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ANDRONICUS I

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 976 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ANDRONICUS I . (See also:

COMNENUS), See also:emperor of the See also:East, son of See also:Isaac, and See also:grandson of Alexius I. Comnenus, was See also:born about the beginning of the 12th See also:century. He was endowed by nature with the most remarkable gifts both of mind and See also:body. He was handsome and eloquent, but licentious; and at the same See also:time active, See also:hardy, courageous, a See also:great See also:general and an able politician. His See also:early years were spent in alternate See also:pleasure andmilitaryservice. In 1141 he was taken See also:captive by the See also:Turks (See also:Seljuks) and remained in their hands for a See also:year. On being ransomed he went to See also:Constantinople,where was held the See also:court of his See also:cousin,the emperor See also:Manuel, with whom he was a great favourite. Here the charms of his niece, the princess Eudoxia, attracted him. She became his See also:mistress, while her See also:sister See also:Theodora stood in a similar relation to the emperor Manuel. In 1152, accompanied by Eudoxia, he set out for an important command in See also:Cilicia. Failing in his See also:principal enterprise, an attack upon Mopsuestia, he returned, but was again appointed to the command of a See also:province.

This second See also:

post he seems also to have See also:left after a See also:short See also:interval, for he appeared again in Constantinople, and narrowly escaped See also:death at the hands of the See also:brothers of Eudoxia. About this time (1153) a See also:conspiracy against the emperor, in which Andronicus participated, was discovered and he was thrown into See also:prison. There he remained for about twelve years, during which time he made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to See also:escape. At last, in 1165, he was successful; and, after passing through many dangers, reached the court of Yaroslav, See also:grand See also:prince of See also:Russia, at See also:Kiev. While under the See also:protection of the grand prince, Andronicus brought about an See also:alliance between him and the emperor Manuel, and so restored himself to the emperor's favour. With a See also:Russian See also:army he joined Manuel in the invasion of See also:Hungary and assisted at the See also:siege of See also:Semlin. After a successful See also:campaign they re-turned together to Constantinople (1168); but a year after, Andronicus refused to take the See also:oath of See also:allegiance to the prince of Hungary, whom Manuel desired to become his successor. He was removed from court, but received the province of Cilicia. Being still under the displeasure of the emperor, Andronicus fled to the court of See also:Raymund, prince of See also:Antioch. While residing here he captivated and seduced the beautiful daughter of the prince, Philippa, sister of the empress Maria. The anger of the emperor was again roused by this dishonour, and Andronicus was compelled to See also:fly. He took See also:refuge with See also:Amalric, See also:king of See also:Jerusalem, whose favour he gained, and who invested him with the See also:town of Berytus, now See also:Beirut.

In Jerusalem he saw Theodora, the beautiful widow of the See also:

late king See also:Baldwin and niece of the emperor Manuel. Although Andronicus was at that time fifty-six years old, See also:age had not diminished his charms, and Theodora became the next victim of his artful See also:seduction. To avoid the vengeance of the emperor, she fled with him to the court of the See also:sultan of See also:Damascus; but not deeming themselves safe there, they continued their perilous See also:journey through See also:Persia and See also:Turkestan,See also:round the See also:Caspian See also:Sea and across See also:Mount See also:Caucasus, until at length they settled among the Turks on the See also:borders of See also:Trebizond. Into that province Andronicus, with a body of adventurers, made frequent and successful incursions. While he was absent upon one of them, his See also:castle was surprised by the See also:governor of Trebizond, and Theodora with her two See also:children were captured and sent to Constantinople. To obtain their See also:release Andronicus made abject submission to the emperor; and, appearing in chains before him, implored See also:pardon. This he obtained, and was allowed to retire with Theodora into banishment in the little town of Oenoe, on the shores of the See also:Black Sea. In 1180 the emperor Manuel died, and was succeeded by his son Alexius II., who was under the guardianship of the empress Maria. Her conduct excited popular indignation; and the consequent disorders, amounting almost to See also:civil See also:war, gave an opportunity to the ambition of Andronicus. He left his retirement, secured the support of the army and marched upon Constantinople, where his See also:advent was stained by a cruel See also:massacre of the Latin inhabitants. Alexius was compelled to acknowledge him as colleague in the See also:empire, but was soon put to death. Andronicus, now (1183) See also:sole emperor, married See also:Agnes, widow of Alexius II., a See also:child eleven years of age.

His short reign was characterized by strong and See also:

wise See also:measures. He resolved to suppress many abuses, but, above all things, to check See also:feudalism and limit the See also:power of the nobles. The See also:people, who See also:felt the severity of his See also:laws, at the same time acknowledged their See also:justice, and found .themselves protected from the rapacity of their superiors. The aristocrats, however, were infuriated against him, and summoned to their aid See also:William of See also:Sicily. This prince landed in See also:Epirus with a strong force, and marched as far as Thessalonica, which he took and destroyed; but he was shortly afterwards defeated, and compelled to return to Sicily. Andronicus seems then to have resolved to exterminate the See also:aristocracy, and his plans were nearly crowned with success. But in 1185, during his See also:absence from the See also:capital, his See also:lieutenant ordered the See also:arrest and See also:execution of Isaac See also:Angelus, a descendant of the first Alexius. Isaac escaped and took refuge in the See also:church of St See also:Sophia. He appealed to the populace, and a tumult arose which spread rapidly over the whole See also:city. When Andronicus arrived he found that his power was overthrown, and that Isaac had been proclaimed emperor. Isaac delivered him over to his enemies, and for three days he was exposed to their fury and resentment. At last they hung him up by the feet between two pillars.

His dying agonies were shortened by an See also:

Italian soldier, who mercifully plunged a See also:sword into his body. He died on the 12th of See also:September 1185.

End of Article: ANDRONICUS I

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