John V Palaiologos, byzantine emperor

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_V_Palaeologus

Juan V Palaiologos (or Palaeologus) (Greek: Ίωάννης Ε' Παλαιολόγος, Iōannēs V Palaiologos) (18 June 1332 – February 16, 1391) was the son of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and Anna of Savoy. His maternal grandparents were Count Amadeus V of Savoy and his second wife Maria of Brabant. He succeeded his father as Byzantine Emperor in 1341, at age nine.

Juan VI Kantakouzenos, his father's friend, served as his regent and co-emperor (1347–1354), after having fought a civil war (1341–1347) against the regency for young Juan V headed by his mother Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch Juan XIV Kalekas and the megas doux Alexios Apokaukos. Forced to fight Juan Kantakouzenos, who had usurped the throne during his minority, Juan V became sole emperor in 1354. In 1343, Anna of Savoy pawned the Byzantine crown jewels for 30,000 Venetian ducats. His long reign was marked by the gradual dissolution of the imperial power. In his reign the Ottomans, led by Suleyman Paşa the son of the Ottoman sultan, took Adrianople and Philippopolis, and exacted tribute from the emperor. After the Ottoman Turks gained control of Gallipoli and threatened Constantinople, Juan V appealed to the West for help, proposing to end the schism between the Byzantine and Latin churches by submitting to the supremacy of the Roman Church. Impoverished by war, he was detained as a debtor when he visited Venice (1369). In 1371 he recognized the suzerainty of the Ottoman sultan Murad I, who later helped him to regain the throne (1379) after he was deposed by his son Andronikos IV Palaiologos in 1376. In 1390 his grandson, Juan VII Palaiologos, briefly usurped the throne, but was quickly overthrown. Juan V was succeeded by his son Manuel II Palaiologos. His younger son Theodore I Palaiologos succeeded to the so-called Despotate of Morea in 1383.

Towards the end of his reign, in 1390, Juan ordered the strengthening of the Constantinople Golden Gate, utilizing marble from the decayed churches in and around the city. Upon the completion of this construction, Bayezid I, threatening war and the blinding of his son Manuel (whom he held in captivity), demanded that Juan raze these new works. Juan V filled the Sultan's order, but is said to have suffered from this humiliation and, according to historians, died on February 16, 1391.

Family

He married Helena Kantakouzene, daughter of Juan VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina. They were parents of several children including:

1.Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor 1376–1379

2.Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor 1391–1425

3.Michael Palaiologos, despotēs

4.Theodore I Palaiologos, despotēs in Morea

5.Eirene Palaiologina, who married her maternal first cousin, Halil, the son of the Ottoman Sultan Orhan and Maria Kantakouzene, who, like John's wife Helena, was a daughter of Juan VI Kantakouzenos and his wife, Irene Asanina.

Juan V Palaiologos

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Juan V Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Ίωάννης Ε' Παλαιολόγος, Iōannēs V Palaiologos), (18 June 1332 – February 16, 1391) was the son of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos and Anna of Savoy. His maternal grandparents were Count Amadeus V of Savoy and his second wife Maria of Brabant. He succeeded his father as Byzantine Emperor in 1341, at age nine.

[edit]Life

Juan VI Kantakouzenos, his father's friend, served as his regent and co-emperor (1347–1354), after having fought a civil war (1342–1347) against the regency for young John V headed by his mother Anna of Savoy, the Patriarch Juan XIV Kalekas and the megas doux Alexios Apokaukos. Forced to fight Juan Kantakouzenos, who had usurped the throne during his minority, Juan V became sole emperor in 1354. In 1343, Anna of Savoy pawned the Byzantine crown jewels for 30,000 Venetian ducats. His long reign was marked by the gradual dissolution of the imperial power. In his reign the Ottomans, led by Suleyman Paşa the son of the Ottoman sultan, took Adrianople and Philippopolis, and exacted tribute from the emperor. After the Ottoman Turks gained control of Gallipoli and threatened Constantinople, Juan V appealed to the West for help, proposing to end the schism between the Byzantine and Latin churches by submitting to the supremacy of the Roman Church. Impoverished by war, he was detained as a debtor when he visited Venice (1369). In 1371 he recognized the suzerainty of the Ottoman sultan Murad I, who later helped him to regain the throne (1379) after he was deposed by his son Andronikos IV Palaiologos in 1376. In 1390 his grandson, Juan VII Palaiologos, briefly usurped the throne, but was quickly overthrown. Juan V was succeeded by his son Manuel II Palaiologos. His younger son Theodore I Palaiologos succeeded to the so-called Despotate of Morea in 1383.

