Melissenos

**Melissenos** (Μελισσηνός) is the name of a prominent Byzantine family belonging to the military aristocracy, also later dedicated to the civil service at Constantinople. They produced two Byzantine emperors and one Byzantine empress, having reigned the empire in association with the Laskarids as its imperial dynasty from 1285 to 1312.

The feminine form of the name is **Melissene**.

## History

The Melissenoi are the ancientest of the Byzantine families, often considered to have been founded by the general Michael Melissenos, a favorite and brother-in-law of Constantine V, in the mid 8th century, although the current generation sometimes claims descent from Constantine the Great and the Julio-Claudians themselves. The family played an important role in the Iconoclast controversy, first with Michael as one of the foremost Iconoclast generals and commander of the Eastern armies, whilst his son reigned as Patriarch Theodotos I of Constantinople, another great Iconoclast leader. Throughout the next three centuries, the Melissenoi remained as senior military officials in Anatolia, holding vast estates in Phrygia around Dorylaion, often considered the family's private lands. In the chaos that followed the Battle of Manzikert, the general Nikephoros Melissenos declared himself Emperor and marched against Nikephoros III, camping his army on the Asian shores of the Bosporus, in sight of Constantinople. His rise to the purple seemed imminent, until he struck a bargain with Alexios Komnenos. In exchange for his support, Nikephoros Melissenos was given the new Emperor's sister in marriage, the title of Caesar and the governorship of Thessalonica, the Empire's second city. In spite of this marriage, the Melissenoi did not exert much influence over the Komnenids, and mostly served as civil bureaucrats.

The Melissenids achieved prominence once again under Romanos Melissenos, the head of the family's Smyrna branch. When Theodore II Laskaris crossed the Hellespont to enforce his rule in Asia, Romanos overthrew and slew the rebel Alexios Axouchos, delivering his head on a silver platter to the Emperor. Joining his forces to the Emperor, he marched to battle the Mongols at Myriokephalon and won himself even more glory and renown. For his loyalty, the Emperor created him a *Sebastokrator* and appointed him as Domestic of the Eastern Schools. Members of his family were granted prestigious offices in Asia (including Phrygia), whereas the family's branch in Epirus has also prospered

They first rose to the purple in 1281, when Romanos the Elder was crowned co-emperor by Skantarios Laskaris, who had married his granddaughter Maria Melissene in the prelude to his deposition of his brother, the emperor John IV Laskaris. Reigning as Romanos V, he became senior and sole emperor in 1285, following Skantarios' unexpected death at the Battle of Seleucia. He was succeeded by his junior co-emperor and grandson Romanos VI Melissenos, husband to Eudoxia Laskarina, who would be overthrown and sent into monastic exile in 1312, bringing an end to the Melissenid tenure as imperial dynasty and greatly reducing Melissenid influence at the imperial court, although the family remained significantly relevant throughout the 14th century as close relatives of the Laskarids, both in the civil bureaucracy and the military service.

## Melissenid rulers

* 1285–1292: Romanos V Melissenos, former junior emperor to Skantarios Laskaris
* 1292–1312: Romanos VI Melissenos, by marriage to Eudoxia Laskarina

## Dynastic tree

Romanos V Melissenos (1212–1292), Byzantine emperor (1285–1292),  m1. Sophia Synadena (1215–1277), m2. Irene of Bohemia (b. 1274),

* Basil Melissenos (1234–1285), Domestic of the Schools, m. Theochariste Petraliphina,
	+ Romanos VI Melissenos (1257–1313), Byzantine emperor (1292–1312), m. Eudoxia Laskarina,
		- Theodora Melissene Laskarina (b. 1288),
		- Theodore III Melissenos Laskaris (b. 1290), Byzantine emperor,
		- Manuel Melissenos Laskaris (b. 1292), *Despotes*,
		- Leon Melissenos Laskaris (b. 1293), *Despotes*,
	+ Maria Melissene (b. 1263), Byzantine empress, m. Skantarios Laskaris, no issue,
	+ Constantine Melissenos (1265–1310), *Despotes*, m. Thomais Tornikissa,
		- Theodora Melissene (1304),
		- Basil Melissenos (b. 1306),
		- Eudoxia Melissene (b. 1306), twin of the former,
		- Michael Melissenos (b. 1307),
		- Theodora Melissene (b. 1308), afflicted with epilepsy,
		- Isaac Melissenos (b. 1309),
		- Konstantine Melissene (b. 1310),
	+ Epiphania Melissene (b. 1267), m. Michael Kantakouzenos, w. issue,
	+ Martha Melissene (b. 1277), m. Alexander Anatolios,
		- Alexios Anatolios (b. 1294),
		- Nicholas Anatolios (1297–1300),
		- Andronikos Anatolios (b. 1298),
		- Theochariste Anatolissa (1299),
		- Maria Anatolissa (b. 1304),
		- Anatolios Anatolios (b. 1305),
		- Adrianos Anatolios (b. 1307),
		- Basileia Anatolissa (b. 1310),
* Eudokia Melissene (1235–1289), Zostē Patrikia, m. Constantine Maleinos, *protovestiarios*, w. issue,
* Glykeria Melissene (1237–1302), m. *Caesar* Nikephoros Karyanites, Domestic of the Schools, no issue,
* John Melissenos, *Sebastokrator*, *Diplodoux* of Thessalonica and Styrmon, m. Theophano Kontostephana,
	+ Romanos Melissenos (1265–1270)
	+ Romane Melissene (b. 1270), known as Romane of the Parthians, m. Baydu, ruler of the Ilkhanate, w. issue,
	+ Theognosia Melissene (b. 1273), m. Theodore Branas, *protosebastos*,
	+ Eudokia-Eulogia Melissene (b. 1277), a nun at Constantinople,
	+ Theodore Melissenos (b. 1279), *panhypersebastos*,
* Theodotos Melissenos (b. 1246), Metropolitan of Philadelphia,
* Anna Melissene Porphyrogenneta (b. 1288), Grand Princess of Rascia, m. the Grand Prince of Rascia, w. issue.