Theodora Komnene
Theodora Kalusine Comnena (Greek Θεοδώρα Κομνηνή, * 1145 or 1146 probably in Constantinople Opel; † after 1185 ) was from 1158 to 1162 Queen of Jerusalem.
She was the daughter of Isaac Komnenos Sebastocrator and his second wife Irene Diplosynadena and thus niece of his younger brother, the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I had been brought up in the imperial palace. It was considered a very beautiful and well-formed.
In the fall of 1157, King Baldwin III. sent from Jerusalem Attard, the Archbishop of Nazareth, Joscelin Pisellus, William of Barres and the constable Humphrey as envoys to Constantinople Opel to ask for a bride for him. After long negotiations, the thirteen- year-old Theodora was selected. Your dowry was 100,000 solidi, to 10,000 solidi came for the cost of the wedding. William of Tyre estimates that their equipment and clothing, " gold and precious stones, and pearls garments, carpets and silks, and precious vessels " were worth 14,000 solidi again. In her marriage contract Acre and the area of the city was assured as a wedding gift, " in full peace and undisputed ." Accompanied by the rest of the Messenger ( Attard was in Konstaniopel deceased) and Byzantine nobleman sailed the bride to Tyre, where they landed in September 1158. In the same month she was anointed in Jerusalem to the queen and crowned and married to Baldwin. The wedding was performed by the Latin Patriarch of Antioch Amalric, as the patriarch of Jersusalem had not yet been ordained because of the absence of consent of the Pope. After the marriage, the king gave up his wild lifestyle, and to his bride, as William of Tyre expressly stated to have been loyal.
After Reynald was captured by Antioch after a failed plundering expedition to the area of Maras in 1160 or 1161 and was in Aleppo in the hands of Nur ad -Din, Baldwin traveled to Antioch, to regulate the conditions there. During his absence, died 1161 Queen Melisende of Jerusalem. When Baldwin in Antioch before the beginning of winter, as he usually did, a medicine had taken to himself, he developed a high fever and diarrhea and developed a wasting, from which he never recovered. His local court physician Barrac was then suspected to have poisoned him, allegedly died a dog that were fed the remainder of the pills. Baldwin could be put only to Tripoli, where he lay prostrate for several months, and finally to Beirut. There he put his confession, received the last rites and died on February 2, 1162 (or 1163 ) at the age of 32 years. His body was brought to Jerusalem and buried in Calvary. Since marriage with Theodora remained childless, his brother Amaury, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon 1163 was crowned king. He seems to have actively prevented remarriage of Theodora, as Akko so remained under his control.
When her cousin Andronikos Komnenos came to Jerusalem, Theodora received him into her house. As Amalric him I. 1167 Beirut fief was, she traveled with him to Beirut and there seems also to have lived with him. Manuel was informed about the relationship, probably of second -degree niece Theodora Maria Comnena, the second wife of Amalric. Since Theodora and Andronicus were related too close to marry may ( second cousins ), they fled from the wrath of Manuel to Nur ad -Din, the Sultan of Damascus. Amalric took over control of Akko.
In Harran Theodora took her son Alexios to the world, then they moved on to Baghdad, Mardin and Erzurum. Finally they settled in Kolonea in Paphlagonia on the border of the Byzantine province of Trebizond (Trabzon ) down. When Andronicus was on a raid against the Romäer, the governor of Trebizond took the castle of Kolonea. Theodora and her two children Alexios and Irene were captured and sent to Constantinople Opel. In order to secure their release, submitted himself to the Emperor Manuel and Andronikos was pardoned. There he was allowed to settle with Theodora and her children in the fortress Oinaion on the Black Sea.
When Manuel died in 1180, his son Alexios II succeeded him under the regency of Empress Maria of Antioch as a ruler. 1183 but had to acknowledge Andronikos as co-regent Maria. Theodora's daughter Irene Komnena was by her father to the illegitimate son of Manuel I and Theodora Batatzina, Alexios married. Since they were related too close, had to be adopted in an ecclesiastical dispensation. Bishop Theodosius, who opposed the marriage, was banished to the island Terebinthos, appointed in his place Basil Kamaterus, which Andronicus was loyal. The wedding was performed by the Archbishop of Bulgaria.
Maria of Antioch and her son died soon after, and the government fell to Andronicus. Andronikos then married Alexios ' widow Agnes of France (Anna ), a daughter of Louis VII to Theodora he seems, however, continue to have maintain a good relationship, after all, his bride was only eleven years old. Thus it succeeded Theodora, Andronikos 1184/85 to encourage them to make the ransom for her nephew Isaac Comnenus, who was in Armenian captivity for quite some time.
About the fate of Theodora after the violent death of Andronikos in 1185 is not known.