Towards the end of his reign, in 1390, Juan ordered the strengthening of the Constantinople Golden Gate, utilizing marble from the decayed churches in and around the city. Upon the completion of this construction, Bayezid I, threatening war and the blinding of his son Manuel (whom he held in captivity), demanded that John raze these new works. Juan V obeyed the Sultan's order, but is said to have suffered from this humiliation and, according to historians, died of a nervous shock on February 16, 1391.

[edit]Family

He married Helena Kantakouzene, daughter of Juan VI Kantakouzenos and Irene Asanina. They were parents of several children including:

Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor 1376-1379

Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor 1391-1425

Michael Palaiologos, despotēs

Theodore I Palaiologos, despotēs in Morea

Eirene Palaiologina, who married Halil, the son of Sultan Orhan of the Ottoman Empire

Йоан V Палеолог (на гръцки: Ιωάννης Ε' Παλαιολόγος) (1332 г. - 16 февруари 1391 г.) - византийски император (1341 – 1391), син на Андроник III Палеолог и Анна Савойска, внучка на граф Амедей V Савойски. Още от началото на дългото му управление Византия потъва в криза. Поради малолетието на Йоан V властта държи регентски съвет оглавяван от Анна Савойска, срещу който обаче се обявява Йоан Кантакузин - влиятелен военен близък на Андроник III. Страната е въвлечена в кървава междуособна война, в която през 1347 г. побеждава претендента обявил се за император Йоан VI Кантакузин. След нова вътрешна война той е свален (1354) от Йоан V който отказва да дели властта си с него. Дългата гражданска война съсипва Византийската държава, която през този период губи много владения от съседите си. Западноевропейските и турските наемници привиквани и от двете враждуващи фракции плячкосват и убиват безнаказано в страната. Османските турци трайно започват да се заселват във бившите византийски земи и след като първоначално са отнели всички азиатски територии те се прехвърлят в Тракия. Византия губи важни центрове като Адрианопол и Филипопол, както и стратегически точки като Галиполи. Засилващата се сила на турците става реална заплаха не само за Константинопол но и за другите балкански страни. Опитите на Йоан V да сключи съюз със съседните владетели на България и Сърбия среща недоверие. Императорът се опитва да привлече и помощта на държавите от Западна Европа, но искането на папата да бъде признато църковното му върховенство над православна Византия среща силна съпротива в Константинопол. До споразумение и край на схизмата така и не се стига а реална помощ не е осигурена. Разорената държавна хазна принуждава Йоан V да взема много заеми, особено от Венеция. Той е първият византийски император който пътува из кралските дворове в Европа за да издейства помощ за страната си. Неговите наследници ще продължат тази политика също без особен успех. През 1371 г. Йоан V Палеолог се признава за васал на турския султан Мурад I като по това време под властта му се намират само Константинопол, Солун, част от Гърция и няколко черноморски крепости. След като е свален от власт от сина си Андроник IV Палеолог (1376) и внука си Йоан VII Палеолог (1390) той на два пъти е възстановен с помощ на турския султан. През 1390 г. Йоан V започва поправката на стените около Златния рог в Константинопол използвайки мрамора от западналите църкви около града. Това разгневява султана който го заплашва с война в случай че не спре. Императорът се подчинява но скоро умира сломен от полученото унижение.