Irene of Alania
Irene of Alania, was a Georgian Princess, cousin of the Byzantine Empress Maria of Alania and wife of the Sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos, brother of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
Family
Irene is believed to be the daughter of Prince Demetrius of Georgia, son of King George I Bagrationi of Georgia, according to Cyril Toumanoff. Her paternal cousin was Empress Maria of Alania.[1]
Marriage and issue
It has been speculated that Irene was the final mistress of the old Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos, around 1051, but this is unconfirmed.[1] If so, she was certainly granted the title of sebaste. Irene married Isaac Komnenos around 1072, the marriage being personally arranged by Emperor Michael VII Doukas.[2] Irene's husband was the elder brother of the future Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, under whose reign he received the title of Sebastokrator and other honors.[3] Their children were:
- John Komnenos, protosebastos, and governor of Dyrrhachium[4]
- Alexios Komnenos, sebastos, and governor of Dyrrhachium[4]
- Constantine Komnenos, sebastos, and governor of Beroea[4]
- Adrianos Komnenos, monk, later ordained as Archbishop of Bulgaria[4]
- Sophia Komnene, married the sebastos Dokeianos[4]
- Eudokia Komnene, married the sebastos Nikephoros Botaneiates[4]
References
- 1 2 Toumanoff, Cyril (1976). Manuel de généalogie et de chronologie pour l'histoire de la Caucasie chrétienne (Arménie - Géorgie - Albanie) (in French). pp. 121–122
- ↑ Anna Comnena, Alexiad, book II, 1. quoted by GIBI VIII 1972, p. 26 )
- ↑ Ivanov 1970, pp. 567-568.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Varzos, Konstantinos (1984). Η Γενεαλογία των Κομνηνών [The Genealogy of the Komnenoi] (PDF) (in Greek). Vol. A1. Thessaloniki: Centre for Byzantine Studies, University of Thessaloniki.