John VII Palaiologos
Encyclopedia
John VII Palaiologos (Greek
: Ιωάννης Ζ' Παλαιολόγος, Iōannēs VII Palaiologos) (1370 – 22 September 1408) was Byzantine Emperor for five months in 1390.
and Keratsa of Bulgaria
, a daughter of Emperor Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
and Theodora of Wallachia
. He should not be confused with his cousin John VIII Palaiologos, the son of his uncle Manuel II, who succeeded his father.
When his father Andronikos IV usurped the throne from his father John V Palaiologos
in 1376, John VII was associated as co-emperor. Both father and son were overthrown and partly blinded in 1379, but Andronikos IV kept his imperial status and was granted Selymbria (Silivri
) as his domain by John V. When Andronikos IV died in 1385, John VII perhaps succeeded to his father's position.
On April 14, 1390 John VII Palaiologos ousted to his grandfather John V and maintained himself on the throne for five months, until John V was restored by his son Manuel
with the help of the Republic of Venice
John VII sought refuge with Bayezid I
of the Ottoman Empire
on September 17, 1390. Bayezid confirmed John VII in his father's domain of Selymbria, and relations improved with Manuel II, who may have recognized John VII as his intended heir (at that time his own sons were not yet born).
In 1399, after Bayezid I had been besieging Constantinople
for some five years, Manuel II left to ask for military aid in Western Europe
and left John VII as Regent
to defend the capital. John VII discharged his duties well, hoping for a miracle, which occurred when Bayezid was defeated by Timur
at the Battle of Ankara
(July 20, 1402).
The defeat was followed by a civil war in the Ottoman Empire
, as rival Ottoman princes sought peace and friendship with the Byzantine Empire. Taking advantage of this time of Ottoman weakness, John VII entered into a treaty that secured the return of much of the Turkish-occupied coast on the European side of the Sea of Marmara
, with a special concession of the city of Thessalonica on the Aegean Sea
. Thessalonica had been governed by Manuel II before its conquest by the Turks in 1387. On Manuel II's return John VII dutifully returned power to him and was allowed to retire to Thessalonica, which had been recently ceded back to Byzantium. There he governed as a semi-independent ruler for the rest of his life (1403–1408), using the title "Emperor of All Thessaly". John VII was allowed to keep the title of emperor (Basileus), and he associated his own young son, Andronikos V
(born about 1400), with him at an uncertain date, but Andronikos V predeceased his father in 1407.
, John VII Palaiologos had at least one son:
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ιωάννης Ζ' Παλαιολόγος, Iōannēs VII Palaiologos) (1370 – 22 September 1408) was Byzantine Emperor for five months in 1390.
Life
John VII Palaiologos was the son of Emperor Andronikos IV PalaiologosAndronikos IV Palaiologos
Andronikos IV Palaiologos was Byzantine Emperor from 1376 to 1379.-Life:...
and Keratsa of Bulgaria
Keratsa of Bulgaria
Keratsa-Maria of Bulgaria was the daughter of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria and his second wife, a converted Jewess, Theodora.-Marriage:On 17 August 1355 Keratsa was betrothed to the future Emperor Andronikos IV Palaiologos...
, a daughter of Emperor Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
and Theodora of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
. He should not be confused with his cousin John VIII Palaiologos, the son of his uncle Manuel II, who succeeded his father.
When his father Andronikos IV usurped the throne from his father John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
in 1376, John VII was associated as co-emperor. Both father and son were overthrown and partly blinded in 1379, but Andronikos IV kept his imperial status and was granted Selymbria (Silivri
Silivri
Silivri is a city and a district in Istanbul Province along the Sea of Marmara in Turkey, outside of metropolitan Istanbul, containing many holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city. The largest city in the district is also named Silivri...
) as his domain by John V. When Andronikos IV died in 1385, John VII perhaps succeeded to his father's position.
On April 14, 1390 John VII Palaiologos ousted to his grandfather John V and maintained himself on the throne for five months, until John V was restored by his son Manuel
Manuel II Palaiologos
Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...
with the help of the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
John VII sought refuge with Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
on September 17, 1390. Bayezid confirmed John VII in his father's domain of Selymbria, and relations improved with Manuel II, who may have recognized John VII as his intended heir (at that time his own sons were not yet born).
In 1399, after Bayezid I had been besieging Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
for some five years, Manuel II left to ask for military aid in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and left John VII as Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
to defend the capital. John VII discharged his duties well, hoping for a miracle, which occurred when Bayezid was defeated by Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
at the Battle of Ankara
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20, 1402, took place at the field of Çubuk between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the Turko-Mongol forces of Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to a period of crisis for...
(July 20, 1402).
The defeat was followed by a civil war in the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum began in 20 July 1402, when chaos reigned in the Ottoman Empire following the defeat of Sultan Bayezid I by the Turco-Mongol warlord Timur...
, as rival Ottoman princes sought peace and friendship with the Byzantine Empire. Taking advantage of this time of Ottoman weakness, John VII entered into a treaty that secured the return of much of the Turkish-occupied coast on the European side of the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
, with a special concession of the city of Thessalonica on the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. Thessalonica had been governed by Manuel II before its conquest by the Turks in 1387. On Manuel II's return John VII dutifully returned power to him and was allowed to retire to Thessalonica, which had been recently ceded back to Byzantium. There he governed as a semi-independent ruler for the rest of his life (1403–1408), using the title "Emperor of All Thessaly". John VII was allowed to keep the title of emperor (Basileus), and he associated his own young son, Andronikos V
Andronikos V Palaiologos
Andronikos V Palaiologos was co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire with his father John VII Palaiologos.-Life:...
(born about 1400), with him at an uncertain date, but Andronikos V predeceased his father in 1407.
Family
By his wife Irene GattilusioIrene Gattilusio
Irene Gattilusio, born Eugenia Gattilusio was the wife of John VII Palaiologos, a Byzantine Emperor in 1390.-Family:She was a daughter of Francesco II of Lesbos and Valentina Doria....
, John VII Palaiologos had at least one son:
- Andronikos V PalaiologosAndronikos V PalaiologosAndronikos V Palaiologos was co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire with his father John VII Palaiologos.-Life:...
, Byzantine emperor (co-emperor)
Sources
- George T. Dennis, 'An unknown Byzantine emperor, Andronicus V Palaeologus', in Jahrbuch der Oesterreichischen Byzantinistik 16 (1967), 175–187.
- Franz DölgerFranz DölgerFranz Dölger was a German Byzantinist. He is most notable for his crucial contributions to Byzantine diplomatics, and as the chief editor of the journal Byzantinische Zeitschrift from 1931 to 1963...
, 'Johannes VII., Kaiser der Rhomäer', in Byzantinische Zeitschrift 31 (1931), 21–36 - Harris, Jonathan, The End of Byzantium. Yale University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978 0 30011786 8
- Eurydice Lappa-Zizicas, 'Le voyage de Jean VII. Paléologue en Italie', in Revue des Études Byzantines 34 (1976), 139–142.
- P. Wirth, 'Zum Geschichtsbild Kaiser Johannes VII.', in Byzantion 35 (1965), 592–600.