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Andreas Palaiologos or Palaeologus (Greek: Ανδρέας Παλαιολόγος; 1453–1502) was the titular Byzantine emperor and Despot of Morea from 1465 until his death during 1502.

Biography

He was the nephew of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine Emperor of Constantinople. After Constantine was defeated and presumably killed by the forces of Mehmed II on May 29, 1453, Andreas continued to live in Morea, which was ruled independently by Andreas' father Thomas Palaiologos, the younger brother of Constantine, until 1460. At this time Morea was invaded by the Turks, and Andreas and his father escaped to the Italian peninsula. When his father died during 1465, Andreas stayed in the Papal States by consent of the Pope. He lived in Rome, styling himself Imperator Constantinopolitanus ("Emperor of Constantinople").^[1] Andreas is considered^[who?] the last "titular" Roman (Byzantine) Emperor who, curiously, lived in Rome years after the end of the Eastern Roman Empire.

During his lifetime, Andreas was believed to have wasted enormous sums of money given to him by the Pope; however, modern historians now believe that the money received from the Pope was only enough for a meager style of life^{[citation needed]}.

Desiring more money and a better life, Andreas sold the rights to the Byzantine crown which he possessed since the death of his father. Charles VIII of France purchased the rights of succession from Andreas during 1494 and died on April 7, 1498. The following Kings of France continued the claim and used the Imperial titles and honors: Louis XI, Francis I, Henry II and Francis II. Not until Charles IX in 1566 did the imperial claim come to an eventual end through the rules of extinctive prescription as a direct result of desuetude or lack of use. Charles IX wrote that the imperial Byzantine title ". . . is not more eminent than that of king, which sounds better and sweeter." (David Potter, A History of France, 1460-1560: The Emergence of a Nation State, 1995, p. 33).

Andreas' younger brother Manuel Palaiologos arranged a deal with the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid II, exchanging his rights to the Byzantine throne-- which were already sold lawfully to France-- for a comfortable pension.

Andreas died a pauper during 1502, in spite of having sold his titles and royal and imperial rights again to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.^[1].

Eight years after the marriage of Ivan III of Russia with Andreas' sister Zoe (Sophia), and only one year after the birth of their son during 1480, Ivan had started to refer to himself as czar (caesar). This was related to Ivan's ambitions that Moscovy should become considered an Orthodox "Third Rome" (Constantinople being the "second Rome") and heir of the empire. Finally, during 1514, Vasili III of Russia was recognized in the title of emperor of Russia in a letter from Maximilian I, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire ("Kayser vnnd Herscher aller Rewssen und Groszfürste zu Wolodimer" in the German text of Maximilian's letter; "Imperator et Dominator universorum Rhutenorum et Magnus Princeps Valadomerorum" in the Latin copy; Vasili III responded by referring to Maximilian as "Maximiliano Dei gratia Electo Romanorum Caesare", i.e., "Elected Caesar of the Romans"). Maximilian's letter was of great importance to Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great of Russia, when they wished to evidence their titles of "czar" and "emperor", respectively. This letter was needed for somebody to be legally proclaimed Roman emperor or heir of the Roman empire. Both monarchs demonstrated the letter to foreign ambassadors; Peter even referred to it when he was proclaimed Emperor by the Russian Senate and the Synod.

Andreas visited his sister in Moscow during 1480 and 1491.

Children

While most scholars believe Andreas left no descendants, Donald M. Nicol's The Immortal Emperor recognises Constantine Palaiologos who served in the Papal Guard, and a woman Maria who married the Russian noble Vasily Mikhailovich as possible son and daughter of Andreas.

An illegitimate daughter of Constantine Palaiologos is present in some Italian sources; it is identified as Dominique, the concubine of Evandro Conti (a Roman nobleman descendant of the family of Pope Innocent III) and mother of his illegitimate sons: the children of this couple, Mars (Marzio) and John Caesar (Giovanni Cesare) Conti, did not claim their rights to the throne of Constantinople.

Russian sources tell of a great scandal in Moscow regarding Sophia's niece Maria. The Grand Duchess arranged the marriage of her niece with Prince Vasily Mikhailovich of Vereya-Belozersk (dynasty of princes of Mozhaysk). Vasily was the son of Prince Mikhail Andreevich of Mozhaysk (Михаил Андреевич Можайский), who was the grandson of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy and cousin of Grand Duke Ivan III. During 1483 Sophia gave to her niece a necklace from the dowry of Ivan III's first wife Maria of Tver, mother of her stepson Ivan the Young, the heir. When Ivan III wanted to present the same necklace to Ivan the Young's wife Elena of Moldavia he found that the jewel was missing. Because of this scandal, Maria and her husband Vasiliy escaped to Lithuania, and Mikhail Andreevich of Mozhaysk lost the Principality of Vereya. Only during 1493 did Sophia persuade her husband to forgive Maria and Vasiliy.^[2]

