• Born: Before 1155
• Married: Between 1170 and 1180
• Died: After 1211, Monastery of Hyakinthos, Nikaia

  Research Notes:

Niketas Choniates names "Isaacius et Alexius" as sons of "Andronicus Angelus".

He deposed his younger brother 8 Apr 1195 at Kypsela while on campaign against Bulgaria, succeeding as Emperor ALEXIOS III. He immediately called off the campaign and returned to Constantinople, but Bulgarian raids continued, marked by their capture of Serres, and Alexios was forced to send troops under his son-in-law Isaakios Komnenos who was defeated on the Struma River. Emperor Alexios continued the abuses of his predecessor, attempting to buy support with large land gifts, overtaxing the poor, and selling offices, all resulting in a terminal weakening of the empire. Alexios III was obliged to agree an enormous annual tribute to Heinrich VI Emperor of Germany, who threatened an invasion to avenge the overthrow of Emperor Isaakios II, but was unable to raise sufficient funds through his special "German" tax. Emperor Heinrich was planning an attack but died before the preparations were complete. Pope Innocent III began pressing for a full-scale crusade to the east after his election in 1198, but this Fourth Crusade was used as a pretext by the western allies to conquer Byzantium. Arriving at Constantinople 24 Jun 1203, the city fell to the army of the crusaders 17 Jul 1203. What may be an eye-witness account of the sack of Constantinople is included in the Novgorod Chronicle. Emperor Alexios fled the city with most of the state treasury and the Byzantine crown jewels, and his brother Isaakios II was restored as emperor. Alexios made his way to eastern Thessaly where his wife's family had large estates. He allied himself with Leon Sguros, who had captured Thebes and large parts of Attika and Beotia, and to whom he gave his daughter Evdokia. He was captured by Bonifazio Marchese di Monferrato, newly installed as king of Thessaloniki, during his campaign in Thessaly and held for ransom which was paid by Mikhael Komnenos Doukas Despot of Epirus. He escaped and made his way to the court of the Seljuk Sultan of Iconium. Together they attacked the new empire of Nikaia, ruled by Alexios's son-in-law, by whom he was captured in Spring 1211 and imprisoned in the monastery of Hyakinthos where he later died. ¹