ANDRONICUS II Palaeologus & Michael IX 1294AD Ancient Byzantine Coin i20346

Item: i20346

Authentic Ancient

Coin of:

Andronicus II , Palaeologus – Byzantine Emperor: 11
December 1282 – 24 May 1328 A.D.
Michael IX – Byzantine Co-Emperor: Many 21, 1295-October 12, 1320 A.D.
Bronze Assarion 20mm (1.24 grams) Constantinople mint 1294-1320 A.D.
Reference: DOC 689; SB 2440.
 Half-length facing busts of Andronicus and Michael, holding labarum between
them
 Legend in four lines.

You are bidding on the exact

Guarantee of Authenticity.

The Chi Rho is one of the earliest
christograms
used by Christians. It is formed
by superimposing the first two letters in the Greek spelling of the word
Christ
(
Greek
 : “Χριστός” ), chi = ch and rho = r, in
such a way to produce the
monogram
☧. The Chi-Rho symbol was
also used by pagan Greek scribes to mark, in the margin, a particularly valuable
or
relevant passage; the combined letters Chi and Rho standing for chrēston,
meaning “good.” Although not technically a cross, the Chi Rho invokes the
crucifixion of Jesus as well as symbolizing his status as the Christ. There is
early evidence of the Chi Rho symbol on Christian Rings of the third century.

The labarum (Greek:
λάβαρον) was a
vexillum
(military standard) that displayed
the “Chi-Rho”
symbol, formed from the first two
Greek letters
of the word “Christ”
(Greek:
ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) — Chi (χ)
and Rho (ρ).
It was first used by the
Roman emperor

Constantine I
. Since the vexillum consisted of
a flag suspended from the crossbar of a cross, it was ideally suited to
symbolize crucifixion
. The Chi-Rho symbol was also used
by Greek scribes to mark, in the margin, a particularly valuable or relevant
passage; the combined letters Chi and Rho standing for chrēston, meaning
“good.”

Michael IX Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek:
Μιχαήλ Θ΄ Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl IX
Palaiologos), (April 17, 1277 – October 12, 1320,
Thessalonica
,
Greece
), reigned as Byzantine co-emperor with
full imperial style 1294/1295–1320. Michael IX was the eldest son of
Andronikos II Palaiologos
and
Anna of Hungary
, a daughter of King
Stephen V of Hungary
.

 Life

Michael IX Palaiologos was acclaimed co-emperor in 1281 and was crowned in
1294 or 1295. In 1300, he was sent at the head of Alanian mercenaries against
the Turks in
Asia Minor
, and in 1304–1305 he was charged
with dealing with the rebellious
Catalan Company
. After the murder of the
Catalan commander
Roger de Flor
, Michael IX led the Byzantine
troops (augmented by Turks and 5–8,000 Alanians) against the Catalans, but was
defeated and wounded.

Michael IX was also ultimately unsuccessful against
Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria
in 1307,
concluding peace in 1307 and marrying his daughter to the Bulgarian emperor. In
1311, Michael IX was defeated by Osman I. Michael IX eventually retired to
Thessalonica
, where he died in 1320.

A brave and energetic soldier willing to make personal sacrifices to pay or
encourage his troops, Michael IX was generally unable to overcome his enemies
and is the only Palaiologan emperor to predecease his father. Michael IX’s
premature death at age 43 was attributed in part to grief over the accidental
murder of his younger son Manuel Palaiologos by retainers of his older son and
co-emperor
Andronikos III Palaiologos
.

 Family

Michael IX Palaiologos married
Rita of Armenia
(renamed Maria, later nun Xene),
daughter of King
Leo III of Armenia
and
Queen Keran of Armenia
on 16 January 1294. By
this marriage, Michael IX had several children, including:

• Andronikos III Palaiologos
• Manuel Palaiologos, despotēs
• Anna Palaiologina, who married
  Thomas I Komnenos Doukas
  and then
  Nicholas Orsini
  .
• Theodora Palaiologina, who married
  Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria
  and then
  Michael Asen III of Bulgaria
  .

