Laskaris

The Laskaris or Lascaris (Greek: Λάσκαρις) family is a Byzantine aristocratic family and the current imperial dynasty. They rose to the purple in 1218, when Theodore I Laskaris succeeded his father-in-law Alexios III Angelos. The feminine form of the name is Laskarina, and its plural form is Laskarids or more uncommonly Laskarioi.
==Etymology==
The origins of the name is unclear. The most common assumption is that it derives from the Persian word Lashkarī, meaning "warrior" or "soldier". Another possibility is an adaptation of the Cappadocian Greek daskaris (δάσκαρης), a local variant meaning "teacher".
==History==
The Laskaris family name is attested since at least the mid 11th century, although its relation with the later imperial dynasty is unclear.
In any case, the Laskarids first rose to prominence during the eclipse of the Angeloi dynasty. Constantine and Theodore Laskaris, sons of Manuel Laskaris and Ioanna Phokaina Karatzaina, were important courtiers at Constantinople and successful generals in the field, favored by Alexios III Angelos, whose daughter Anna Komnena Angelina had been married to Theodore. Upon Alexios III's restoration to the throne in 1211, Theodore Laskaris was named Co-Emperor and eventually succeeded as senior Emperor in 1218.
As emperor, Theodore I Laskaris is thought to have ruled competently. His daughter Eirene married John III Doukas Vatazes, who succeeded his father-in-law in the purple. The Laskarid dynasty was endangered when John III was overthrown by Andronikos II Palaiologos in 1245 and it fell to his son, Theodore II Laskaris, to recover the throne. He ruled for 33 years and is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential medieval Byzantine emperors. Both of his sons sat the throne as John IV and Skantarios I, but the dynasty was once again displaced by the latter's death in battle. Their sister Eudoxia Laskarina continued the family lineage and ruled as empress through her marriage to Romanos VI Melissenos, although it was often said in the time that she was the legitimate ruler and Romanos her proxy.
==Laskarid rulers==
*1218–1222: Theodore I Laskaris
*1222–1245: John III Doukas Vatatzes, through his marriage to Eirene Laskarina
*1245–1278: Theodore II Laskaris
*1278–1281: John IV Laskaris
*1281–1285: Skantarios Laskaris
*1292–1312: Romanos VI Melissenos, through his marriage to Eudoxia Laskarina
*1312–present: Theodore III Laskaris
==See Also==
Melissenos
Vatazes
Category:Noble Houses
Category:Byzantine families