Home > Categories > People > History > Ancient History, Late Roman and Byzantine: Biographies > Michael VIII

Michael VIII

From: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008

Michael VIII (Michael Palaeologus), c.1225-1282, Byzantine emperor (1261-82), first of the Palaeologus dynasty. Following the murder of the regent for Emperor John IV of Nicaea, he was appointed (1258) regent and, soon afterward (1259), coemperor. He successfully defended (1259) Nicaea against the coalition of the despotat of Epirus, Sicily, and Achaea. Michael then led his army against the crumbling Latin Empire of Constantinople and recovered (1261) its capital from Emperor Baldwin II . With the Byzantine Empire thus restored, Michael was crowned by the patriarch. He later had John IV blinded and imprisoned. The remainder of Michael's reign was taken up by his fight against Charles I of Naples and Sicily, and against the despotat of Epirus. He concluded peace with the Tatars and Mamluks in 1272. For support against Charles he vacillated between Venice and Genoa as allies. He negotiated with Pope Gregory X for a union of the Eastern and Western Churches, and in 1274 his emissaries at the Second Council of Lyons (see Lyons, Second Council of ) agreed to recognize the spiritual supremacy of the pope. However, in 1281 Pope Martin IV , a supporter of Charles, broke the union by excommunicating Michael, while Charles's troops with those of Venice invaded Epirus. Michael saved his throne by financing a rebellion in Sicily, which broke Charles's power in the Sicilian Vespers . Michael was distinguished for his learning and left an autobiography. His son Andronicus II succeeded him.

Bibliography: See study by D. Geanakoplos (1959).

Author not available, MICHAEL VIII., The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press

For permission to reuse this article, contact Copyright Clearance Center.

Related articles from HighBeam Research:

