Selanik İmparatorluğu: Revizyonlar arasındaki fark

 

== Background ==

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After the [[Fourth Crusade]] captured [[Constantinople]] in April 1204, the [[Byzantine Empire]] dissolved and was divided between the Crusader leaders and the [[Republic of Venice]]. The [[Latin Empire]] was set up in Constantinople itself, while most of northern and eastern mainland Greece went to the [[Kingdom of Thessalonica]] under [[Boniface of Montferrat]].{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=8–12}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=62–65}} At the same time, two major native [[Byzantine Greeks|Byzantine Greek]] states emerged to challenge the Latins and claim the Byzantine inheritance, the so-called [[Empire of Nicaea]] under [[Theodore I Laskaris]] in [[Asia Minor]], and the so-called [[Despotate of Epirus]] in western Greece under [[Michael I Komnenos Doukas]], while a third state, the so-called [[Empire of Trebizond]], established a separate existence on the remote shores of the [[Pontus]].{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=10–12}}{{sfn|Hendy|1999|pp=1, 6}} Michael I Komnenos Doukas soon extended his state into [[Thessaly]], and his successor [[Theodore Komnenos Doukas]] captured Thessalonica in 1224.{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=12–13}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=112–114, 119}}

 

== Rise and decline ==

The capture of Thessalonica, traditionally the second city of the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople, allowed Theodore to challenge the Nicaean claims on the [[Byzantine Emperor|Byzantine imperial title]]. With the support of the bishops of his domains, he was crowned emperor at Thessalonica by the [[Archbishop of Ohrid]], [[Demetrios Chomatenos]]. The date is unknown, but has been placed either in 1225 or in 1227/8.{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=13, 20}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=119–120}} Having openly declared his imperial ambitions, Theodore turned his gaze onto Constantinople. Only the Nicaean emperor [[John III Doukas Vatatzes]], and the [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian]] emperor [[John II Asen]] were strong enough to challenge him. In a bid to preempt Theodore, the Nicaeans seized [[Adrianople]] from the Latins in 1225, but Theodore quickly marched into [[Thrace]] and forced the Nicaeans to leave their European possessions to him. Theodore was free to assault Constantinople, but for unknown reasons delayed this attack. In the meantime, the Nicaeans and Latins had settled their differences, and although formally allied with Theodore, John II Asen also entered talks for a dynastic alliance between the Latin Empire and Bulgaria.{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=122–124}} In 1230, Theodore finally marched against Constantinople, but unexpectedly turned his army north into Bulgaria instead. In the ensuing [[Battle of Klokotnitsa]], Theodore's army was destroyed and he himself taken captive and later blinded.{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=124–125}}{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=13, 22}}

This defeat abruptly diminished the power of Thessalonica. A state built upon rapid military expansion and relying on the ability of its ruler, its administration was unable to cope with defeat. Its territories in Thrace, as well as most of Macedonia and Albania rapidly fell to the Bulgarians, who emerged as the strongest Balkan power.{{sfn|Nicol|1993|pp=13, 22}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=125–126}} Theodore was succeeded by his brother [[Manuel Komnenos Doukas]]. He still controlled the environs of Thessalonica as well as the dynasty's lands in Thessaly and Epirus, but was forced to acknowledge himself Asen's vassal. In order to preserve some freedom of manoeuvre, Manuel even turned to his brother's erstwhile rivals in Nicaea, offering to acknowledge the superiority of Vatatzes and the [[Patriarch of Constantinople]], who resided in Nicaea.{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=126–128}} Manuel was also unable to prevent [[Michael II Komnenos Doukas]], the bastard son of Michael I, from returning from exile in the aftermath of Klokotnitsa and seizing control of Epirus, where he apparently enjoyed considerable support. In the end Manuel was forced to accept the ''[[fait accompli]]'', and recognized Michael II as ruler of Epirus under his own suzerainty. As sign of this, he conferred on Michael the title of [[Despot (court title)|Despot]]. From the start, Manuel's suzerainty was rather theoretical, and by 1236–37 Michael was acting as an independent ruler, seizing [[Corfu]], and issuing charters and concluding treaties in his own name.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=128}}