Χρονολόγηση spring of Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Philadelphia IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ. 1. Historical context

Transcript

1 Περίληψη : In the spring of 1182, John Komnenos Vatatzes, megas domestikos (higher military commander) and dux of the theme of Thrakesion, rebelled against Andronikos Komnenos in Philadelphia. His aim was to defend the right of the underage Alexios II to the throne, which he believed was in danger since Andronikos had assumed regency. At the end of the spring of 1182, the rebel defeated the imperial army which was sent against him but he died a few days later and order was restored in Philadelphia. Χρονολόγηση spring of 1182 Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Philadelphia 1. Historical context In the spring of 1182, John Komnenos Vatatzes, megas domestikos and cousin of Alexios II Komnenos ( ), rebelled in Philadelphia in order to prevent the usurpation of the throne after the arrival of Andronikos Komnenos in Constantinople. Following the death of emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1180), the ascent on the throne of 12-year-old Alexios revealed the political instability already simmering in the empire and finally led to a new civil war. Andronikos, who had confronted Manuel I, his cousin and father of Alexios II, in the past, arrived in Constantinople in order to disable the regents, protosebastos Alexios and queen mother Maria, and assume the custody of the underage emperor. The resentment of the people of Constantinople against the choice of protosebastos Alexios, a protégé of the empress, as a custodian of Alexios II, was great, mainly because he exercised a pro-latin policy. As a result, riots broke out in the city (spring of 1181). The resentment increased when the protosebastos persecuted and arrested his political opponents, spending lavishly at the same time. The hopes of the opposition, consisting mainly of members of the Komnenoi family, were entrusted to Andronikos Komnenos, known for his anti-latin beliefs. Andronikos marched with his army from Paphlagonia, a province he already commanded, towards Constantinople. In the spring of 1182, he camped in Chalcedon and, in May of the same year, his troops slaughtered the Latins of Constantinople. At the same time, a rebellion broke out in Constantinople. Protosebastos Alexios was imprisoned and blinded. Andronikos was welcomed in Constantinople, having satisfied the anti-latin feelings of the citizens. At the same time, the Seljuk raids in Asia Minor had increased after the battle at Myriokephalon (17 September 1176) and the heavy defeat of the Byzantine army. Following the refusal of Manuel I to destroy the fortifications at Dorylaeum (one of the basic terms of his agreement with the sultan of Ikonion Kilitz Arslan II), the Seljuks advanced to the valley of Maiander and pillaged Tralles and other cities of Phrygia. Following the death of Manuel I, Kilitz Arslan conquered Sozopolis and pillaged Kotyaion. In 1182 he besieged Attaleia. During that period, the city of Philadelphia was the seat of the dux of the theme of Thrakesion and was of great importance to the struggle of the Byzantines against the Seljuks due to its fortified walls and its strategic location in the front line of the battles. 2. The rebellion of John Komnenos Vatatzes At the beginning of 1182, Andronikos Komnenos, having abandoned Paphlagonia and already marching towards Constantinople, sent an embassy to John Komnenos Vatatzes, asking him to stand by his side in his attempt to protect young emperor Alexios II. Vatatzes rejected the proposals of Andronikos, considering him a potential usurper of the throne and able to threaten the rights of Alexios II. He did not hesitate to declare his opposition to the new status and refused to comply with the orders of Andronikos Komnenos, starting to organize his resistance in Philadelphia at the same time. Apart from the army he commanded, John Komnenos Vatatzes had the whole population of the city by his side, since he had managed to protect them against the Seljuk raids following the defeat at Myriokephalon. Moreover, he had helped the poor citizens of the city by distributing among them the spoils of his victorious Δημιουργήθηκε στις 5/3/2017 Σελίδα 1/5

