of the Venetian and must face a new civil war, which opposes it to Jean V, as of 1351.

Reorganization of the Empire

It gives up the division of the empire in topics and inaugurates the system of the prerogatives. The Empire is then divided into three areas:

the Thrace with Constantinople,

the Byzantine Morée (where Jean VI, sends his third Manuel wire like despot of Mistra),

Thessalonique, which remains favorable to the Paleologists.

Abdication and retirement

The population of Constantinople remains however attached to the legitimate dynasty of the Paleologists, and in particular to Jean V and is opposed more and more clearly to Jean VI. The opposition is reinforced in April 1353 when Jean VI fact of proclaiming Co-emperor his son Mathieu Cantacuzène.

This crowning causes the iritation of the Kallistos patriarch, who abdicates and is replaced by Philothéos, declared partisan of Jean VI.

November 22nd 1354, Jean V Paleologist enters to Constantinople, where it is acclaimed by crowd. The next December 1st, it signs with Jean VI an government agreement under the terms of which the two men exert the power jointly, while Mathieu Cantacuzène remained emperor independent of Turkey-red cotton until his death.

Finally, on December 10th, 1354 Jean VI abdicates and revêt the monastic dress by taking the name of Joaspah Cantacuzène ; it enters to the convent Saint-Georges-of-Manganes the, in Constantinople. It will settle later with the monastery of Néa Péribleptos; he died in Mistra near his Manuel son.

His wife, Irene, also take the veil under the name of Eugenie and withdraw themselves with the convent of Kyra Martha.

Jean Cantacuzène will devote the end of his life to the writing of his Mémoires , which was completed in 1369.

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