A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1080 MICHAEL. MICHAEL.
Velnetian, the Genoese, and the Pisai' merchants But the loss of Negropont and the destruction of
had received from the Latin emperors. Although his fleet by the Greeks compelled him to fall back.
the Nicaean emperors considered themselves the Justly afraid that the hostilities of the king of
legitimate successors of Constantine the Great, the Sicily and the despot of Thessaly were only the
possession of Constantinople was an event of such forerunners of a general crusade of all the Latin
magnitude as to suggest to Michael the idea of a princes against him, Michael tried to avoid the
new coronation, which was accordingly solemnized storm by at last making earnest proposals towards
in the cathedral of St. Sophia. But Michael was effecting the union of the Greek church with that
crowned alone, without John, an evil omen for the of Rome. To that effect the learned Veccus, accomfriends of the young emperor, whose fears were panied by several of the most distinguished among
but too soon realised, for on Christmas day of the the Greek clergy, was sent to the council assembled
same year 1261, Michael ordered his colleague to at Lyon in 1274, and there the union was effected
be blinded, whereupon he was sent into exile to a by the Greeks giving way in the much-disputed
distant fortress. This hateful crime caused a doctrine of the procession of the Holy Ghost, and
general indignation among the people, and might submitting to the supremacy of the pope. The
have proved the ruin of Michael had he been a union, however, was desired only by a minority of
man of a less energetic turn of mind. The patriarch the Greeks, and the orthodox majority accordingly
Arsenius, co-guardian to John, was irreconcileable; did their utmost to prevent the measure from being
he fearlessly pronounced excommunication upon the carried out. Michael in his turn supported his
imperial criminal; and years of trouble and com- policy with force..The patriarch Joseph was demotion elapsed before Michael was re-admitted posed, and Veccus appointed in his stead; cruel
into the communion of the faithfil, by the second punishment was inflicted upon all those who
successor of Arsenius, the patriarch Joseph. opposed the union; and Greece was shaken by a
But to return to the war with the despot of religious commotion which forms a remarkable
Epeirus. A short time after the conquest of event in the ecclesiastical history of the East. As
Constantinople the despot Michael defeated Strate- space forbids us to dwell longer upon these imgopulus, and made him a prisoner. The Greeks portant transactions, we can only remark that the
had scarcely rallied, when a new enemy rose union was never effectually carried out, and fell
against them.'This was Villehardouin, who had entirely to the ground upon the death of Michael.
been released from his captivity on condition of The manifest duplicity and the cruelty with which
ceding some of his territories, and of remaining the emperor behaved in this affair made him odious
quiet for the future. But the loss of Constantinople to his own subjects and contemptible to his new
was such.a blight to the hopes of pope Urban IV. Latin friends, and the latter part of his reign was
of effecting a complete union between the Latin an uninterrupted series of domestic troubles and
and the Greek churches, that he urged the European foreign wars. His dearly-bought friendship with
princes to undertake a crusade against the Greek the Latin, and especially the Italian powers, was
schismatics, and commanded Villehardouin to com- brought to a very speedy end.
mence hostilities forthwith, relieving him from the The emperor Baldwin having died, his son
oath he had sworn, to keep peace with Michael. Philip assumed the imperial title, and succeeded in
Villehardouin was successful by sea and land, but forming an alliance between pope Martin IV.,
Michael'avoided further danger by promising the Charles of Anjou, king of Sicily, and the Venetians,
pope to do his utmost in order to effect the intended with a view of reconquering Constantinople and
union. Urban was now the first to offer himself as dividing the Greek empire. Soliman Rossi, a
mediator between the belligerents, and as both the French knight, commanded the allied forces, and,
parties were tired of bloodshed, peace was soon re- invading the empire from the north, met at Belstored (1263).. In the following year the war be- grade the Greek forces commanded by the magnus
tween the emperor and Michael of Epeirus was domesticus Tarcaniotes. A pitched battle ensued,
likewise brought to an end by an honourable peace, in which the invaders were totally routed: the
and shortly afterwards the despot died. To Ni- magnus domesticus made a triumphant entry into
cephorus, the eldest'of his legitimate sons, who had Constantinople, and all danger of a second invasion
just married Eulogia, the sister of the emperor, he was removed. Not satisfied with the glory of his
left Epeirus; but the better and larger half of his arms and the material benefit he derived from his
kingdom, viz. Thessaly, became the share of his victory, Michael resolved to take terrible revenge:
favourite natural son John, a warlike man, who was he paid 20,000 ounces of gold towards equipping a
well fit to defend his inheritance. In 1265 Ar- Catalan fleet with which king Peter of Arragon
senius was deposed because he would not revoke was to attack Sicily, and the " Sicilian Vespers,"
theexcommunication of the emperor: his adherents, in which 8,000 Frenchmen were massacred, and
the Arsenites, caused a schism which lasted till in consequence of which Sicily was wrested from
1312. [ARSENIUS.] Charles of Anjou and united with Arragon, were in
In 1269 Michael was involved in a dangerous some degree the work of Michael's fury.,var. with Charles, king of Sicily, who took up In the autumn of the same year(1282) Michael
-arms on pretence of restoring the fugitive Baldwin marched against John, the unruly prince of
to -the throne, and who was joined by John of Thessaly, but, before any thing serious had been
Thessaly, the above-mentioned son of the despot done, he fell ill, and died on the 11th of December,'Michael of Epeirus. The despot John, the em- 1282, at the age of 58, leaving the renown of a
peror's brother, took the field against his name- successful but treacherous tyrant. His son Ansake, but, owing to circumstances which it was not dronicus II. succeeded him. (Pachymer. lib. i.-vi.;
in his power to remove, that gallant commander of Niceph. Gregor. lib. iv.-v.; Acropol. c. 76, &c.;
the Greeks suffered a terrible defeat (1271), and Phranz. lib. i.) [W. P.]
the prince of Thessaly, forthwith marching upon MICHAEL IX. PALAEO'LOGUS, the son
Constantinople, placed the capital in jeopardy. of Andronicus II., was associated with his father