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John Doukas (son of Nikephoros Bryennios)

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John Doukas (Greek: Ἰωάννης Δούκας, c. 1103 – after 1173) was a Byzantine aristocrat and military commander.

Life

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Born around 1103, John was a younger son of the general and historian Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger and Anna Komnene, the eldest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).[1] In the sources, he is never referred to with the surnames "Komnenos" or "Bryennios", but always with the name "Doukas", which he inherited from his maternal grandmother, Empress Irene Doukaina.[2] He married at the same time as his older brother, Alexios, in 1122. John too married a princess from an unnamed Caucasian principality, whose original name is not known. She had come to the Byzantine court at a young age, become a ward of Irene Doukaina and Anna Komnene, and received the name Theodora.[3]

John was active as a military commander, but few details are known about his career.[4] In 1138 he was away on campaign against the Seljuk Turks near the Sangarios River, when his wife died.[5] Later, likely during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180), John fought against the Turks in Anatolia, against the Italo-Normans, and in the Caucasus (likely against Georgia).[6] In 1140/1142 John married a second time. The name and identity of his wife are not known, other than that she was a Byzantine noblewoman noted for her intelligence and education.[7] The historian Konstantinos Varzos hypothesizes that she was possibly the daughter of the senior official Michael Hagiotheodorites.[8]

In 1166, John participated in a church synod that tried the bishop of Lampe for heresy.[6] Both Eustathius of Thessalonica and Constantine Manasses praise John's bravery in their works, as well as his erudition.[9] John died some time after 1173.[10]

Issue

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From his first marriage, John had a son, Nikephoros, who likely died at an early age, certainly before 1144.[11]

From his second marriage, John had several children:

  • Nikephoros (c. 1144–1173), he was of a scholarly inclination and a student of Eustathius of Thessalonica. He became a sebastos and epi ton deeseon. He married and had offspring, whose names are unknown.[12]
  • Andronikos (born c. 1148), became a sebastos and had a military career. Little is known about his life or his family.[13]
  • Alexios (born c. 1150), became a sebastos and had a military career. Little is known about his life or his family.[14]
  • Manuel (born c. 1160), is only mentioned on the occasion of his brother Nikephoros' death in 1173. Nothing is known about his life or his family.[15]
  • Several daughters, whose number of names are not known[16]

References

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  1. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 317.
  2. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 317 (note 2).
  3. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 318.
  4. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 319–320.
  5. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 318, 319–320.
  6. ^ a b Varzos 1984a, p. 320.
  7. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 319, 322–323.
  8. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 319.
  9. ^ Varzos 1984a, p. 321.
  10. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 322.
  11. ^ Varzos 1984b, p. 86.
  12. ^ Varzos 1984b, pp. 87–95.
  13. ^ Varzos 1984b, pp. 95–97.
  14. ^ Varzos 1984b, pp. 98–99.
  15. ^ Varzos 1984b, pp. 99–101.
  16. ^ Varzos 1984a, pp. 324, 326.

Sources

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  • Varzos, Konstantinos (1984). Η Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών [The Genealogy of the Komnenoi] (PDF) (in Greek). Vol. A. Thessaloniki: Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Thessaloniki. OCLC 834784634.
  • Varzos, Konstantinos (1984). Η Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών [The Genealogy of the Komnenoi] (PDF) (in Greek). Vol. B. Thessaloniki: Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Thessaloniki. OCLC 834784665.
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