Περίληψη : John Raoul Was Born in the First Half of the 13Th Century and Was a Member of an Aristocratic Family

IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη Μετάφραση : Ανδριοπούλου Βέρα Για παραπομπή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη , "John Raoul", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία URL:

Περίληψη : John Raoul was born in the first half of the 13th century and was a member of an aristocratic family. He was imprisoned during the reign of Theodore II Laskaris and was only freed after his death. In 1259 he took part in the war against the Despot of Epiros Michael II Doukas. Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos honoured him with the office of protobestiarios. He died before 1274, probably in Constantinople. Άλλα Ονόματα John Comnenos Raoul Doukas Angelos Petraleiphas Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης First half of 13th century – place unknown Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου Before 1274, probably Constantinople Κύρια Ιδιότητα Official

1. Biography

John Raoul, oldest son of Alexios Raoul, who was protobestiarios, was born on the first half of the 13th century. He had three brothers, Isaac, Manuel and another one whose name is not known; he also had a sister (name unknown), who had married Andronikos, a member of the Mouzalon family. In 1261 he married Theodora Kantakouzene, widow of George Mouzalon and daughter of John Kantakouzenos and Irene Palaiologina, the sister of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. They had daughters, but how many of them is uncertain. Among them there are Irene Raoulaina Palaiologina and Anna Strategopoulina Komnene Raoulaina.1 He was also known by the name of John Komnenos Raoul Doukas Angelos Petraleiphas. The main surnames that accompany his name is indicative of the relations between the aristocratic family of Raoul with other important Byzantine families.

2. Career and activity

John Raoul’s activities begin during the reign of Theodore II Laskaris, when he was imprisoned, as part of the Emperor’s severe policy towards the aristocracy and favour of lesser and more humble origins. In 1256 the emperor took away the office of protovestiarios from John’s father, Alexios Raoul, while in the same year or shortly after John and his three brothers were sent to prison.2 The four men were probably freed immediately after the emperor’s death (16 August 1258) and supported Michael Palaiologos against the Mouzalon brothers, along with other aristocratic families.3 At the same year, John takes part in the campaign against the despot of Epiros Michael II Doukas (1231-1267). Michael II’s territorial claims alarmed Michael Palaiologos (co- emperor of the underage John IV Laskaris), who sent reinforcements to Thessalonike, led by his brother John Palaiologos, the sebastokrator and megas domestikos. John Raoul was among the experienced officers accompanying John Palaiologos. After the successful battle of Pelagonia (July 1259), which was decisive of the war against Michael II, John Raoul and Alexios Strategopoulos pursued Michael, who had fled to Arta. They initially besieged Ioannina and then peacefully occupied Arta, freeing the captives; among them was the historian and scholar George Akropolites.4 Possibly on the same year, Michael VIII Palaiologos honoured John Raoul with the office of protobestiarios for his contribution to the war against Epiros.5 In 1261 he married Theodora Kantakouzene.6 After 1274 there is no mention of his name in written sources.7

1. See Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I., «Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλείφας», in Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (Wien 1990), p. 105, no. 24125, and Fassoulakis, S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (Athens 1973), p. 18. Polemis, D., The Doukai: A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography (London 1968), p. 173, mentions only one daughter of John Raoul by name, Eirene.

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2. Hatzes, Χατζής, Α.Χ., Οι Ραούλ, Ραλ, Ράλαι, 1080- 1800: ιστορική μονογραφία (Kirchhain 1909), p. 15, believes that Alexios Raoul lost his office at the same time as his children’s imprisonment, while Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I., «Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλείφας», in Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (Wien 1990), pp. 105-106, believe that they were put in prison in 1258. This is also supported by Polemis, D., The Doukai: A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography (London 1968), p. 173.

3. See Fassoulakis, S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (Athens 1973), p. 18.

4. At the same time, John Palaiologos, accompanied by John Doukas, invaded Thessaly. See Nicol, D.M., The Despotate of Epiros (Oxford 1957), p. 186.

5. This is supported by Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I., «Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλείφας», in Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (Wien 1990), pp. 105-106, no. 24125. Fassoulakis, S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (Athens 1973), p. 19, believes that John Raoul took this office in 1261.

6. This opinion is expressed by Fassoulakis, S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (Athens 1973), p. 18, and Nicol D. M., The Byzantine Family of Kantakouzenos, ca. 1100-1460. A Genealogical and Prosopographical Study (Washington 1968), p. 16. Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I., «Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλείφας», in Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (Wien 1990), pp. 105-106, place John Raoul’s marriage to Theodora Kantakouzene in 1259.

7. This opinion is expressed by Fassoulakis, S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (Athens 1973), p. 19, and Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I., «Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλείφας», in Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10 (Wien 1990), p. 105, no. 24125. Polemis, D., The Doukai: A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography (London 1968), p. 173, places John Raoul’s death in 1284.

