John II Comnenus
John II Comnenus was a Byzantine emperor who ruled from 1118 to 1143, known for his military campaigns and efforts to restore Byzantine authority in Asia Minor and the Balkans. He began his reign with an aggressive campaign against the Turks in southeast Anatolia, successfully capturing Laodicea in 1119. His reign was marked by significant challenges, including incursions by the Pecheneg tribes, which prompted a swift response that culminated in a decisive victory near Beroea in 1122, effectively neutralizing the Pecheneg threat.
Following this, John II faced a revolt from Serbian chieftains and their Hungarian allies, which he suppressed, notably at the Battle of Haram in 1128. With peace established in Europe, he turned his attention back to Anatolia, waging war against the Danishmendid sultan from 1130 to 1136. His campaigns extended into Cilicia, where he besieged Anazarbus and compelled the Crusader states, including Antioch, to recognize his authority. Although his campaign against Aleppo in 1138 was unsuccessful, John II's later years saw the restoration of Byzantine control over northern Anatolia, including the city of Trebizond, solidifying his legacy as a determined military leader and a pivotal figure in Byzantine history.
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John II Comnenus
- Born: September 13, 1087
- Birthplace: Possibly Constantinople
- Died: April 8, 1143
- Place of death: Unknown
Principal wars: Serb Revolt, Danishmendid War, Cilician War, Anatolia-Black Sea coast campaigns
Principal battles: Laodicea (1119), Beroea (1122), Haram (1128), Anazarbus (1137), Antioch (1137), Aleppo (1138), Trebizond (1141)
Military significance: Ruler of Byzantium from 1118 to 1143, John II reversed the empire’s military decline, recovering several important territories.
John II Comnenus inaugurated his reign by attacking the Turks in the Meander River region of southeast Anatolia, capturing Laodicea in 1119. In 1121, the nomadic Pecheneg (Patzinak) tribes of the Danube renewed their plundering incursions into the Balkans, throwing European Byzantium into turmoil. Emboldened by these incursions, several Serbian chieftains, backed by the king of Hungary, revolted against Constantinople. The emperor retaliated swiftly. In 1122, near Beroea, he smashed the Pechenegs so totally they never endangered Byzantium again. After several more years, John crushed the Serb Revolt and, at the Battle of Haram (1128), drove the Hungarians back across the Danube.
Europe pacified, John returned to Anatolia, battering the Danishmendid sultan of central Anatolia from 1130 to 1136. In 1137, he then turned south into Cilicia and besieged Anazarbus, the capital of Little Armenia. Anazarbus secured, the emperor forced the Crusader states at Antioch and Odessa to acknowledge his lordship. Cowed, Raymond of Antioch paid homage to Constantinople and joined John against the sultan of Aleppo. However, the Aleppo (1138) campaign failed. Toward the end his life, John conquered the coastline of northern Anatolia, subduing the city of Trebizond and restoring Byzantine authority eastward to the Caucasus Mountains.
Bibliography
Norwich, John Julius. Byzanium: The Decline and Fall. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.
Ostrogorsky, George. History of the Byzantine State. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1969.
Treadgold, Warren T. A History of the Byzantine State and Society. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1997.