• Born: Between 1171 and 1174
• Married (1): Between Jan 1199 and Feb 1199
• Married (2): 24 Nov 1214
• Married (3): 1219
• Died: Nov 1221
• Buried: Monastery of Hyakinthos, Nikaia

  Research Notes:

Ephræmius names "fratres, Manuel, Theodorus et Constantinus". Theodoros held a military command under Emperor Alexios III, helping to suppress the rebellion of Ivanko in 1200 and vigorously opposing the crusaders in 1203/04. He was created despot by his father-in-law Emperor Alexios III. The chronicler Nicetas Choniates reports that, immediately after the flight of Emperor Alexios V Doukas Murzuphlos and before the arrival of the crusading army (presumably therefore 13 Apr 1204), there were two candidates for the imperial throne "a pair of young men…Ducas and Laskaris and the name of both was that of the champion [αρχηγός] of the faith". The latter expression has been interpreted as referring to "Konstantinos", which would indicate that Konstantinos Laskaris rather than his brother Theodoros was chosen, although another version of the manuscript refers to them as "duo iuvenes…Ducas et Lascaris, uterque Theodorus". The most likely explanation is that Theodoros Laskaris was one of the chosen candidates and Theodoros Komnenos Doukas Angelos (later emperor at Thessaloniki) the other. It should also be noted that later chroniclers seem to date the regnal years of Theodoros Laskaris, after he became emperor at Nikaia, from 1204. In any case, whichever Laskaris brother was chosen, he refused the honour. Theodoros Laskaris escaped from Constantinople with his wife and sailed to Asia Minor, landing at Nikaia where he was at first refused entry. He established himself at Brusa, used his title despot, and proceeded to subjugate the surrounding country. Theodoros Laskaris was defeated at Poimanenon by Henri de Flandre (brother of Baudouin I Latin Emperor of Constantinople) and Louis de Blois (to whom Nikaia had been assigned under the terms of the Mar 1204 treaty which divided the empire between Venice and the crusaders). The latter, however, returned to Thrace where he was killed defending the Latin empire against the Bulgarians. This left a free hand for Theodoros to establish his rule at Nikaia along the lines of Byzantium.

He was proclaimed Emperor THEODOROS I in 1206 and crowned at Easter 1208 by Mikhael Autorianos, newly elected patriarch resident at Nikaia. Georgius Akropolites records that "Ioannes…Camaterus" (Patriarch of Constantinople) refused to crown Theodoros Laskaris as emperor, but resigned as patriarch to give way for "Michael Auctorianus". The Seljuk Sultan Kaikhusraw attacked Nikaia, together with ex-Emperor Alexios III who had sought refuge at his court, but was defeated by Theodoros in spring 1211. Sporadic fighting continued with the Latin empire of Constantinople until the Treaty of Nymphaeon confirmed the territorial gains of each at the end of 1214. Emperor Theodoros annexed the territory of David Komnenos (brother of Alexios Komnenos Emperor at Trebizond) west of Sinope in 1214, although it was soon seized by the Seljuks. Bar Hebræus records that in A.H. 611 (1214/15) "le roi Lascaris" was captured and sent to "Cai-Caous", who released him in return for payment of a large ransom and the transfer of several castles and towns. In Aug 1220, Emperor Theodoros allied himself with the Venetian podestà in Constantinople and accorded Venice the same commercial privileges in Nikaia which it had previously held in Byzantium.

Ephræmius records the death of Theodoros aged 50 and his burial "in Hyacinthi…cœnobio". Georgius Akropolites records that "imperator Theodoros Lascaris annos quinque et quadraginta et amplius, minor quinquaginta natus" when he died and was buried "in Hyacinthi monasterio". ¹