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Birth:          ABT 1025 
Death:          1 Nov 1100 

Notes
created Augusta in 1081
b c 1025/1030
d 1100/1102
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Dalassene
Anna Dalassene (Greek: ???a ?a?ass???; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was 
an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power 
of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. As Augusta, a title bestowed upon her by her 
son, Alexios I Komnenos, rather than his empress-consort she guided the empire 
during his many absences for long military campaigns against Turkish and other 
incursions into the Byzantine empire. As empress-mother, she exerted more influence 
and power than the empress-consort, Irene Doukaina, a woman whom she hated 
because of past intrigues with the Doukas family.
Life[edit]

Early life and family[edit]

Anna was the daughter of Alexios Charon, and a lady of the noble Dalassenos family. 
Her maternal grandfather was named Adrianos Dalassenos, evidently a son of the 
magistros and doux of Antioch, Theophylact Dalassenos.[1][2][3] Very little is known 
about her father, who was an obscure imperial official in Italy.[4] Her mother's family, 
the Dalassenoi, were a distinguished family of the Byzantine military aristocracy, 
beginning with Theophylact's brother Damian Dalassenos in the late 990s.[5][6]

The date of Anna's birth is unknown, but is placed around the years 1025/30.[2][7][8] 
Likewise the date of her marriage to John Komnenos is variously placed in ca. 1040, 
or ca. 1044/45. The couple had eight children, five sons and three daughters.[2][9]
[10] These were, by order of birth, Manuel Komnenos (ca. 1045),[11] Maria Komnene 
(ca. 1047),[12] Isaac Komnenos (ca. 1050),[13] Eudokia Komnene (ca. 1052),[14] 
Theodora Komnene (ca. 1054),[15] Alexios I Komnenos (1057),[16] Adrianos 
Komnenos (ca. 1060),[17] and Nikephoros Komnenos (ca. 1062).[18]

In 1057, John's elder brother Isaac, at the head of a group of generals, rebelled 
against Michael VI and forced him off the throne. At the time of the revolt, John held 
the post of doux, but after his brother's victory, he was raised to the rank of 
kouropalates and appointed as domestikos ton scholon of the West.[19] This event 
evidently whetted Anna's ambition; her seals from this time show her using the 
feminine form of her husband's titles, kouropalatissa and domestikissa.[10] Isaac's 
reign was cut short by his clash with the powerful Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael 
Keroularios, who had been instrumental in securing Michael VI's abdication, and the 
powerful civil aristocracy of the capital. Keroularios and his supporters led the 
opposition against Isaac's stringent economizing policies, forcing him to resign on 22 
November 1059, after which he withdrew to the Stoudios Monastery.[20] The crown 
then passed to Constantine X Doukas (r. 1059–67), although Nikephoros Bryennios the 
Younger, who married Anna's granddaughter Anna Komnene, asserts that it was first 
offered to John. Despite the vehement opposition of Anna, who stressed the benefits 
to their children, John refused. Anna tried hard to persuade John to become emperor 
and did everything she could, even to 'tears and groans' to make John change his 
mind. [10][21][22] According to the historian Konstantinos Varzos, however, this 
version is suspect, and may well be a post-fact attempt at legitimizing the eventual 
usurpation of the throne by Anna's son, Alexios Komnenos.[23] At any rate, Anna 
remained implacably opposed to the Doukai thereafter.[2][21]

Rivalry with the Doukai[edit]

Widowed on 12 July 1067 and with the sole purpose of paving her children's path to 
the throne, she guided her family's fortunes over the next decades [10][21] In May of 
the same year, Constatine X Doukas had died, and Anna allied herself with his widow, 
the Empress-regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa.[24] To strengthen her family's position, 
she took care to arrange marriage alliances with the leading aristocratic families. Thus 
her daughter Maria married Michael Taronites, while Eudokia married Nikephoros 
Melissenos. Anna also allied herself closely with Romanos IV Diogenes (r. 1068–71), 
supporting him in his struggle against the members of the Doukas family. Her youngest 
daughter Theodora married Romanos' son Constantine, and her eldest son Manuel was 
one of the favourite generals of Romanos and was named kouropalates and strategos 
autokrator. When he died of an ear infection in early 1071, Anna hurried to his 
deathbed in Bithynia. As soon as he was buried, she tried to put forward her third son 
Alexios to replace him, but he was judged too young.[10][21]