Ancestry

16. Andronikos III Palaiologos

8. John V Palaiologos

17. Anna of Savoy

4. Manuel II Palaiologos

18. John VI Kantakouzenos

9. Helena Kantakouzene

19. Irene Asanina

2. Thomas Palaiologos

20. Dejan

10. Constantine Dragaš

21. Theodora Nemanjić

5. Helena Dragaš

1. Andreas Palaiologos

24. Centurione I Zaccaria

12. Andronico Asano Zaccaria

25. Asanina

6. Centurione II Zaccaria

26. Erard III, Baron of Arcadia and Saint-Sauveur

13. Mavros of Arcadia

3. Catherine Zaccaria of Achaea

28. Leonardo I di Tocco

14. Leonardo II di Tocco

29. Maddalena Buondelmonti

7. Creusa di Tocco

References

^ ^a ^b Norwich, John Julius, Byzantium - The Decline and Fall, p.446
^ Sophia Fominichna // Russian Biographical Dictionary

Sources

Jonathan Harris, Greek Émigrés in the West, 1400-1520, Camberley: Porphyrogenitus, 1995. ISBN 1-871328-11-X
Jonathan Harris 'A worthless prince? Andreas Palaeologus in Rome, 1465-1502', Orientalia Christiana Periodica 61 (1995), 537-54
Donald M. Nicol, The Immortal Emperor, Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 115–22. ISBN 0-521-41456-3.
Steven Runciman, The Fall of Constantinople 1453, Cambridge University Press, 1965, pp. 183–4. ISBN 0-521-09573-5
also see F. Rodriguez, Origine, cronologia esuccesione degli Imperatori Paleologo, "Riv. di Araldica e Genealogia" I, 1933.

Titles in pretence
Andreas Palaiologos Palaiologos dynasty Born: 1453 Died: 1502
Preceded by Thomas Palaiologos	— TITULAR — Despot of Morea 1465-1502	Pretence ended
Preceded by Thomas Palaiologos	— TITULAR — Byzantine Emperor (formally "Emperor of Constantinople") 1465-1502 Reason for succession failure: The Fall of Constantinople led to the Ottoman conquest of the Byzantine Empire	Pretence ended

Template:Persondata

[Norwich,_John_Julius_p.446-1] Norwich, John Julius, Byzantium - The Decline and Fall, p.446

[2] Sophia Fominichna // Russian Biographical Dictionary

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 During his lifetime, Andreas was believed to have wasted enormous sums of money given to him by the [[Papacy|Pope]]; however, modern historians now believe that the money received from the Pope was only enough for a meager style of life{{fact|date=October 2012}}.
-Desiring more money and a better life, Andreas sold the rights to the Byzantine crown which he possessed since the death of his father. [[Charles VIII of France]] purchased the rights of succession from Andreas during 1494 and died on April 7, 1498.
+Desiring more money and a better life, Andreas sold the rights to the Byzantine crown which he possessed since the death of his father. [[Charles VIII of France]] purchased the rights of succession from Andreas during 1494 and died on April 7, 1498. The following Kings of France continued the claim and used the Imperial titles and honors: Louis XI, Francis I, Henry II and Francis II.  Not until Charles IX in 1566 did the imperial claim come to an eventual end through the rules of extinctive prescription as a direct result of desuetude or lack of use.  Charles IX wrote that the imperial Byzantine title ". . . is not more eminent than that of king, which sounds better and sweeter." (David Potter, ''A History of France, 1460-1560: The Emergence of a Nation State'', 1995, p. 33).
 Andreas' younger brother [[Manuel Palaiologos]] arranged a deal with the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sultan]] [[Bayazid II]], exchanging his rights to the Byzantine throne-- which were already sold lawfully to France-- for a comfortable pension.
-Andreas died a pauper during 1502, in spite of having sold his titles and royal and imperial rights again to [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and [[Isabella I of Castile]].<ref name="Norwich, John Julius p.446"/>.  Neither of them, however, is attested to have used the title of ''Imperator Constantinopolitanus'', or anything similar, and the title appears to have lapsed into [[desuetude]].
+Andreas died a pauper during 1502, in spite of having sold his titles and royal and imperial rights again to [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and [[Isabella I of Castile]].<ref name="Norwich, John Julius p.446"/>.
 Eight years after the marriage of [[Ivan III of Russia]] with Andreas' sister Zoe (Sophia), and only one year after the birth of their son during 1480, Ivan had started to refer to himself as [[tsar|czar]] (caesar). This was related to Ivan's ambitions that Moscovy should become considered an Orthodox "[[Third Rome]]" (Constantinople being the "second Rome") and heir of the empire.  Finally, during 1514, [[Vasili III of Russia]] was recognized in the title of emperor of Russia in a letter from [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]], the emperor of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] ("Kayser vnnd Herscher aller Rewssen und Groszfürste zu Wolodimer" in the German text of Maximilian's letter; "Imperator et Dominator universorum Rhutenorum et Magnus Princeps Valadomerorum" in the Latin copy; Vasili III responded by referring to Maximilian as "Maximiliano Dei gratia Electo Romanorum Caesare", i.e., "Elected Caesar of the Romans"). Maximilian's letter was of great importance to [[Ivan the Terrible]] and [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] of Russia, when they wished to evidence their titles of "czar" and "emperor", respectively. This letter was needed for somebody to be legally proclaimed Roman emperor or heir of the Roman empire. Both monarchs demonstrated the letter to foreign ambassadors; Peter even referred to it when he was proclaimed Emperor by the Russian [[Senate]] and the [[Synod]].