Βιβλιογραφία : Σκουταριώτης Θεόδωρος, Σύνοψις Χρονική, Σάθας, Κ.Ν. (επιμ.), Μεσαιωνική Βιβλιοθήκη 7, Βενετία – Παρίσι 1894

Polemis D., The Doukai. A Contribution to Byzantine Prosopography, London 1968, University of London Historical Studies 22

Γεώργιος Ακροπολίτης, Χρονική Συγγραφή, Heisenberg, A. – Wirth, P. (eds), Georgii Acropolitae Οpera 1 (αναθ. P. Wirth), Stuttgart 1978

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès. Relations historiques 1-2, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1-2, Paris 1984

Νικηφόρος Γρηγοράς, Ρωμαϊκής Ιστορίας Λόγοι, Shopen, L. (ed.), Nicephori Gregorae Historia Byzantina 1-3, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1829-1855

Nicol D.M., The Byzantine Family of Kantakouzenos (Cantacuzenus) ca. 1100-1460. A Genealogical and Prosopographical Study, Washington 1968

Nicol D.M., The Despotate of Epiros, Oxford 1957

Fassoulakis S., The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es, Athens 1973

Λάμπρος Σπυρίδων, "Επιγράμματα Μαξίμου Πλανούδη", Νέος Ελληνομνήμων, 13, 1916, 414-421

Papadopoulos A., Versuch einer Genealogie der Palaiologen: 1259-1453, Amsterdam 1962

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Χατζής Α. Χ., Οι Ραούλ, Ραλ, Ράλαι, 1080- 1800: ιστορική μονογραφία, Kirchhain 1909

Failler A., "Pachymeriana altera", Revue des Etudes Byzantines, 46, 1988, 67-83

Guilland R., "Fonctions et dignités des eunuques. I. Le parakoimomène. II. Le protovestiaire", Etudes Byzantinines, 2, 1944, 185-223

"Ραούλ Ιωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας Άγγελος Πετραλίφας", Trapp, E. - Beyer, H. - Leontiades, I. (eds), Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit 10, Wien 1990, 103-104

Δικτυογραφία : Rallis [Raoul] http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTINE%20NOBILITY.htm#_Toc178348387

Γλωσσάριo : megas domestikos Supreme military commander of the imperial army. High-ranking title which was generally given to close relatives of the emperor. protovestiarios (and protovestiarites) Honorific title given to high-ranking officials and future emperors during this period. The protovestiarios was originally responsible for the imperial wardrobe, but in the 9th-11th centuries the holders of the title could command an army or conduct negotiations with foreign states. sebastokrator Honorary title of the Byzantine court. The office was established in 1081 by Alexios I Komnenos for his elder brother Isaac, equivalent to the one of regent

Πηγές Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès, Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), pp. 93.8‑10, 117.14‑18, 153.21‑155.6.

Παραθέματα John Raoul and his brothers support Michael Palaiologos (1258):

Καὶ οἱ ἐκ τοῦ ῾Ραοὺλ εὐγενεῖς ἄλλοι, μετὰ τὸν πατέρα τὸν τοῦ ἀξιώματος ἐκπεσόντα, ὡς φθάσαντες εἴπομεν, ἔτι νεάζοντες, καὶ Παλαιολόγοι.

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès, Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), pp. 93.8‑10.

George Pachymeres mentions the participation of John Raoul in the campaign against Epirus:

τοὺς γὰρ τὸ παλαιὸν Ἕλληνας, οὓς Ἀχιλλεὺς ἦγε, Μεγαλοβλαχίτας καλῶν, ἐπεφέρετο, ὥστε μηδ’ ἔξω προβαίνειν εἴα Βερροίας τὸν Παλαιολόγον καὶ μέγαν δομέστικον Ἰωάννην, τὸν Στρατηγόπουλο Ἀλέξιον καὶ τρίτον τὸν ῾Ραοὺλ Ἰωάννην, συχνὰς δυνάμεις περὶ αὐτοὺς ἔχοντας.

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès, Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), pp. 117.14‑18.

John Raoul is honoured with the title of protovestiarios:

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Ἰωάννην τε τὸν ῾Ραούλ, υἱὸν τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου ῾Ραούλ, καὶ τὸν τοῦ πηρωθέντος Φιλῆ υἱὸν Ἀλέξιον, τὸν μέν, τῇ τοῦ πρωτοβεστιαρίου Μουζάλωνος, πρὸ μικροῦ χηρωθείσῃ τρόπον ὃς εἴρηται, Θεοδώρᾳ, ἀδελφιδῇ αὐτοῦ γε οὔσῃ, Εὐλογίας ἐκ Καντακουζηνοῦ θυγατρὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ αὐταδέλφης, εἰς γάμον συναρμόσας, πρωτοβεστιάριον ἀποκαθίστησι, τὸν δέ, εἰς ἓν λέχος τῇ αὐταδέλφῃ ταύτης Μαρίᾳ συναγαγών, μέγαν δομέστικον ἀποδείκνυσι.

Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Συγγραφικαί Ιστορίαι, Failler, A. (ed.), Georges Pachymérès, Relations historiques (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 24/1‑2, Paris 1984), pp. 153.21‑155.6.

Χρονολόγιο First half of 13th century: Birth of John Raoul

1256-1258: Imprisonment of John Raoul, on the orders of Emperor Theodore II Laskaris

1258-1259: Participation John Raoul in the campaign against the despot of Epiros. Honoured with the office of protobestiarios

1261: Marriage with Theodora Kantakouzene, niece of Michael VIII Palaiologos

Before 1274: Death of John Raoul, probably in Constantinople

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