The Doukai returned to power after the defeat and capture of Romanos IV by the 
Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert on 19 August 1071. The Caesar John Doukas, 
brother of Constantine X, engineered a coup that sidelined empress Eudokia 
Makrembolitissa and Constantine Diogenes, her son with Romanos and Anna's son-in-
law, and raised to the throne his Michael VII Doukas (r. 1071–78) instead. The 
Caesar's sons even led troops against Romanos when he was released, and after he 
was captured, the Caesar ordered the former emperor to be blinded.[25] During this 
time, Anna was accused of maintaining a secret correspondence with the deposed 
emperor and brought to trial. She defended herself with courage, and Bryennios states 
that at one point, she produced a crucifix from under her cloak and proclaimed her 
innocence and that "Here is my judge and yours. Think of him before deciding and 
take heed that your decision is worthy of the supreme judge, who knows the secrets 
of men's hearts". The judges were divided, with some wanting to set her free, but 
others fearing the Caesar's wrath. She was therefore exiled along with her sons to the 
island of Prinkipos in early 1072.[10][26] It is possible that she was tonsured as well, if 
that had not happened earlier, as her seals bear the titles monache ("nun") as well as 
kouropalatissa.[10] Alternatively this may have happened later, in 1081 (see below).
[27]

After the death of Romanos IV (4 August 1072), the Komnenoi were allowed to return 
from exile to the imperial court.[28][29] Although her enmity of the Doukai continued 
unabated, it appears that Michael VII tried to win her over, and consented to the 
marriage of Anna's eldest surviving son, Isaac, with Irene, the cousin of Michael's 
empress-consort Maria of Alania.[28] In September 1077, despite her initial firm 
opposition, she relented to the marriage of her second surviving son, Alexios, to Irene 
Doukaina, the granddaughter of the Caesar John Doukas. The marriage probably took 
place early in 1078, when the bride was only twelve.[28][30]

Role in the Komnenian revolt[edit]

Anna was to play prominent role in the coup d'état of 1081, along with the current 
empress, Maria of Alania. First married to Michael VII Doukas and secondly to 
Nikephoros III Botaneiates, she was preoccupied with the future of her son by Michael 
VII, Constantine Doukas. Nikephoros III intended to leave the throne to one of his 
close relatives, and this resulted in Maria's alliance with the Komnenoi. The real 
driving force behind this political alliance was Anna Dalassene.[31]

Already closely connected to the Komnenoi through her cousin Irene's marriage to 
Isaac Komnenos, the Komnenoi brothers were able to see the empress under the 
pretense of a friendly family visit. Furthermore, to aid the conspiracy Maria had 
adopted Alexios as her son, though she was only five years older than he.[32] Maria 
was persuaded to do so on the advice of her own "Alans" and her eunuchs, who had 
been instigated to do his by Isaac Komnenos. Knowing Anna's tight hold on her family, 
it must have been with her implicit approval that he was adopted.[citation needed] As 
a result, Alexios and Constantine, Maria's son, were now adoptive brothers and both 
Isaac and Alexios took an oath that they would safeguard his rights as emperor.[33] 
By secretly giving inside information to the Komnenoi, Maria was an invaluable ally.
[34]

Just as on previous occasions, the betrothal of her granddaughter to a relative of 
Botaneiates' did not stop Anna's intrigues against the new regime. As stated in the 
Alexiad, when Isaac and Alexios left Constantinople in mid-February 1081 to raise an 
army against Botaneiates, Anna quickly and surreptitiously mobilized the remainder of 
the family and took refuge in the Hagia Sophia. From there she negotiated with the 
emperor for the safety of family members left in the capital, while protesting her sons' 
innocence of hostile actions.

Under the falsehood of making a vesperal visit to worship at the church, she 
deliberately excluded the grandson of Botaneiates and his loyal tutor, met with Alexios 
and Isaac and fled for the forum of Constantine. The tutor found them missing and 
eventually found them on the palace grounds but she was able to convince him that 
they would return to the palace shortly. Then to gain entrance to both the outer and 
inner sanctuary of the church the women pretended to the gatekeepers that they were 
pilgrims from Cappadocia who had spent all their funds and wanted to worship before 
starting their return trip. However, before they were to gain entry into the sanctuary, 
Straboromanos and royal guards caught up with them to summon them back to the 
palace. Anna then protested that the family was in fear for their lives, her sons were 
loyal subjects (Alexios and Isaac were discovered absent without leave), and had 
learned of a plot by enemies of the Komnenoi to have them both blinded and had, 
therefore, fled the capital so they may continue to be of loyal service to the emperor.
[35][clarification needed]

She refused to go with them and demanded that they allow her to pray to the Mother 
of God for protection. This request was granted and Anna then manifested her true 
theatrical and manipulative capabilities: "She was allowed to enter. As if she were 
weighed down with old age and worn out by grief, she walked slowly and when she 
approached the actual entrance to the sanctuary made two genuflections; on the third 
she sank to the floor and taking firm hold of the sacred doors, cried in a loud voice: 
"Unless my hands are cut off, I will not leave this holy place except on one condition: 
that I receive the emperor's cross as guarantee of safety".[36]

Nikephoros III Botaneiates was forced into a public vow that he would grant 
protection to the family. Straboromanos tried to give her his cross, but for Anna this 
was not sufficiently large enough so that all bystanders could witness the oath. She 
also demanded that the cross be personally sent by Botaneiates as a vow of his good 
faith. He obliged, sending a complete assurance for the family with his own cross. At 
the emperor's further insistence, and for their own protection they took refuge at the 
convent of Petrion, where eventually they were joined by Irene Doukaina's mother, 
Maria of Bulgaria.

