Andronicus I Comnenus (1183-1185)

Alexius II Comnenus (1180-1183), minor

Andronicus 1st Comnenus, Byzantine emperor (1183-85), the most questionable personality of Byzantine History. He had a turbulent life and career and remained one of the the most interesting figures in Byzantine history. His love affairs were a topic of discussion in the Byzantine court, while his valiance and courage on the field of the battle were evidence of a man powerful and able enough to assume supreme authority.

Until his 20's he was a very close friend to his cousin, Manuel I, until the latter, became emperor, in August 1143. But Andronicus' intention always had been to take the throne, and begun conspiracies against his cousin. He was thrown to jail in 1154 and after two attempts, he managed to escape with the help of his faithfull wife, after 10 years of imprisonment. He begun a life of action, adventure and love affairs. He rode to Hungary and later to Russia where he was received by prince Giaruslav. Later Andronicus asked asylum to the king of Jerusalem, Amalarihos I. But the emperor always was after him and threatened anyone who would protect the traitor. Andronicus met Theodora Comnena, fell in love with her, and they escaped. They asked asylum to Nuredin, sultan of Syria and Mesopotamia. There they met Saladin who later will become a hero for all musulmans.

Always fugitives and chased by the emperor (Vasileus), they left Bagdhat and reached the ancient city Colhis of Kaukasus, where they asked for asylum, to the king of Georgia, George III, who was brother of Andronicus' former wife. In 1180, Andronicus returned to the City and asked for forgiveness. The sentimental emperor forgave his cousin, who moved to the city of Inoi in the coast of Black Sea.

Manuel died and the successor to the throne was his twelve-year old son Alexios II. Due to the minority of the young emperor, the regency was assumed by his mother Maria. In reality, however, the power was exercised by the protosebastos Alexios Komnenos who was particularly hostile to the people. The Byzantine state was in need of a powerful leader in order to confront the internal and external perils. The cousin of the emperor Manuel, Andronikos was considered by many the most suitable to assume power.

Andronicus acceded to the throne by murdering all those who considered as a threat to his power. He strangled the young Alexios, his mother Maria and dozens of others. In 1182 he caused the slaughter of Constantinople's Westerners. He was a cruel and notorious ruler, but the same time he was a reformer who tried to remove the social and economic inequalities. He took strict measures to protect the peasants against the great landowners, chose competent servants for the administrative services, enforced honesty on the tax collectors, gave satisfactory salaries in order to avoid bribery and was the terror of corrupt officials. He used to say "There is no power enough to stop the emperor's will". Despite the nobility of his objectives, the means he used in order to impose his policy were anything but that. Especially in his struggle against aristocracy, he turned the governing of the state into terrorism.

The laxity of the state in the days of his government gave Hungarians, under the command of Vellas III, the opportunity to move against him in 1181 and to occupy the regions of Dalmatia, Croatia and Sirmium. Two years after, Hungarians with Serbs destroyed Beograd, Naissos and Sophia. Serb king Nemania declared the independence of his state.

Revolutions against the violent regime imposed by Andronikos I, broke out also in Asia Minor. Furthermore, in 1184 Isaac Komnenos, who was emperor's relative, took over Cyprus, detaching it from the empire. The worst blow, however, for the empire came from the Normans of Italy who were under the reign of William II of Sicily. After assaulting Dyrrachion, and occupying Corfu, Kefallenia and Zante, they moved on Thessalonike, which was occupied and plundered by them in August 24, 1185. Thessalonike then was under the command of the incompetent general David Comnenus. The atrocities of the conquerors are described in a particularly vivid way by the metropolite of the city Eustathios. The continuance of the Norman march towards the Capital aroused reactions against Andronikos I. The outraged crowd arrested and tore the last member of the Komnenos dynasty to pieces in the streets of Constantinople, thus he met a horrible fate, in September 12, 1185. This was the end of Comnenus dynasty.