John II Komnenos
Monarch
1087 – 1143
Who was John II Komnenos?
John II Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs, he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina and the second emperor to rule during the Komnenian restoration of the Byzantine Empire. John was a pious and dedicated monarch who was determined to undo the damage his empire had suffered following the battle of Manzikert, half a century earlier.
John has been assessed as the greatest of the Komnenian emperors. In the course of his twenty-five year reign, John made alliances with the Holy Roman Empire in the west, decisively defeated the Pechenegs, Hungarians and Serbs in the Balkans, and personally led numerous campaigns against the Turks in Asia Minor. John's campaigns fundamentally changed the balance of power in the east, forcing the Turks onto the defensive and restoring to the Byzantines many towns, fortresses and cities right across the peninsula. In the southeast, John extended Byzantine control from the Maeander in the west all the way to Cilicia and Tarsus in the east.
We need you!
Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!
- Born
- Sep 13, 1087
Constantinople - Also known as
- Ioannes II Komnenos
- Parents
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Children
- Died
- Apr 8, 1143
Cilicia
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"John II Komnenos." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/john_ii_komnenos>.
Discuss this John II Komnenos biography with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In