Theodore II Palaiologos
Theodore II Palaeologus (Greek Θεόδωρος Παλαιολόγος, Theodoros ( II ) Palaeologus, order * 1396, † 1448 ) was ruler from 1407 to 1443 ( despot ) over the Despotate of Morea.
Life
Theodore II Palaiologos was the son of the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and his wife Helena Dragaš. His brothers were the emperor John VIII Palaeologus and Constantine XI. Palaiologos and the Despot of Morea Demetrios Palaiologos and Thomas Palaiologos, Andronikos Palaiologos and, Despot in Thessalonica.
When he was about 10 years old, his father Manuel put him to succeed his deceased uncle Theodore I. Palaiologos as a despot of the Morea.
While Theodore II a minor, his father remained in the Morea, built in 1415, the Hexamilion, a fortification wall across the Isthmus of Corinth again and completed his formation.
Theodore married in 1421 Cleope Malatesta, an Italian aristocrat and cousin of Pope Martin V, who was Theodore's ally. The farm capital Mystras at the time was an intellectual and religious center of the Greek -Byzantine culture. The greatest scholar of his time, Georgios Gemistos Pletho moved his workplace of Constantine Opel after Mystras. He founded a school of philosophy, whose most famous pupil was the theologian and humanist Basilius Bessarion. Theodore himself was a gifted mathematician and patron of scholars at his court.
In May 1423 the Turks fell under Turahan Bey in the Morea. They stormed the Isthmusmauer, but withdrew again from the peninsula back after they had Theodor obliged to pay tribute to the Sultan Murat II.
1428 were his brothers Constantine XI. Palaiologos and Thomas Palaiologos co-ruler. They defeated 1428 the last prince of Achaia Centurione Zaccaria, took its capital Glarentza ( Kyllini ), and conquered in 1429 Patras.
Theodore II, laid claim to succeed his childless brother John VIII as the Byzantine emperor, but resigned his rights and his duties as a despot to his younger brother Constantine XI. Palaiologos in exchange against its possessions in Selymbria ( Silivri ), where he died in 1448 of the plague.
Family
Theodore II had out of wedlock with Cleope Malatesta a daughter - Elena Palaiologa, married to King John II of Cyprus.