This is a list of the consorts of the four main Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire following the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and up to their conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the middle of the 15th century. These states were Nicaea, Trebizond, Epirus, and the Morea. The last two never actually claimed the imperial title, except briefly under Theodore Komnenos Doukas in the late 1220s, who began as ruler of Epirus but crowned himself emperor in Thessalonica.
Empress of Nicaea
Laskarid dynasty (1204–1261)PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse Anna Angelina Alexios III(Angeloi) c. 1176 1199 or early 1200 1204 death of brother-in-law1205 husband proclaimed as emperor 1212 Theodore I Philippa of Armenia Ruben III of Armenia(Rubenid) 1183 24 November 1214 1216 before 1219 Marie de Courtenay Peter, Latin Emperor(Courtenay) c. 1204 1219 November 1221 September 1228 Irene Laskarina(Ειρήνη Λασκαρίνα) Theodore I(Laskaris) ? 1212 December 1221 1239 John III Anna of Hohenstaufen Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor(Hohenstaufen) 1230 1244 3 November 1254 April 1307 Elena Asenina of Bulgaria Ivan II of Bulgaria(Asen) 1224 1235 March 1252 Theodore II Palaiologan dynasty (1259–1261) Theodora Palaiologina John Doukas Vatatzes(Vatatzes) c. 1240 1253 1 January 1259 25 July 1261 4 March 1303 Michael VIIIPictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse
Empress of Trebizond
The consorts of rulers of Trebizond, like their counterparts in the other two Byzantine successor states, the Empire of Nicaea and the Despotate of Epirus, initially claimed the traditional Byzantine title of Empress consort the Romans. However, after reaching an agreement with the restored Byzantine Empire in 1282, the official title of the consorts of Trebizond was changed to Empress consort of the entire East, of the Iberians and the Perateia and remained such until the Empire's end in 1461. The state is sometimes called the Komnenian or Megalokomnenian empire from its ruling dynasty. Trebizond had three reigning empresses, Theodora of Trebizond (1284–1285), Irene Palaiologina (1340–1341), and Anna of Trebizond (1341–1342).
Megalokomnenid dynasty (1204–1461)PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse Theodora Axuchina John Komnenos Axouchosprobable(Axouchoi) ? ? around April 1204 1 February 1222 ? Alexios I Komnene Alexios I(Komnenoi) ? c. 1222? 1 February 1222 1235 ? Andronikos I Mother of Ioannikes ? ? ? 1235 1238 ? John I Anna Xylaloe ? ? 1235 1238 1240s Manuel I Rusudan of Georgia David VI of Georgia or David VII of Georgia(Bagratids) ? 1240s 1250s or early 1260s Irene Syrikaina ? ? 1250s or early 1260s March 1263 ? Eudokia Palaiologina(Ευδοκία Παλαιολογίνα) Michael VIII Palaiologos(Palaiologoi) c. 1265 1282 16 August 1297there was slight interruption of her husband's reign in 1284 1302 John II Jiajak JaqeliAlexios II may have had a second wife, Jidga Khatun, but this is highly disputed Beka I Jaqeli(Jaqeli) ? c. 1300 3 May 1330 ? Alexios II Irene Palaiologina(Ειρήνη Παλαιολογίνα) Andronikos III Palaiologos(Palaiologoi) c. 1315 1335 1339 after 1341 Basilios Irene(Ειρήνη η μεγάλη Κομνηνή) ? ? 1339 marriage recognize by local clergy, although not the Patriarch of Constantinople 6 April 1340 after 1382 Acropolitissa Constantine Acropolites(Acropolites) ? 1297–1341 30 July 1341 1st reignone-day reign3 May 1344 2nd reign 13 December 1349 ? Michael Theodora Kantakouzene Nikephoros Kantakouzenos c. 1340 28 September 1351 20 March 1390 ? Alexios III Eudokia of Georgia David IX of Georgia(Bagratids) ? 6 September 1377 20 March 1390 2 May 1395 Manuel III Anna Philanthropene Manuel Angelos Philanthropenos ? c. 1395 5 March 1417 ? Theodora Kantakouzene Theodore Palaiologos Kantakouzenos(Kantakouzenoi) c. 1382 1395 1395 as co-empress consort5 March 1417 as sole-empress consort 12 November 1426 Alexios IV Maria Gattilusioas Co-Empress of Trebizond Dorino of Lesbos(Gattilusio) ? ? ? October 1429 ? Alexander, Co-Emperor Unnamed Georgian princess Alexander I of Georgia(Bagratids) c. 1415 c. 1426 before 28 October 1429 1438 John IV Unnamed Turkish lady Dawlat Berdi ? ? ? before April 22, 1459 ? Maria of Gothiaprobably never empress Alexios of Theodoro(Gabras) ? ? ? ? ?/before 1447 David Helena Kantakouzene ?(Kantakouzenoi) ? ? before 22 April 1459 15 August 1461 1463PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse
