Isaac II Angelos

Type Figure Region Byzantine Empire Time c. 1156–1204 Also known as Isaac II

Isaac II Angelos (c. 1156–1204) was the founding emperor of the Angelos dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, taking power in 1185 after overthrowing the …

Timeline

c. 1156–1185Constantinople · ConstantinopleBorn into the Angelos family, he was active in court and military circles under Manuel I and Andronikos I, accumulating political capital.
1185–1187Constantinople · ConstantinopleIn September 1185 he joined the populace and nobles in overthrowing Andronikos I, was subsequently crowned emperor, and set about restoring order and addressing fiscal and military crises.
1189–1190Constantinople · ConstantinopleDuring the Third Crusade, Frederick I led his army across Byzantine territory; mutual suspicions led to conflict and treaty disputes, heightening tensions between the empire and the Western crusaders.
1195–1204Constantinople · ConstantinopleIn 1195 he was deposed and blinded in a coup by his brother Alexios III; in 1203 the Fourth Crusade supported his restoration, but he soon lost power again and died in captivity in 1204.

Sources

Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium — Alexander P. Kazhdan (ed.) (1991)
Isaac II Angelos — Encyclopaedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-II-Angelos
A History of Byzantium — Timothy E. Gregory (2010)