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George Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Template:Lang-el) was a Byzantine general, one of the most prominent military commanders and supporters of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118).

Life

George Palaiologos was the son of the first known member of the Palaiologos family, Nikephoros Palaiologos. He was also linked to the Kourtikes family, as the general Basil Kourtikes was his cousin. Sometime before 1081, he married Anna Doukaina, the sister of Irene Doukaina, the wife of Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118), making him the brother-in-law to the future emperor.

George is first mentioned in 1078, alongside his father, who was serving as the governor of the Theme of Mesopotamia at the time; the two supported the rise to the throne of Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates (r. 1078–1081). In 1080, George participated in a campaign against the rebel general Nikephoros Melissenos. Along with his cousin, Basil Kourtikes, he was placed under the command of the incompetent court eunuch John, who refused to follow George's advice. Soon, however, John became frightened of the constant attacks of the Turks, and left the army in George's hands. Although the latter managed to save the army from disaster, John complained about him at court, and on his return to Constantinople George was prohibited from entering the imperial palace.

Role in the Komnenian coup

Although related to the Komnenoi by marriage, he only joined their plot to usurp the throne reluctantly; the historian Basile Skoulatos suggests that he rather preferred his wife's grandfather, the Caesar John Doukas, to seize the throne instead. The Komnenoi met George as they were departing Constantinople to lead the revolt at Kosmidion, on the night of 14 February 1081; George had taken the precaution of bringing with him his fortune from the [[Thumbnail for Church of St. Mary of Blachernae Church of St. Mary of Blachernae Blachernae Monastery]]. According to the sources, it was the pleading of his mother-in-law, Maria of Bulgaria, which convinced him to cast his lot with the Komnenoi, joining their forces at Tzouroulos. At the family council at Skiza, he supported the candidature of Alexios for the throne, against his elder brother, Isaac Komnenos.

When the Komnenian army marched on Constantinople, George was put in charge of negotiating with the German commander Gilpract, who commanded the garrison at the Gate of Charisios; George managed to persuade Gilpract to defect, allowing the Komnenian forces unopposed entry to the capital on 1 April. Immediately after, George boarded a boat and secured the allegiance of the imperial fleet for Alexios. This proved crucial, as Botaneiates attempted to use the fleet to ferry across the troops of Melissenos, who had been encamped at the Asian shore at Damalis.

At the same time, when the Komnenoi and some of their partisans, now sure of their victory, contemplated sidelining the Doukai and having Alexios discard Irene Doukaina, George angrily protested that he had only joined them in support of her interests. George had the sailors of the fleet acclaim jointly Alexios and Irene, and along with the Caesar John Doukas successfully pressured Patriarch Cosmas I of Constantinople to not resign before he had crowned Irene as empress.

Military career under Alexios

As Alexios Komnenos’ leading general and close friend, he played an important role in his campaigns, especially the Battle of Dyrrhachium against the Normans or the Battle of Levounion against the Pechenegs. He was the chief source used by Anna Komnene in her Alexiad on her father's battles, and is very favourably portrayed by her in her book as both capable and loyal.

George Palaiologos died sometime between 1118 and 1136.

Family

George had a younger brother, Nicholas.

Through his marriage to Anna Doukaina, he had four sons:

• Nikephoros, one of the ancestors of the Palaiologos family that became the Empire's ruling dynasty after 1261. He had issue:
  • Michael Palaiologos (general)
    • Alexios, megas doux. Married to Irene Komnene.
      • Andronikos Palaiologos, megas domestikos
• Andronikos, doux of Thessalonica. Married to Komnene, granddaughter of Constantine X Doukas.
• Michael, a sebastos
• Alexios, married Anna Komnene Doukaina and he is the other ancestor of the imperial house of Palaiologos. He had issue:
  • George Palaiologos, megas hetaireiarches
    • Alexios despot. Married to Irene Angelina (daughter of Alexios III Angelos).
      • Theodora Palaiologina, married to Andronikos Palaiologos, megas domestikos

References

1. Kazhdan 1991, p. 1557.
2. Skoulatos 1980, p. 99.
3. ^ Gautier 1971, p. 233.
4. Angold 1984, pp. 104–105.
5. Skoulatos 1980, pp. 99–100.
6. ^ Skoulatos 1980, p. 100.
7. ^ Gautier 1971, p. 234.
8. Skoulatos 1980, pp. 100–101.
9. Gautier 1971, pp. 223, 234.
10. Skoulatos 1980, pp. 101, 126.
11. Skoulatos 1980, p. 101.
12. Skoulatos 1980, pp. 101–102.
13. Birkenmeier (2002), pp. 3, 63–64, 76
14. Gautier 1971, p. 235.
15. Skoulatos 1980, p. 104.
16. Kazhdan 1991, p. 1558.

Bibliography

• Angold, Michael (1984). The Byzantine Empire 1025–1204: A Political History. Longman. ISBN 0-582-49061-8.
• Birkenmeier, John W. (2002). The Development of the Komnenian Army: 1081–1180. Brill. ISBN 90-04-11710-5.
• Dawes, Elizabeth A., ed. (1928), The Alexiad, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul
• Gautier, Paul (1971). "Le synode des Blachernes (fin 1094). Etude prosopographique". Revue des études byzantines (in French). 29: 213–284. doi:10.3406/rebyz.1971.1445.
• Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
• Skoulatos, Basile (1980). Les personnages byzantins de l'Alexiade: Analyse prosopographique et synthèse [The Byzantine Personalities of the Alexiad: Prosopographical Analysis and Synthesis] (in French). Louvain-la-Neuve and Louvain: Bureau du Recueil Collège Érasme and Éditions Nauwelaerts. OCLC 8468871.

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