Consorts in Epirus
Angelos-Komnenos-Doukas dynasty (1205–1318)PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame consortCeased to be consortDeathSpouse Unknown (Melissenos) ? ? ? ? ? Michael I Unknown an Epirote magnate(Melissenos) ? ? ? ? ? Maria Petraliphaina ?(Petraliphas) ? c. 1216 c. 12161224 as Empress in Thessalonica 1230 ? Theodore Theodora Petraliphaina John Petraliphas(Petraliphas) 1225 about 1231 1268 ? Michael II Maria Doukaina Laskarina Theodore II Laskaris(Laskaris) ? 1256 as Despoina within the Nicaean empire, never in Epirus 1258 Nikephoros I Anna Palaiologina Kantakouzene ?(Palaiologos or Kantakouzenos) ? 1264 1268 1297? ? Anna Palaiologina Michael IX Palaiologos(Palaiologos) ? ca. 1307 1318 1320 Thomas I Orsini dynasty (1318–1359) Anna Palaiologina Michael IX Palaiologos(Palaiologos) ? 13182nd time 1320 Nicholas Anna Palaiologina Andronikos Palaiologos AngelosGranddaughter of Demetrios Komnenos Doukas, son of Michael II(Palaiologos or Komnenos Doukas) ? after 1324 1335 ? John Maria Kantakouzene John VI Kantakouzenos(Kantakouzenos) - after 1339 1347 as Despoina within the Byzantine empire1355 as Despoina in Epirus 1356/1359 after 1359 Nikephoros II Nemanjić and Buondelmonti dynasties(1359–1411) Thomais Orsini John II Orsini(Orsini) ? after 1348 1359 1366 ? Simeon Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologinareigned briefly as Basilissa of Epirus or Empress of Epirus(Μαρία Αγγελίνα Δούκαινα Παλαιολογίνα) Simeon Uroš(Nemanjić) ? 1359–1360 1366 23 December 1384 28 December 1394 Thomas II February 1385 28 December 1394 Esau Irene Bova Shpata John Bova Shpata(Shpata) ? January 1396 ? ? Eudokia Balšić Đurađ I Balšić(Balšić) ? ? 6 February 1411 after 1411 Tocco dynasty(1411–1479) Francesca Acciaioli Nerio I Acciaioli(Acciaioli) ? ? 1411? 1429? ? Carlo I Tocco Ramondina of Ventimiglia Giovanni I of Ventimiglia(Ventimiglia) ? ? 1429? 1448? ? Carlo II Tocco Milica of Serbia Lazar Branković(Branković) ? 1 May 1463 1464 Leonardo III Tocco Francesca Marzano Mariano Marzano, Prince of Rossano(Marzano) ? 1477 1479? ?PictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame consortCeased to be consortDeathSpouse
Consorts in the Morea
Kantakouzenoi dynasty(1347–1383) Maria de Lusignan Constantine II, King of Armenia(Lusignan) c. or after 1333 c. 1347 25 October 1349 10 April 1380 1382–1387 Manuel Kantakouzenos Palaiologan dynasty(1383–1460) Bartolomea Acciaioli Nerio I Acciaioli(Acciaioli) ? ? 1383? 1407? ? Theodore I Palaiologos Cleofa Malatesta Malatesta I, Count of Pesaro(Malatesta) ? 21 January 1421 or sometime in 1422 1433 Theodore II Palaiologos Theodora Tocco Leonardo II Tocco(Tocco) ? 1 July 1428 c. 1428 as Despoina in Morea November 1429 Constantine XI Palaiologos Caterina Gattilusio Dorino of Lesbos(Gattilusio) ? 27 July 1441 as Despoina in Morea July/August 1442 Theodora Asanina Paul Asanes(Asanes) ? before 1443 before 1443 as a Despoina in Morea29 May 1453 as Byzantine co-empress consortIt isn't known if she died before this date 1460 ? Demetrios Palaiologos Catherine Zaccaria Centurione II Zaccaria(Zaccaria) around 1392 January 1430 before 1432 as a Despoina in Morea29 May 1453 as Byzantine co-empress consort 1460 16 August 1462 Thomas PalaiologosPictureNameFatherBirthMarriageBecame ConsortCeased to be ConsortDeathSpouse
See also List of Roman and Byzantine empresses List of Holy Roman empresses List of Russian royal consorts List of Latin empresses List of Greek royal consorts
Notes