2 battles against the Seljuks. The aristocracy of Philadelphia stood by his side, forbidding the entrance of the ambassadors of Andronikos in the city. 1 It also seems that Vatatzes had ensured his back since the dux of the theme of Mylasa and Melanoudion was by his side. Andronikos Komnenos soon decided to take action against the rebel, since Philadelphia was the core of the resistance against him in Asia Minor. 2 A large army was sent against Vatatzes with Andronikos Lapardas, an old general of Manuel I, as its leader. 3 The battle between the rebels and the imperial troops took place at the end of the spring of 1182, while Vatatzes was seriously ill. Not being able to lead the imperial army, he appointed his sons, Manuel and Alexios, as its leaders. He asked, however, to be transferred to a nearby hill on a stretcher in order to watch the progress of the battle and intervene if needed. 4 Vatatzes defeated the imperial troops and Andronikos Lapardas took flight. A few days later, however, the rebel succumbed to his illness and Philadelphia swore allegiance to Andronikos Komnenos, since his sons did not have their father s status nor the ability to inspire the same sense of trust and security to the people of the city. 3. Consequences Following the death of John Komnenos Vatatzes and the restoring of order in Philadelphia, his sons, the leaders of the victorious rebel army against Andronikos Lapardas, initially sought refuge to the sultan of Ikonion and then attempted to escape to Sicily. Their ship, however, was driven ashore to Crete and a member of the Varangian guards who happened to be on the island recognized them and handed them to the local governor. The latter, although he wished to help them, did not have any other choice but to blind them, following an order by Andronikos Komnenos. The rebellion of Vatatzes ended in a civil war between Byzantine armies in Asia Minor. The cities of Asia Minor which had stood by the rebel s side had to face, apart from the pillage of the Seljuks in the country, the imperial troops sent against them. Moreover, the defence of the region was weakened once again, since a large part of the imperial army was removed from the borders in order to participate in the civil war. The turmoil following the rebellion of John Komnenos Vatatzes led to the paralysis of the defensive system of Asia Minor, since Philadelphia, which was the core of the resistance, constituted during that period one of the most important cities to the defence of the eastern border of the empire. 1. Much of the available information about the rebellion comes from the Βίος του αγίου Ιωάννου βασιλέως του Ελεήμονος, Heisenberg, A. (ed.), Kaiser Johannes Batatzes der Barmherzige. Eine mittelgrieschiche Legende, Byzantinische Zeitschrift 14 (1905), written much later. The author of that document refers to a rebel in Philadelphia named Constantine Vatatzes, grandfather of later emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes. The core of the events remains the same with that of the contemporary historian Niketas Choniates (victories of Vatatzes against the Seljuks, rebellion in Philadelphia, defeat of Andronikos Lapardas, refuge of the two sons of the rebel to Crete, etc.). However, certain differences (e.g. in the first document the rebel is named Constantine and his sons Nikephoros and Theodore) and certain exaggerated or unsubstantiated references to numbers (e.g. the army of Vatatzes against the Seljuks consisted of troops, Lapardas was the leader of troops, etc.) question the validity of Βίος compared to the narration of Choniates. 2. John Doukas Angelos, commander of the troops of Nicaea, also resisted. He had refused to open the gates of the city to Andronikos Komnenos during his advance to Constantinople. 