Nestongos

The Nestongos family (Greek: Νεστόγγος) is one of the major Byzantine aristocratic families. They are often identified with the landed military aristocracy, being important landowners in Thrace and Bulgaria and seeing its members prominently serve as high ranking officials under the Western army. The feminine form of the name is Nestongina, and its plural form is Nestongoi.
The family achieved prominence under the patronage of Theodore II Laskaris. Unlike most of his New Men, the Nestongoi were already aristocrats by the time of Theodore II's rise to the purple, cousins to his father John III. However, they had fallen into disgrace when a conspiracy against the Emperor was discovered and put down. Nevertheless, the Nestongoi faithfully served Theodore in the civil war and later, and were rewarded accordingly by the restoration of their previous dignity. General George Nestongos, later Domestic of the West, was part of Theodore II's inner circle and received the hand of the emperor's cousin Maria Angelina Vatatzaina in marriage.
Category:Byzantine families