Renier of Montferrat
Encyclopedia
Renier of Montferrat (1162–1183) was the fifth son of William V of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg
. He became son-in-law of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
and Caesar
in 1180, and was later murdered in a Byzantine power-struggle.
It was Manuel who suggested the marriage of his daughter Maria the Porphyrogenita to a son of William V. Since Conrad
and Boniface
were already married, and Frederick was in the priesthood, the only eligible son was the youngest, 17-year-old Renier. The Byzantine chronicler Niketas Choniates described him as handsome, blond (his hair "shone like the sun") and beardless.
Renier arrived in Constantinople in autumn 1179 and soon afterwards accompnied Manuel on a military expedition. His marriage to the 27-year-old Maria took place at the Church of St Mary, Blachernai
, in February 1180. The wedding was celebrated with lavish festivity including games in the Hippodrome of Constantinople
, as fully described by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
, William of Tyre
, who happened to be present. Renier was given the title Caesar
, was renamed John, and (according to some Western sources) was granted Thessalonica, presumably as an estate for life, a pronoia
. Maria was second in line to the throne, and had only been deprived of the succession by the birth of her much younger half-brother Alexios
. Thus Renier became entangled in the perpetual power struggle around the Byzantine throne.
With the death of Manuel in September 1180, the throne fell to the boy Alexios II, with his mother, the empress dowager Maria
, acting as regent. The Empress caused a scandal by taking the protosebastos Alexios Komnenos as a lover. This, combined with her Latin-friendly views, triggered a plot to end the regency (or, as some describe it, to overthrow the Emperor) and give power to Maria and Renier. The plot was discovered, and several conspirators arrested. Maria and Renier sought refuge in the Hagia Sofia cathedral with some 150 of their followers. Fighting ensued, later dubbed the Holy War as it took place in that most holy church. Eventually, the conspirators were offered an amnesty
to end the hostilities.
Both the Emperor and the conspirators soon fell victim to another usurper, however, as Manuel's cousin and rival Andronikos Komnenos
returned from exile, apparently with Maria's encouragement, and, more importantly, with an army in support. Andronikos' takeover was marked by the massacre (80,000 deaths) of the Latin population that followed. Maria died soon afterwards, allegedly by poison: she was, no doubt, a potential focus of opposition to the usurper. Renier seems to have shared her fate, though his death is noted by very few sources.
Alexios II was forced to recognise Andronikos as his co-Emperor, and was later murdered. The Latin massacre had not been forgotten, twenty years later, when the leaders of the Fourth Crusade
found reasons to divert their expedition to Constantinople. Later sources suggest that Renier's surviving older brother Boniface
based his claim to Thessalonica on his late brother's title.
Judith of Babenberg
Judith of Babenberg , , was a daughter of Agnes of Germany and her second husband Leopold III of Austria. The chronicler Otto of Freising was one of her older brothers; Conrad III of Germany her half-brother. Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor was her nephew.She married c...
. He became son-in-law of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
and Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
in 1180, and was later murdered in a Byzantine power-struggle.
It was Manuel who suggested the marriage of his daughter Maria the Porphyrogenita to a son of William V. Since Conrad
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat was a northern Italian nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the de facto King of Jerusalem, by marriage, from 24 November 1190, but officially elected only in 1192, days before his death...
and Boniface
Boniface of Montferrat
Boniface of Montferrat was Marquess of Montferrat and the leader of the Fourth Crusade. He was the third son of William V of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg, born after his father's return from the Second Crusade...
were already married, and Frederick was in the priesthood, the only eligible son was the youngest, 17-year-old Renier. The Byzantine chronicler Niketas Choniates described him as handsome, blond (his hair "shone like the sun") and beardless.
Renier arrived in Constantinople in autumn 1179 and soon afterwards accompnied Manuel on a military expedition. His marriage to the 27-year-old Maria took place at the Church of St Mary, Blachernai
Blachernae
Blachernae was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It was the site of a spring and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great Church of St. Mary of Blachernae , built by Empress Pulcheria in circa 450,...
, in February 1180. The wedding was celebrated with lavish festivity including games in the Hippodrome of Constantinople
Hippodrome of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving...
, as fully described by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
, William of Tyre
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, who happened to be present. Renier was given the title Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
, was renamed John, and (according to some Western sources) was granted Thessalonica, presumably as an estate for life, a pronoia
Pronoia
Pronoia refers to a system of land grants in the Byzantine Empire.-The Early Pronoia System:...
. Maria was second in line to the throne, and had only been deprived of the succession by the birth of her much younger half-brother Alexios
Alexios II Komnenos
Alexios II Komnenos or Alexius II Comnenus , Byzantine emperor , was the son of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and Maria, daughter of Raymond, prince of Antioch...
. Thus Renier became entangled in the perpetual power struggle around the Byzantine throne.
With the death of Manuel in September 1180, the throne fell to the boy Alexios II, with his mother, the empress dowager Maria
Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch was a Byzantine empress as the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. She was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
, acting as regent. The Empress caused a scandal by taking the protosebastos Alexios Komnenos as a lover. This, combined with her Latin-friendly views, triggered a plot to end the regency (or, as some describe it, to overthrow the Emperor) and give power to Maria and Renier. The plot was discovered, and several conspirators arrested. Maria and Renier sought refuge in the Hagia Sofia cathedral with some 150 of their followers. Fighting ensued, later dubbed the Holy War as it took place in that most holy church. Eventually, the conspirators were offered an amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
to end the hostilities.
Both the Emperor and the conspirators soon fell victim to another usurper, however, as Manuel's cousin and rival Andronikos Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...
returned from exile, apparently with Maria's encouragement, and, more importantly, with an army in support. Andronikos' takeover was marked by the massacre (80,000 deaths) of the Latin population that followed. Maria died soon afterwards, allegedly by poison: she was, no doubt, a potential focus of opposition to the usurper. Renier seems to have shared her fate, though his death is noted by very few sources.
Alexios II was forced to recognise Andronikos as his co-Emperor, and was later murdered. The Latin massacre had not been forgotten, twenty years later, when the leaders of the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
found reasons to divert their expedition to Constantinople. Later sources suggest that Renier's surviving older brother Boniface
Boniface of Montferrat
Boniface of Montferrat was Marquess of Montferrat and the leader of the Fourth Crusade. He was the third son of William V of Montferrat and Judith of Babenberg, born after his father's return from the Second Crusade...
based his claim to Thessalonica on his late brother's title.
Sources
- Nicetas ChoniatesNicetas ChoniatesNicetas or Niketas Choniates , sometimes called Acominatos, was a Greek historian – like his brother Michael Acominatus, whom he accompanied from their birthplace Chonae to Constantinople...
, Historia, ed. J.-L. Van Dieten, 2 vols., Berlin and New York, 1975; trans. as O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniates, by H.J. Magoulias, Detroit; Wayne State University Press, 1984, ISBN 0-8143-1764-2