3. The Βίος του αγίου Ιωάννου βασιλέως του Ελεήμονος, Heisenberg, A. (ed.), Kaiser Johannes Batatzes der Barmherzige. Eine mittelgrieschiche Legende, Byzantinische Zeitschrift 14 (1905), p. 203, refers to Lapardas as the leader of an army consisting of troops, an unrealistic number for the time being, even if one assumes that all the troops of the western themes and Paphlagonia, loyal to Andronikos Komnenos, were included. 4. Νικήτας Χωνιάτης, Χρονική Διήγησις, van Dieten, J.A. (ed.), Nicetae Choniatae Historia (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 11, Berlin-New York 1975), p Δημιουργήθηκε στις 5/3/2017 Σελίδα 2/5

3 Βιβλιογραφία : Heisenberg A., "Kaiser Johannes Batatzes der Barmherzige. Eine mittelgriechische Legende", Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 14, 1905, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης, Χρονική Διήγησις, van Dieten, J.A. (ed.), Nicetae Choniatae Historia, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 11, Berlin New York 1975 Βρυώνης Σ., Η παρακμή του μεσαιωνικού ελληνισμού στη Μικρά Ασία και η διαδικασία του εξισλαμισμού, ΜΙΕΤ, Αθήνα 1996, Γαλαταριώτου, Κ. (μτφρ.) Cheynet J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance ( ), Paris 1990, Byzantina Sorbonensia 9 Brand C.M., Byzantium confronts the West, , Cambridge 1968 Βαρζός Κ., Η γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών 1-2, Θεσσαλονίκη 1984, Βυζαντινά Κείμενα και Μελέται 20 Σύνοψις Χρονική, Σάθας, Κ.Ν. (επιμ.), Ανωνύμου Σύνοψις Χρονική, Μεσαιωνική Βιβλιοθήκη 7, Βενετία 1894 Cheynet J.-C., "Philadelphie, un quart de siècle de dissidence, ", Philadelphie et autres études, Paris 1984, Byzantina Sorbonensia 4 Δικτυογραφία : Roman Emperors DIR Alexius II Comnenus Γλωσσάριo : doukas (lat. dux) Antiquity: Roman military commander who, in some provinces, combined military and civil functions. Buzantium: a higher military officer. From the second half of the 10th c. the title indicates the military comander of a larger district. After the 12th c., doukes were called the governors of small themes. megas domestikos Supreme military commander of the imperial army. High-ranking title which was generally given to close relatives of the emperor. protosebastos Ηigh-ranking title usually bestowed upon close relatives of the emperor. The title was introduced by Alexios I Komnenos. In the 12th century it was awarded to close associates of the emperor and to members of aristocratic families, such as the Palaiologos, Tarchaneiotes, Raoul and Metochites families. Πηγές New York 1975), pp , , Παραθέματα The Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates on the reaction of John Komnenos Vatatzes against Andronikos Komnenos: ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ μέγας δομέστικος Ἰωάννης ὁ Κομνηνὸς τὴν ἐπαρχίαν διέπων τῶν Θρᾳκησίων οὐ μόνον ἔβυε τὰ ὦτα πρὸς τὰ τοῦ Ἀνδρονίκου ἐπᾴσματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τύραννον διετώθαζεν, οἷα κατόπτρῳ τοῖς γραφομένοις προκύπτον λείῳ καὶ ἀποστίλβοντι καὶ διαφαινόμενον ἐν τούτοις ὁρῶν τὸν πολύμορφον Πρωτέα καὶ τυραννικὸν τὸν τρόπον Ἀνδρόνικον. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 5/3/2017 Σελίδα 3/5

4 New York 1975), p The outbreak of John Komnenos Vatatzes's according to Vatatzes: Καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ δομέστικος Ἰωάννης ὁ ἐκ Κομνηνῶν, ᾧ τὸ ἐπώνυμον Βατάτζης, ἀνὴρ οὐ φαῦλος τὰ τακτικά, πολλὰς δὲ νίκας πολλάκις ἐπανῃρημένος κατὰ Περσῶν, τῇ Φιλαδελφείᾳ ἐνδιατρίβων ἀντεκάθητο γενναίως τῷ Ἀνδρονίκῳ καὶ ὀλιγώρως τῶν τούτου εἶχεν ἐπιταγῶν καὶ ἀπειλοῦντι δεινὰ ἀντενεβριμᾶτο δεινότερα καὶ κακῶς ἀκούων ὡς τυραννίδι ἐπιχειρῶν τῷ ἤδη τετυραννηκότι λαμπρῶς ἐπετίμα τε καὶ ἐπέπληττεν ὡς ἐνστάτῃ δαίμονι τὸ βασίλειον γένος ἐκτρίβοντι. New York 1975), pp The victory of the rebels of Philadelpheia against the imperial forces, described by Choniates: Καὶ Ἀνδρόνικος μὲν ὁπλίζειν ἔγνω κατὰ τοῦ Βατάτζη τὸν Λαπαρδᾶν Ἀνδρόνικον, ἄνδρα βραχὺν μὲν τὸ δέμας, δραστήριον δὲ τὰ πολέμια, οὐκ ὀλίγον αὐτῷ στρατολογήσας ὁπλιτικόν ὁ δὲ Κομνηνὸς Ἰωάννης νόσῳ τότε συνισχημένος καὶ περί που τὴν Φιλαδελφέων πόλιν ἐσκηνημένος ἀντεξάγει τῷ Λαπαρδᾷ τοὺς υἱεῖς, τόν τε Μανουὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξιον. τοῦ δὲ πολέμου συχνὰς μεταλαβόντος τροπάς, ὁποίας αὐτὸς ἴσησι, καὶ πολλῶν ἐξ ἑκατέρων ἀναιρουμένων ταῖς ἐμφυλίοις συμπλοκαῖς, βαρυπενθὴς ἦν ὁ Βατάτζης τῇ ἐνσκηψάσῃ καχεξίᾳ ἐπιστυγνάζων ὡς ἀμφοτέραις αὐτὸν συσχούσῃ καὶ καταβαλούσῃ δυστυχῶς ἐπὶ κλίνης, ὅτε δημοσιεύειν ἔδει καὶ παριστᾶν ὃ τρέφει περὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ γενναῖον καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ νίκῃ νενομισμένας φωνὰς πρὸς τῶν ἑῴων πόλεων δέχεσθαι, ἔτι δὲ πιστοῦσθαι τοῖς ἔργοις πρὸς οἷον ἀντιφέρεται ἀρχηγὸν ὁ βαθυγέρων Ἀνδρόνικος. πράγμασι δὲ καθυποδεικνὺς ὡς προθυμία καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνίστησι καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν καρδίας αἰσθητικῆς ἰσχυρότερον, αἴρειν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ κλινιδίου αὐτοσκεύου προτρέπεται καὶ στῆσαι φέροντας ἐν γηλόφῳ, ὅθεν ὁρατὰ οἱ τὰ κατὰ πόλεμον ἔσοιτο. οὗ δὴ γεγονότος καὶ τοὺς υἱεῖς αὐτοῦ τὴν στρατιὰν κατὰ τὸν δοκοῦντα οἱ τρόπον ἐκτάξαι κελεύσαντος, ἡ νίκη περιφανῶς πρὸς τὸ ἐκείνου μετέβη στράτευμα, τὸ δὲ τοῦ Λαπαρδᾶ τὰ νῶτα μεταβαλὸν ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἦν χρόνον διωκόμενον καὶ κτεινόμενον. New York 1975), p Niketas Choniates on the outcome of the rebellion of John Komnenos Vatatzes and the adventures of their sons: Μετὰ βραχείας δ ἡμέρας τὸν βίον καταστρέψαντος τοῦ Βατάτζη, οἱ Φιλαδελφεῖς πικρῶς ἐπ αὐτῷ καὶ βύθιον ὀλολύξαντες προσχωρεῖν ἐγνώκεισαν Ἀνδρονίκῳ, ὡς μὴ εἶναι ὅστις οὐ τῶν ἁπάντων. οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐς αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλεύουσαν πόλιν τὸ τῆς προθυμίας πτερὸν ἔλυον καὶ Ἀνδρόνικον θεραπεύοντες κατὰ τοῦ ἀετιδοῦς ὄρνιθος τοῦ Βατάτζη καὶ τῶν ἐκείνου νεοττῶν ἔκρωζον ὡς κορῶναι λακέρυζαι ἢ γοῦν ὡς κηφῆνες περιεβόμβουν ἀγυιὰς καὶ ἀνάκτορα, ὁποῖον δὴ τῶν κακοσχόλων τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα καὶ τῶν δικρόαν τρεφόντων γλῶτταν ἐπὶ τοῦ στόματος. οἱ δὲ τοῦ μεγάλου δομεστίκου υἱοὶ δείσαντες, μὴ συσχεθεῖεν καὶ καταπροδοθεῖεν Ἀνδρονίκῳ, μεθίστανται ἐκεῖθεν καὶ τῷ Ἰκονιεῖ σουλτὰν προσρύονται οἳ καὶ ὕστερον ἐξ ὧν ἔπαθον προδήλως ὑπέδειξαν μὴ ἐξεῖναι τὰς πάγας ὑπεραλέσθαι τινὰ ἢ τὸ ἀμφίβληστρον διεκδῦναι, ὃ ἡ ἄνωθεν ἐξέτεινε πρόνοια. δυσχεράναντες γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ μετὰ τοῦ σουλτάνου χρονίᾳ διατριβῇ ὡς οὐκ ἀμύνειν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐκείνοις ἐθέλοντος εἰς Σικελίαν ἀπαίρειν κεκρίκασι. καὶ δὴ νηὸς ἐπιβάντες καὶ οὐρίῳ τὰ πρῶτα πνεύματι χρώμενοι τὸ Κρητικὸν διαπλωΐζονται πέλαγος κατὰ δὲ τοῦτο τοῦ πνεύματος ἀντιστάντος ἀναγκαστῶς τῇ Κρήτῃ προσίσχουσι καὶ γνωσθέντες παρά τινος ἐκεῖσε φυλάσσοντος (γένος οὗτος τοῦ πελεκυφόρου καὶ Κελτικοῦ) συλλαμβάνονται καὶ τῷ τῆς Κρήτης δασμολόγῳ καταμηνύονται. ὁ δὲ ᾑρεῖτο μὲν τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκσῶσαι καὶ τῆς νήσου ἀρτεμέας ἐκπέμψαι, ἄλφιτα αὐτοῖς ὑδρευσάμενος καὶ οἶνον ἐπισιτισάμενος καὶ τἆλλα τὰ πρὸς τὸν πλοῦν ἐπιτήδεια χορηγήσας, οὐκ ἔχων δ ὅπως περανεῖ τὰ κατὰ σκοπὸν (καταφανεῖς γὰρ ἤδη τοῖς ἅπασιν ἐγεγόνεισαν) δῆλα τίθησιν Ἀνδρονίκῳ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς τάλανας Κομνηνούς. καὶ οὗτος μισοφαὴς ὢν καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν κόραις ἀκορέστως ἀντικαθήμενος τοῦ φωτὸς τούτους ἀποστερεῖ. New York 1975), pp Δημιουργήθηκε στις 5/3/2017 Σελίδα 4/5

5 Χρονολόγιο 24 September 1180: Death of Manuel I Komnenos. Ascent of underage Alexios II to the throne spring of 1181: Rebellion of the people of Constantinople spring of 1182: John Komnenos Vatatzes opposes Andronikos Komnenos end of spring of 1182: Victory of the rebel army of Vatatzes against the imperial troops. Death of John Komnenos Vatatzes May 1182: Andronikos Komnenos enters Constantinople Δημιουργήθηκε στις 5/3/2017 Σελίδα 5/5