John Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos (first emperor)
Final ruler
Matthew Kantakouzenos (Byzantine throne)
Demetrios I Kantakouzenos (Despotate of Morea)
Titles
Byzantine Emperor
Despot of Morea
Deposition
1357 (Byzantine throne)
1383 (Despotate of Morea)
Cadet branches
Cantacuzino
The House of Kantakouzenos (pl. Kantakouzenoi; Greek: Καντακουζηνός, pl. Καντακουζηνοί; feminine form Kantakouzene; Καντακουζηνή), also found in English-language literature as Cantacuzenus or Cantacuzene, was a Byzantine Greek noble family that rose to prominence in the middle and late Byzantine Empire. The family became one of the empire's wealthiest landowners and provided several prominent governors and generals, as well as two Byzantine emperors between 1347–1357.
In the mid-14th century, the Kantakouzenoi challenged the rule of the Palaiologos dynasty and nearly established themselves as the new imperial family. After the death of Andronikos III Palaiologos, his underage son, John V, inherited the throne. The first civil war broke out between 1341–1347 with the Empress, the Patriarch, and Apokaukos on one side against the powerful Grand domestic John VI Kantakouzenos on the other. Initially victorious, John VI was proclaimed senior emperor (alongside John V) and attempted to consolidate his family on the throne; he also proclaimed his son Matthew as co-emperor in 1353. Wanting to seize power for himself, John V initiated a second civil war between 1352–1357 in which he emerged victorious as the sole Byzantine emperor, decisively deposing the Kantakouzenoi from the throne. The family continued to hold important titles in the empire maintaining their position as depots of Morea until 1383. The Kantakouzenoi intermarried extensively with other Byzantine noble families such as the Palaiologoi, the Philanthropenoi, the Asen, and the Tarchaneiotes.
('well-born'). Michael Kantakouzenos was appointed the first epitropos (governor) of the Morea in 1308 and his son, John VI Kantakouzenos, rose to be megas...
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene (Greek: Ἰωάννης Ἄγγελος Παλαιολόγος Καντακουζηνός, Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós; Latin: Johannes Cantacuzenus;...
Matthew Asen Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus (Greek: Ματθαῖος Ἀσάνης Καντακουζηνός, Matthaios Asanēs Kantakouzēnos, c. 1325 – June 1383) was Byzantine Emperor...
Manuel Kantakouzenos (or Cantacuzenus) (Greek: Μανουήλ Καντακουζηνός, Manouēl Kantakouzēnos), (c. 1326 – Mistra, Peloponnese, 10 April 1380) was the despotēs...
Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus (Greek: Μιχαήλ Καντακουζηνός) can refer to: Michael Kantakouzenos (died 1264), Byzantine general Michael Kantakouzenos (died...
vicious attack on Kantakouzenos, his supporters and family. In October, Anna ordered Kantakouzenos to resign his command. Kantakouzenos not only refused...
Ottomans (who were hired as mercenaries during the civil war by John VI Kantakouzenos) to establish themselves in Europe. By the time the Byzantine civil...
Demetrios I Kantakouzenos (Greek: Δημήτριος Καντακουζηνός; c. 1343 – 1384) was a governor of the Morea and the grandson of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos. Demetrios...
father of a protostrator Kantakouzenos who was executed along with Loukas Notaras and Andronikos Palaiologos Kantakouzenos five days after the capture...
VI Kantakouzenos and a rival council led by his mother Anna of Savoy, who pawned the crown jewels to Venice in order to raise funds. Kantakouzenos was...
the empire to Kantakouzenos. At about the same time, Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia launched an invasion of Northern Thrace. Kantakouzenos left Constantinople...
emperor, John VI Kantakouzenos, reorganized the territory in 1349 to establish it as an appanage for his son, the Despot Manuel Kantakouzenos. For the larger...
between the new regency and Kantakouzenos broke out openly in October 1341. The literary sources, all in favor of Kantakouzenos, presented the conflict as...
needed] In the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347, the regent John VI Kantakouzenos married his daughter Theodora to Orhan and employed Ottoman warriors...
Palaiologos Kantakouzenos (Greek: Γεώργιος Παλαιολόγος Καντακουζηνός; ca. 1390 – 1456/59) was a Byzantine aristocrat, a member of the Kantakouzenos family...
place of Demetrios Palaiologos Kantakouzenos, who was indisposed at the time. He is likely the Grand Domestic Kantakouzenos whom Emperor John VIII Palaiologos...
there killed the 13-year-old son of the Byzantine emperor, John VI Kantakouzenos, who wrote a description of the disease modelled on Thucydides's account...
IX Palaiologos Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos (w. Matthew) Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos (w. Andronikos...
Kantakouzenos, and received the title of panhypersebastos. The Empire soon fell into a civil war between John V Palaiologos and John VI Kantakouzenos...
Global Information