of Limnia. Her father died in 1395 at the battle of Rovine

Battle of Rovine

The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395 between the Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea cel Bătrân against the Ottoman invasion led by sultan Bayezid I. The Ottoman army, numbering approximately 40,000 men, faced the much smaller Wallachian army, which was about 10,000 men...

, while fighting for his overlord Sultan Bayezid I

Bayezid I

Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...

 of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 against the rebel Mircea I of Wallachia

Mircea I of Wallachia

Mircea the Elder was ruler of Wallachia from 1386 until his death. The byname "elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandson Mircea II...

.

Empress

She was well known for her piety, wisdom, and justice. Her husband (as a former emperor) became a monk with the name Matthiew . After his death, on on 21 July 1425, she became a nun at the Monastery of Kyra Martha, taking her monastic name. She helped to establish a home for old people, with the name "The Hope of the Despaired". The home was located at the Monastery of St. John in Petrion, where the relics of St. Patapius of Thebes are also kept. Helena died on 23 March 1450 in Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

 She is venerated by the Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Orthodox Church

The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...

 as a saint. Her memory is commemorated on May 29, the day of the Fall of Constantinople

Fall of Constantinople

The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...

 to the Ottomans and of the death of her son Constantine XI Palaiologos. Her skull, as a holy relic, is treasured in the Monastery of Saint Patapios

Saint Patapios

Saint Patapios of Thebes is the patron saint of dropsy. Saint Patapios’ memory is celebrated on 8 December and also at the Tuesday 2 days after the Sunday of Easter . His relic is kept at the female monastery of Saint Patapios at Loutraki, a spa town near Athens, Greece.-Biography:St...

 in Loutraki

Loutraki

Loutraki is a seaside resort located 84 km W of Athens and 4 km NE of Corinth in the Prefecture of Corinthia, Greece. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora. The town is well-known for its vast natural springs and its therapeutic spas.-History:In antiquity a town...

, Greece.

Marriage

On 10 February, 1392, Helena married Manuel II Palaiologos

Manuel II Palaiologos

Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.-Life:...

. They had several children. The list follows the order of births given by George Sphrantzes

George Sphrantzes

George Sphrantzes, also Phrantzes or Phrantza was a late Byzantine Greek historian. He was born in Constantinople. At an early age he became secretary to Manuel II Palaiologos; in 1432 protovestiarites; in 1446 prefect of Mistras, and subsequently great logothete...

:

• A daughter. Mentioned as the eldest daughter but not named. Possibly confused with Isabella Palaiologina, an illegitimate daughter of Manuel II known to have married Ilario Doria
  Doria
  Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
  
  .
• Constantine Palaiologos. Died young.
• John VIII Palaiologos
  John VIII Palaiologos
  John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus , was the penultimate reigning Byzantine Emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448.-Life:John VIII Palaiologos was the eldest son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš, the daughter of the Serbian prince Constantine Dragaš...
  
   (18 December, 1392 – 31 October, 1448). Byzantine emperor, 1425–1448.
• Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonike
  Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonike
  Andronikos Palaiologos or Andronicus Palaeologus was a Byzantine prince and the last Byzantine governor of Thessalonica with the title of despot , from 1408 to 1423....
  
   (d. 1429).
• A second daughter. Also not named in the text.
• Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
  Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea
  Theodore II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Despot in Morea from 1407 to 1443.-Life:...
  
   (d. 1448).
• Michael Palaiologos. Died young.
• Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos (8 February, 1405 – 29 May, 1453). Despotēs in the Morea and subsequently the last Byzantine emperor, 1448–1453.
• Demetrios Palaiologos
  Demetrios Palaiologos
  Demetrios Palaiologos or Demetrius Palaeologus , Despot in the Morea de facto 1436–1438 and 1451–1460 and de jure 1438–1451, previously governor of Lemnos 1422–1440, and of Mesembria 1440–1451...
  
   (c. 1407 – 1470). Despotēs in the Morea.
• Thomas Palaiologos
  Thomas Palaiologos
  Thomas Palaiologos was Despot in Morea from 1428 until the Ottoman conquest in 1460. After the desertion of his older brother to the Turks in 1460, Thomas Palaiologos became the legitimate claimant to the Byzantine throne...
  
   (c. 1409 – 12 May, 1465). Despotēs in the Morea.

Reference

• "Life, akolouthia, paraklitikos kanonas and egomia of the holy mother ‘’Saint Hypomone" [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki 1999]
• "Saint Hipomoni: History and asmatiki akolouthia" [Archpriest Makrystathis Sotirios, Athens, 1993]
• "Kanon parakletikos & Hairetistirioi oikoi to the Blessed Mother's Saint Hypomone" [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of the Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios Loutraki 2007
• "Saint Patapios" [Stylianos Papadopoulos, professor of the University of Athens, Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki, Greece, edition 2006).

External links

• Her listing in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley.
• Information about St Hypomone from the Church of Sparta
• http://www.impantokratoros.gr/agiaypomoni.el.aspx
• http://www.globalusers.com/monastir_eng.htm