Botaneiates allowed them to be treated as refugees rather than guests. They were 
allowed to have family members bring in their own food and were on good terms with 
the guards from whom they learned the latest news.[37] Anna was highly successful in 
three important aspects of the revolt: she bought time for her sons to steal imperial 
horses from the stables and escape the city, she distracted the emperor and gave her 
sons time to gather and arm their troops and she gave a false sense of security to 
Botaneiates that there was no real treasonous coup against him.

Rise to power[edit]

Isaac and Alexios Komnenos entered the capital victoriously on April 1, 1081. 
However, even this fortunate turn of events did not deter Anna from preventing the 
Doukas family from sharing the imperial coronation - she had never approved of the 
marriage of Alexios and Irene Doukaina, and the situation became acute now that the 
teenage Irene would become Augusta.[38] Although Alexios' candidature for the 
throne had been agreed upon by the Doukai and the Komnenoi at the army camp at 
Schiza, the elder Isaac still had supporters.

The fact that Alexios was crowned on April 4 while Irene was crowned a full week 
later is highly suspicious. It is likely that Anna and Maria of Alania had planned for 
Irene's departure and wanted to rule with Alexios as "both" mothers and wife. The 
latter was already an empress mother twice-over and far more experienced than the 
naive, teenaged, childless Irene who was yet to have any children. In her own 
account of this event, Anna Komnene asserts that the Komnenoi refused to drive 
Maria from the palace because of her many kindnesses and because "she was in a 
foreign country, without relatives, without friends, with nobody whatever of her own 
folk'.[39]

However, Irene was finally crowned by the patriarch Cosmas. Anna Dalassene 
however was allowed to choose the next patriarch, Eustratius Garidas as a 
compensation.[40]

Life during Alexios' reign[edit]

From the Komnenian seizure of power in 1081 until either her banishment or death, she 
was to play a very public role in administering the military and civil services of the 
empire. Her son Alexios was for many years under her influence. She was however 
constantly at odds with her daughter-in-law Irene and had, perhaps egregiously, 
assumed total responsibility for the upbringing and education of her granddaughter 
Anna Komnene.

Given the culture and traditions of medieval Greek Byzantium, it is unusual that Anna 
wielded such power over her son as well as the empire. Though he needed a reliable 
advisor, and essentially owed his mother for his accession to the throne because of 
her intrigues[41] to stay in a powerful position for fifteen years after his succession 
until he was in his mid-forties defies credulity. As middle age approached, Alexios was 
determined to rule in his own right. After the military campaigns of the 1080s, he was 
able to stay in the capital and became frustrated over of Anna's tight hold on the 
administration, however productive this seemed to be. This was suggested by the 
writer Zonaras who states that Anna was in power for so long that Alexios became 
frustrated by that he was emperor in name alone.[42] Anna, always one to sense the 
changing winds of fortune sensed his frustration, and decided to leave before she was 
forced out and retired to her private apartments attached to her monastic foundation 
of the Christ Pantepoptes. The germs of his discontent may have started as early as 
1089 when in an imperial communication he complained of Anna's generosity to the 
monastery of Docheiariou.[43]

Sources are conflicted concerning the year of Anna's retirement and death. Anna 
Komnene is strangely silent about her disappearance from court and this may suggest 
that her grandmother may have been involved in something questionable [44]—perhaps 
a heretical sect such as the Bogomils. However, we know that she was wielding her 
power when the First Crusade passed through the city in late 1096 or early 1097, 
perhaps retiring after their departure.[45] Since we are not sure of the date and 
reason of retirement, Zonaras records that she resided 'imperially with honor' at her 
foundation for several years, dying in extreme old age just over a year before her son, 
Isaac. Most ironically, she died on the day forecast by an Athenian astrologer for 
Alexios himself.[46] She died on a 1 November between 1100 and 1102.[2][47]

Under the Komenian dynasty, women continued to not only retain their roles set by 
previous empresses but made great strides in founding monasteries, patronizing 
churchmen, theologians and literary figures and being more assertive in imperial 
administration: most prominent in such roles were Anna Dalassene and her 
contemporary, Maria of Alania.

Legacy[edit]

Anna Dalassena is memorialized in Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party.[48]

Parents
____ Alexious Pharo (Charon) (ABT 1000 - )
DALASSENE ----- (ABT 1000 - )

Siblings
____ Anna Dalassena (ABT 1025 - 1 Nov 1100)

Marriage To KOMNENOS Ionnes (John) (ABT 1015 - 12 Jul 1067)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
KOMNENOS Manuel "Erotikos" (ABT  970 - ABT 1025)
----- Maria ()

Children by KOMNENOS Ionnes (John) ABT 1015 - 12 Jul 1067
KOMNENOS Alexios (Alexius) I (ABT 1048 - 16 Jul 1118)
KOMNENA Theodora (ABT 1053 - )

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