Nicholas Orsini was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1317 to 1323 and ruler of
EpirusThe Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
from 1318 to 1323.
Nicholas was the son of Count John I Orsini of Cephalonia by Maria, a daughter of
Nikephoros I Komnenos DoukasNikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Latinized as Nicephorus I Comnenus Ducas , was ruler of Epirus from 1267/8 to c. 1297.-Life:Nikephoros was the eldest son of Michael II Komnenos Doukas and Theodora Petraliphaina...
of Epirus by Maria Doukaina Laskarina. His father governed Cephalonia as a vassal of King
Charles II of NaplesCharles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
, and had acquired Leukas as his wife's dowry. Nicholas succeeded to the county on his father's death in 1317, but unlike his predecessors was more interested in intervening in Epirus than in the Latin possessions in southern
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. In 1318 he surprised and murdered his uncle
Thomas I Komnenos DoukasThomas I Komnenos Doukas ruler of Epirus from c. 1297 until his death in 1318.Thomas was the son of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas and Anna Kantakouzene, a niece of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. In 1290 he was conferred the court dignity of despotes by his mother's cousin, Emperor Andronikos...
of Epirus and easily subdued the entire southern portion of the principality around
ArtaArta is a city with a rich history in northwestern Greece, capital of the peripheral unit of Arta, which is part of Epirus region. The city was known in ancient times as Ambracia . Arta is famous for its old bridge located over the Arachthos River, situated west of downtown...
. To solidify his position Nicholas also married his uncle's widow, Anna Palaiologina, daughter of
Michael IX PalaiologosMichael IX Palaiologos or Palaeologus , , reigned as Byzantine co-emperor with full imperial style 1294/1295–1320...
, and was conferred the title of
despotesDespot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
.
Nicholas paid nominal homage to his Angevin overlord, John of Gravina, a son of King Charles II of Naples and
Maria of HungaryMary of Hungary , of the Árpád dynasty, was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Naples. She was a daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth the Cuman.-Family:Mary's mother followed the Shamanist religion, like other Cumans...
. He otherwise oriented himself towards the East. He publicly adopted the
OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
faith and the local clergy raised no serious objection to his usurpation. Northern Epirus, however, with
IoanninaIoannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, refused to recognize Nicholas' rule and accepted
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
rule. Nicholas waited until the death of his wife in 1320 or 1321 and the outbreak of the Byzantine civil war to attack. Failing in his attempt to secure an alliance with the
Republic of VeniceThe 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...
, Nicholas was unable to take Ioannina. In 1323 he was murdered by his brother
John II OrsiniJohn II Orsini, also John Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas , was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1323 to 1324 and Despot of Epirus from 1323 to 1335....
.