A Wisdom Archive on Baldwin Ii

The name of Constantinople is an honorific eponym referencing its founder, the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine established the Greek city of Byzantium as the second capital of the Roman Empire on May 11, AD 330, naming the city Nova Roma (New Rome). That particular name, however, enjoyed little common use, and it was as the 'City of Constantine' (Constantinopolis) that it ...

Read more here: » Constantinople: Encyclopedia II - Constantinople - Names

In 1261, Michael captured Constantinople from its last Latin monarch, Baldwin II. He had himself crowned, with his infant son Andronicus as co-Emperor. Later that year, in December, he had John Lascaris blinded and banished. For this last act he was excommunicated by Arsenius, and the ban was not removed until six years afterwards (1268) on the accession of a new patriarch. After rendering John Lascaris ineligible for the throne, Michael quickly married off John's sisters to foreigners, so their descendants could not threat ...

Read more here: » Michael VIII Palaeologus: Encyclopedia II - Michael VIII Palaeologus - Reign

Much of what we know of Louis' life comes from Jean de Joinville's famous biography of Louis, Life of Saint Louis. Joinville was a close friend, confidant, and counselor to the king, and also participated as a witness in the papal inquest into Louis' life that ended with his canonization in 1297 by Pope Boniface VIII. Louis was eleven years old when his father died in 1226. He was crowned king the same year in the cathedral at Reims. Because of Louis' youth, his mother, Blanche of Castile, ruled France as regent until 1234, when Louis was deemed of age to rule himself. She continued as an important counsellor to the ...

Read more here: » Louis IX of France: Encyclopedia II - Louis IX of France - Life

A swung dash (~) is used to indicate where the personal name occurs in the nickname; thus "~ the Accursed" means "Sviatopolk the Accursed". List of monarchs by nickname - A. "~ the Accursed": Sviatopolk I of Kiev (Russian: Святопо́лк Окая́нный) "~ (the) Ætheling" (Old English, "Princeling"): Edgar Ætheling of England (Old English Eadgar Æþeling) "~ the Affable": Charles VIII of France (Frenc ...

Read more here: » List of monarchs by nickname: Encyclopedia II - List of monarchs by nickname - Cognomen

In 1098, Baldwin of Boulogne left the main Crusading army, which was travelling south towards Antioch and Jerusalem, and went first south into Cilicia, then east to Edessa. There, he convinced its lord, Thoros, to adopt him as a son and heir. Thoros was a Greek Orthodox, and was disliked by his Armenian Orthodox subjects; he was soon assassinated, although it is unknown if Baldwin had any part in this. In any case, Baldwin became the new ruler, taking the title of Count (having been Count o ...

Read more here: » County of Edessa: Encyclopedia II - County of Edessa - Foundation

Baldwin II quickly became involved in the affairs of northern Syria and Asia Minor. He helped secure the ransom of Bohemund I of Antioch from the Danishmends in 1103, and, with Antioch, attacked the Byzantine Empire in Cilicia in 1104. Later in 1104, Edessa was attacked by Mosul, and both Baldwin and Joscelin were taken prisoner when they were defeated at the Battle of Harran. Bohemund's brother Tancred became regent in Edessa (although Richard of Salerno actually governed the territory), until Baldwin and Joscelin were ransomed in 1108. How ...

Read more here: » County of Edessa: Encyclopedia II - County of Edessa - Conflicts with Muslim neighbours