Andronikos II Palaiologos (Greek:

Ανδρόνικος Β’ Παλαιολόγος) (25

March 1259
,

Nicaea
–

February

13
, 1332
,

Constantinople

) — also Andronicus II Palaeologus — reigned as

Byzantine emperor

from 1282 to 1328. He was the eldest surviving son of

Michael VIII Palaiologos

and

Theodora Doukaina Vatatzina

, grandniece of

John III Doukas Vatatzes

.

//

Andronikos II Palaiologos was acclaimed co-emperor in 1261, after

his father Michael VIII recovered

Constantinople

from the

Latin

Empire
, but he was crowned only in 1272. Sole emperor from 1282, Andronikos

II immediately repudiated his father’s unpopular Church union with the

Papacy

(which he had been forced to support while his father was still

alive), but was unable to resolve the related schism within the Orthodox clergy

until 1310. Andronikos II was also plagued by economic difficulties and during

his reign the value of the Byzantine

hyperpyron

depreciated precipitously while the state treasury accumulated less than one

seventh the revenue (in nominal coins) that it had done previously. Seeking to

increase revenue and reduce expenses, Andronikos II raised taxes and reduced tax

exemptions, and dismantled the Byzantine fleet (80 ships) in 1285, thereby

making the Empire increasingly dependent on the rival republics of

Venice

and

Genoa

. In 1291, he hired 50-60 Genoese ships. Later, in 1320, he tried to

resurrect the navy by constructing 20 galleys, but unfortunately he failed.

Andronikos II Palaiologos sought to resolve some of the problems facing the

Byzantine Empire

through diplomacy. After the death of his first wife, he

married

Yolanda (renamed Eirene) of Montferrat

, putting an end to the Montferrat

claim to the

Kingdom of Thessalonica

. Andronikos II also attempted to marry off his son

and co-emperor

Michael IX Palaiologos

to the Latin Empress

Catherine I of Courtenay

, thus seeking to eliminate Western agitation for a

restoration of the

Latin

Empire
. Another marriage alliance attempted to resolve the potential

conflict with Serbia

in

Macedonia

, as Andronikos II married off his five-year old daughter

Simonis
to

King

Stefan Milutin

in 1298.

In spite of the resolution of problems in

Europe
,

Andronikos II was faced with the collapse of the Byzantine frontier in

Asia Minor

. After the failure of the co-emperor Michael IX to stem the

Turkish advance in Asia Minor in 1300, the Byzantine government hired the

Catalan Company

of

Almogavars

(adventurers from Aragon

and

Catalonia
)

led by

Roger

de Flor
to clear Byzantine Asia Minor of the enemy. In spite of some

successes, the Catalans were unable to secure lasting gains. They quarreled with

Michael IX, and eventually turned on their Byzantine employers after the murder

of Roger de Flor in 1305, devastating

Thrace
,

Macedonia, and Thessaly

on their road to Latin Greece. There they conquered the

Duchy of Athens

and

Thebes

. The Turks continued to penetrate the Byzantine possessions, and

Prusa

fell in 1326. By the end of Andronikos II’s reign, much of Bithynia

was in the hands of the

Ottoman Turks

of Osman I and his son and heir

Orhan
. Also,

Karesi

conquered Mysia

region with Paleokastron

after 1296, Germiyan conquered

Simav
in 1328,

Saruhan captured Magnesia

in 1313 and

Aydınoğlu

captured Symirna

in 1310.

The Empire’s problems were exploited by

Theodore Svetoslav of Bulgaria

, who defeated Michael IX and conquered much

of northeastern Thrace in c. 1305-1307. The conflict ended with yet another

dynastic marriage, between Michael IX’s daughter Theodora and the Bulgarian

emperor. The dissolute behavior of Michael IX’s son

Andronikos III Palaiologos

led to a rift in the family, and after Michael

IX’s death in 1320, Andronikos II disowned his grandson, prompting a

civil war

that raged, with interruptions, until 1328. The conflict

precipitated Bulgarian involvement, and

Michael Asen III of Bulgaria

attempted to capture Andronikos II under the

guise of sending him military support. In 1328 Andronikos III entered

Constantinople in triumph and Andronikos II was forced to abdicate. He died as a

monk in 1332.