ISAAKIOS Angelos ([1155]-Constantinople in prison [28 Jan/12 Apr] 1204). Niketas Choniates names "Isaacius et Alexius" as sons of "Andronicus Angelus"[790]. As leader of the aristocrats against whom Emperor Andronikos I had struggled, he succeeded in 1185 on the latter's downfall as Emperor ISAAKIOS II. He immediately attacked the Normans, his general Alexios Branas defeating them at Mosynopolis and Dimitritsa 7 Nov 1185, which resulted in their expulsion from Thessaloniki, Durazzo and Corfu[791]. Isaakios also made peace with Béla III King of Hungary, sealed by the emperor's second marriage with the king's daughter. In 1186, he was faced with the rebellion of Alexios Branas, who had been sent to quell the Bulgarian rebellion of the brothers Ivan Asen and Teodor but, having penetrated rebel territory, used the army for his own interests and led it to Adrianople where he was proclaimed emperor. Branas marched on Constantinople, but was put to flight and killed by loyal forces[792]. Emperor Isaakios led his army personally against Bulgarian rebels, successfully driving them across the Danube. This was followed by further campaigns in Sep 1187 and 1188, but the emperor was forced to recognise Bulgarian independence under a peace treaty signed in 1188[793]. Tensions developed with Emperor Friedrich I "Barbarossa", leader of the Third Crusade, who had received a warm welcome in Serbia and had crossed into Byzantine territory at Branicevo. Anxious to protect his interests, Isaakios signed a treaty of alliance with Saladin, which worsened the situation. After taking Philippopolis [Plovdiv] and Adrianople, as well as threatening Constantinople, Emperor Friedrich forced Emperor Isaakios to give him provisions and ships to cross into Asia Minor[794]. In Sep 1190, Byzantine troops defeated the Serbs at the Morava River, but although the Byzantines regained Niš, Beograd and northern Macedonia including Skopje, under the ensuing peace treaty, they were obliged to recognise Serb independence and Nemanja's right to rule Zeta, southern Dalmatia, Trebinje and Hum[795]. In retaliation for Bulgarian raids on Philippopolis, Sardika [Sofija] and Adrianople, Emperor Isaakios attacked Bulgaria but was heavily defeated in [1194] near Arcadiopolis[796]. The reign of Emperor Isaakios saw a major weakening of Byzantium and was marked by a rapid revival of corruption and administrative abuses, especially increased taxes to establish his luxurious court[797]. He was deposed 8 Apr 1195 by his older brother Alexios while preparing a further campaign against Bulgaria, and blinded. He was restored as emperor 17 Jul 1203 when the crusading army captured Constantinople and his brother Alexios III had fled, his son being named as co-emperor. Isaakios was deposed end-Jan 1204 in an anti-Latin revolt which broke out in Constantinople, and imprisoned once more. The necrology of Speyer cathedral records the death "VI Kal Sep" of "Maria regina Philippi regis contectalis, nata de Grecia" and the donations which she made to found the anniversaries "in octava Martini [18 Nov]…patris eius et matris eius…Ysaac et matre Herina" and "fratris…eius et sororis eius tercia die post festum Michahelis [1 Oct]…Manuel fratre, Effrosina sorore"[798]. m firstly (before [1181]) [EIRENE] Tornikaina, daughter of DEMETRIOS Tornikes & his wife --- Malakissa (-[18 Nov] [1183/85]). The necrology of Speyer cathedral records the death "VI Kal Sep" of "Maria regina Philippi regis contectalis, nata de Grecia" and the donations which she made to found the anniversaries "in octava Martini [18 Nov]…patris eius et matris eius…Ysaac et matre Herina" and "fratris…eius et sororis eius tercia die post festum Michahelis [1 Oct]…Manuel fratre, Effrosina sorore"[799]. Bearing in mind the estimated date of death of Emperor Isaakios (see above), it is possible that 18 Nov commemorates the death of [Eirene], although it is also possible that the date commemorates some other family event. There remains some doubt about whether "Eirene" can have been the name of Isaakios's first wife as the original baptismal name of her daughter, "Maria regina", is also recorded as Eirene, the Byzantine naming practice not normally being to name children after their parents. One possibility is that [Eirene] died while giving birth to Eirene/Maria, as naming a child after a parent appears to have been acceptable practice in those circumstances. If that is correct, it is unlikely that [Eirene] died later than [1184] considering her daughter´s first marriage in 1192. Her relationship with the Tornikes family is indicated by a document at Patmos which names Konstantinos Tornikes as uncle ("?e???") of Emperor Alexios IV, dated to Dec 1203[800]. While the passage would not exclude Konstantinos being the husband either of a maternal or paternal aunt of the emperor, or indeed a more remote relation as the word "?e???" could indicate a family relationship which is more distant than "uncle", Don Stone and Charles Owens, in their detailed analysis of all the relevant sources, argue convincingly that the most likely interpretation is that Konstantinos Tornikes was Emperor Alexios´s maternal uncle[801]. m secondly (1185) as her first husband, MARGIT of Hungary, daughter of BÉLA III King of Hungary & his first wife Agnès [Anna] de Châtillon-sur-Loing (1175-after 3 Mar 1229). The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names (in order) "Haymericum et Andream…et duas reginas Constantiam de Boemia et Margaretam de Grecia" as children of "rex Bela de Hungaria" & his wife Agnes[802]. She brought Beograd, Branicevo and probably Niš as part of her dowry[803]. Niketas Choniates records the marriage of Emperor Isaakios and "Belæ Hungariæ regis filiam", commenting that she was only ten years old at the time[804]. The special wedding tax levied to finance her elaborate nuptial ceremonies may have contributed to attracting support for the rebellion in Bulgaria by the brothers Ivan Asen and Tedor[805]. She adopted the name MARIA in Byzantium. Villehardouin records that the wife of Emperor Isaakios, and stepmother of his son, was "the king of Hungary's sister", in a later passage naming her "the Empress Marie"[806]. She married secondly (May 1204) as his second wife, Bonifazio I Marchese di Monferrato, who wished thereby to advance his claim to be installed as emperor of the new Latin Empire of Constantinople[807]. The Cronica Fratris Salimbene de Adam records the marriage of "Bonifacius marchio" and "Margaritam imperatricem condam Ysachii, sororem Aimerici regis Ungari"[808]. Villehardouin records the marriage of "the Marquis Boniface de Montferrat" and "the lady who had been the Emperor Isaac's wife…the king of Hungary's sister"[809]. Georgius Akropolites records that "rex Thessalonicæ" married "Mariam Ungaram", widow of "imperatori Isaacio"[810]. She married thirdly (after Sep 1207) Nicolas de Saint-Omer Lord of Thebes. She was regent of Thessaloniki in 1207. Pope Gregory IX confirmed that "[Margaretha] soror…regis Ungarie" acquired "terram…ulterior Sirmia" by bull dated 3 Mar 1229[811]. Emperor Isaakios III & his first wife had [four] children