	MOTORING: THE VERDICT MITSUBISHI EVO VIII - The fastest supercar in the world - almost; The Evo's phenominal acceleration will leave you gasping for breath, says Michael Booth.(Features) The Independent (London, England); 11/15/2003; Booth, Michael; 764 words; Byline: Michael Booth Just as in the world of sport, from ... Championship, which may explain why the Evo VIII is replacing the Evo VII after just two ... life acceleration figures are where the Evo VIII leaves one gasping. With all-wheel-drive ...
	Food: The meat of kings; With beef still under a cloud, venison's prospects as an alternative red meat have never been better. Michael Bateman explores the mysteries of Henry VIII's preferred Sunday roast.(Features) The Independent Sunday (London, England); 2/4/2001; Bateman, Michael; 1104 words; Venison was a Valentine's day gift in Elizabethan times. It has always been an aristocratic taste. Henry VIII rated its meat so highly that he ordered thousands of deer parks to be established. And today it is still something of a luxury ...
	Henry VIII.(Book Review) History Review; 12/1/2004; Wooding, Lucy; 872 words; HenryVIII * Michael A. R. Graves Pearson, Profiles ... sterling] ISBN 0 582 8110 X Michael Graves' new study of Henry VIII leaves one wondering whether ... of sub-titles such as 'Henry VIII: image projector, performer ... modern associations. Henry VIII** was not trying to win any elections ...
	THEATRE: Henry VIII RSC Swan Theatre The Independent - London; 11/16/1996; David Benedict; 391 words; Henry VIII RSC Swan Theatre, Stratford ... there writing a play about Michael Howard? No? Well, for posterity ... wasn't quite like that. Henry VIII (the play, not the man) comes ... As the world knows, Henry VIII (the man, not the play) was ...
	Mariological Memory in The Winter's Tale and Henry VIII.(plays by William Shakespeare)(Critical Essay) Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900; 3/22/2000; VANITA, RUTH; 11662 words; ... prologue and epilogue to Henry VIII. History, with its illusion ... wrathful arm, weighing down St. Michael's scales in favor of the sinner ... mother or in her own right. Henry VIII and The Winter's Tale are so ... these plays, especially Henry VIII, are directed to a royal patron ... Grace in the ...
	End marriage guidance for Henry VIII, says Howard Yorkshire Post; 3/7/2005; 216 words; ... which sees children asked to offer Henry VIII marriage guidance, leader Michael Howard claimed yesterday. James Reed A ... seven-year-olds should learn reasons for Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and ... effectively being asked to offer Henry VIII marriage guidance counselling, rather ...
	The Church and State of Henry VIII The Washington Post; 6/10/1998; Michael Farquhar; 3894 words; You might think that Henry VIII would have faded well into obscurity by now. After ... held the throne in a single year. It was partly Henry VIII's desire to avoid such chaos in the future that prompted ... government coffers. When the young and vibrant Henry VIII came to the throne, England greeted him with ...
	Inside Parliment: Cook conjures up spectre of Henry VIII The Independent - London; 2/9/1994; STEPHEN GOODWIN; 1077 words; The spectre of Henry VIII and his tendency to absolutism was raised ... the "bonfire of red tape" promised by Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade ... understand such clauses are termed Henry VIII clauses in disrespectful commemoration ... said. "This Bill here is one big Henry VIII clause ... .
	Nicomachean Ethics, Books VIII and IX. (Summaries And Comments).(Review) The Review of Metaphysics; 12/1/2000; Maher, Daniel P.; 887 words; ARISTOTLE. Nicomachean Ethics, Books VIII and IX. Edited by Michael Pakaluk. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. xiii + 239 pp. Cloth, $65.00; paper, $19.95--The first volume in the Clarendon ...
	CAST MAKES THE MOST OF "HENRY VIII".(DAILY BREAK)(Review) The Virginian Pilot; 7/26/2003; 628 words; ... stival's production of King Henry VIII. Shima Ushiba's costumes ... There is a reason why Henry VIII is rarely produced. It contains ... events in the reign of Henry VIII. Expect little of the melodrama ... thing, the events of Henry VIII cover some 25 years, yet ... The monarch, as played by ...
	Intrigue, betrayal and lust in Henry viii's court Express & Echo (Exeter UK); 12/7/2007; 446 words; The final part of Michael Hirst's lavish drama brings the story of Henry VIII's early years to an explosive close. Now that Cardinal Wolsey's out of power, the new chancellor, Sir Thomas More (Jeremy Northam ...
	Henry VIII as an angry young man Yorkshire Post; 9/29/2007; 1062 words; ... war, in a new drama series about Henry VIII. Grace Hammond reports. Here is Henry VIII as never seen before - or at least not ... King's first divorce and is written by Michael Hirst, who did the script for the Oscar ... role. Explaining his research into Henry VIII, Elizabeth I's father, Hirst says: ...
	He's Henry VIII, he is Deseret News (Salt Lake City); 3/30/2007; Scott D. Pierce Deseret Morning News; 439 words; ... Meyers does not play the Henry VIII we've come to expect. In the ... history, but creator/writer Michael Iirst (who also wrote the screenplay ... not "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by any means. In what's planned ... equivalent of an R.) And, while Henry VIII is the central character in ... for the chance ...
	Henry VIII helps put red tape to the torch The Independent - London; 1/20/1994; COLIN BROWN; 575 words; ... colleagues in the planning stage that the so-called "Henry VIII" clause, giving ministers wide powers, would be one of the ... powers by providing a novel system for checking the measures. Michael Heseltine, President of the Board of Trade, made it clear when ... the health warnings on cigarette advertisements. The ...
	POWER PLAY 'THE TUDORS' AIMS FOR NEW ENERGY IN PORTRAYAL OF SEXY KING HENRY VIII.(U) Daily News (Los Angeles, CA); 3/28/2007; 1177 words; ... popular perception of King Henry VIII is that of a besotted, vulgar ... modern in that way. Creator Michael Hirst agrees. All power corrupts ... years of the reign of King Henry VIII. Where: Showtime. When: Episode ... color) Dangerous liaisons Henry VIII has his way with the ladies ...