Renier of Montferrat
Rainer of Montferrat ( ital: Ranieri di Monferrato; * to 1162, † 1183 ) was a member of the Margrave of Montferrat family ( Aleramiden ) in the 12th century.
He was the youngest son of the Piedmontese Margrave William V of Montferrat († 1191 ) and Judith, a daughter of Margrave Leopold III. of Austria. His older brothers were William Longsword, Conrad and Boniface, who also came to historical significance.
Life
Rainer it moved to the court of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Comnenus in Constantinople Opel and was married in the spring of 1180 with the emperor's daughter Mary " Porphyrogenita " Komnena. At the same time he participated in the Greek Orthodox denomination and the name of John, from his father he also received the title of Caesar awarded. This naturalization Rainers of Montferrat in the Byzantine nobility took place a general penetration of the Byzantine court by Latin- Western influences in the frame. The second wife of Emperor Maria ( Xene ) came from the Latin crusader state of Antioch, their son Alexios II was married to a daughter of the King of France.
In the fall of 1180 died Emperor Manuel I, whereupon it is still immature Alexios II succeeded, for the Dowager Empress and her lover Alexios Komnenos took over the regency. Rainer and his wife took in the spring of 1181 a coup attempt by a few faithful with the murder of the regent and the disempowerment of the Empress Dowager were planning to itself to take over the government. The conspiracy was uncovered, however prematurely and Rainer Maria and " Porphyrogenita " retreated with the Patriarch Theodosius I. Hagia Sophia, where they entrenched themselves with Georgian and Italian mercenaries. After two months of siege, they gave up the fight and they were granted amnesty. Nevertheless led Rainer and his wife continued their intrigues against the royal couple.
The situation changed abruptly in 1182, as applicable, the population of Constantinople Opel and the high Byzantine nobility against the influence of Latin on the farm. This Byzantine reaction gathered around Andronikos Komnenos, another members of the imperial family, who moved in the fall of 1182 in Constantinople Opel, in a massacre almost all the Latins was killed and subsequently appointed regent of the emperor. In the spring of 1183 Andronikos completed his seizure of power by his mother Maria ( Xene ), whose lover Alexios Komnenos, as well as Rainer Maria of Montferrat and " Porphyrogenita " had assassinated Emperor Alexios II.
Aftereffect
After Constantine Opel in 1204 conquered by the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade and the Latin empire had been founded, the crusade leaders Boniface of Montferrat raised to the Lord of the Kingdom of Thessalonica. He felt legitimized to take this step because his younger brother Rainer had already been mortgaged by the former Byzantine Emperor with this " Kingdom". Much more likely but likely Rainer have the Emperor only the pronoia, so its basic financial supply obtained by the payable tax of the city.