Manuel II Palaiologos

Background

Manuel II Palaiologos was born on June 27, 1350, in Constantinople, Byzantine Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey). He was the second son of Emperor John V Palaiologos and his wife Helena Kantakouzene.

Career

In his youth he was taken captive by the Turks, and during his reign the Ottomans reduced the empire to Constantinople and its dependencies in the Peloponnesus. After the failure of the crusade of Sigismund of Hungary (later Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund) at Nikopol (1396), Manuel appealed to the West for aid and made a futile European journey (1399–1402) for that purpose. His nephew, John VII, was coemperor during that time and, with Boucicaut, defended Constantinople against the siege by Sultan Beyazid I. The victory of Timur over Beyazid at Ankara, in the same year, temporarily saved Constantinople. By 1422 the Turks were again strong enough to attack Constantinople, and in 1425 Manuel was forced to pay tribute to the sultan. Afflicted with partial paralysis in his last years, Manuel devoted himself to religious writing, entrusting the government to his son and successor, John VIII.

Manuel II Palaiologos died on July 21, 1425.

Achievements

• Manuel II Palaeologus was a well-noted statesman, whose diplomacy enabled him to establish peaceful relations with the Ottoman Turks throughout his reign, delaying for some 50 years their ultimate conquest of the Byzantine Empire.

Views

Quotations: "God is not pleased by blood – and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats. .. To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death. .. "

Connections

Manuel II Palaiologos was married to Helena Dragas, they had several children.

Father:

John V Palaiologos

John V Palaiologos was an Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1341 to 1391.

Mother:

Helena Kantakouzene

Sister:

Maria Palaiologina

Sister:

Irene Palaiologina

Wife:

Helena Dragaš

Helena Dragaš was the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragas.

Son:

Michael Palaiologos

Son:

Thomas Palaiologos

Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460.

Son:

Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos

Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos was the last reigning Emperorof the Byzantine Empire,reigning as a member of the Palaiologos dynasty from 1449 to 1453.

Son:

Constantine Palaiologos

Son:

John VIII Palaiologos

John VIII Palaiologos was the penultimate reigning Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, ruling from 1425 to 1448.

Son:

Demetrios Palaiologos

Demetrios Palaiologos was a prince of the Byzantine Empire and despot.

Son:

Andronikos Palaiologos

Andronikos Palaiologos was a prince of the Byzantine Empire and the last Byzantine governor of Thessalonica with the title of despot, from 1408 to 1423.

Son:

Theodore II Palaiologos

Theodore II Palaiologos was despot in the Morea from 1407 to 1443 and in Selymbria from then until his death.

Brother:

Michael Palaiologos

Michael Palaiologos was the governor of Mesembria and claimant of the Empire of Trebizond.

Brother:

Theodore I Palaiologos

Theodore I Palaiologos was despot in the Morea from 1383 until his death on June 24, 1407.

Brother:

Andronikos IV Palaiologos