10 – Andronikos I Komnenos (1185)
Andronikos was an old man by the time he eliminated Alexios II in 1183. He was born in 1118 and was known to be a tough, courageous and handsome individual who was also an excellent general. He was taken captive by the Seljuk Turks in 1141 and remained as their prisoner for a year. After his release, he stayed at the court of his cousin Emperor Manuel I Komnenos and Andronikos was one of his favorites.
Despite this fact, Andronikos’ lust for power meant he was involved in a conspiracy against Manuel in 1153, so he was thrown in prison. He tried to escape on several occasions before succeeding in 1165. Andronikos fled to Kiev but returned to Constantinople after allying with Manuel. After refusing to swear allegiance to Bela, later to become Bela III of Hungary and due to be Manuel’s successor, Andronikos was removed from the court but received the province of Cilicia.
Andronikos continued to anger the Emperor and stayed in different locations including at the court of King George III of Georgia. Once Manuel died in 1180 and was succeeded by Alexios II, resentment within the kingdom grew as they disliked the fact that Empress Maria was of Latin origin. Andronikos saw his opportunity and marched on Constantinople with an army in 1182. He became co-emperor in 1183 and murdered Alexios II within a month.
He married Agnes of France and embarked on a short reign known for harsh measures. The aging Andronikos became increasingly paranoid and tyrannical, and soon, he began ordering mass executions. Meanwhile, King William of the Norman Sicilians invaded and got as far as Thessalonica where he killed up to 7,000 people. Andronikos failed to deal with the threat, and by now, he had decided to eliminate the aristocracy.
On September 11, 1185, Stephen, one of the emperor’s most trusted lieutenants, tried to arrest Isaac Angelos on suspicion of disloyalty when Andronikos was away. However, Isaac killed Stephen and hid in the Hagia Sophia. He appealed to the populace, and the popular Isaac was soon declared Emperor. Andronikos tried to flee but was captured along with his wife. Isaac turned him over to the mob, and the emperor was tied to a post and beaten for three days.
Someone cut off his right hand while his teeth were extracted and his hair was pulled out. One of his eyes was gouged out, and boiling water was thrown in his face. He was finally led to the city’s Hippodrome and hung by his feet from a pair of pillars. Two Latin soldiers wanted to see who could cut him the deepest and ultimately, Andronikos’s body was torn apart. Few rulers have ever suffered more as he paid the heaviest price imaginable for his deeds.
Sources For Further Reading:
Medievalists – How to Murder a Byzantine Emperor
History Collection – Lesser-Known Byzantine Empire Facts
History Collection – Under Siege! 10 Little Known Battles of the Byzantine Empire
History Collection – 7 Reasons Why the Byzantine Empire Lasted as Long as it did
History Collection – 5 Reasons Why The Byzantine Empire Finally Collapsed
History Collection – End of an Empire: How the Byzantines Fell at Constantinople in 1453