Laskaris

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Laskaris or Lascaris (Greek: Λάσκαρις) family was the dynasty ruling the Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261.

Contents 1 Laskarid Emperors of Nicaea 2 The double-headed eagle dynastic emblem 3 References 4 See also

[edit] Laskarid Emperors of Nicaea

• 1204-1222 : Theodore I Laskaris
• 1222-1254 : John III Doukas Vatatzes
• 1254-1258 : Theodore II Laskaris
• 1258-1261 : John IV Laskaris

[edit] The double-headed eagle dynastic emblem

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

Its origin is a blend of Roman and Eastern influences. Indeed, the early Byzantine Empire inherited the Roman eagle (extended wings, head facing right) as an imperial symbol. According to the most prevalent theory, the imperial Roman single-headed eagle was modified by emperor Isaakios Komnenos (1057-1059), being influenced from local traditions about such a beast (the haga) in his native Paphlagonia in Asia Minor. The haga was seen as a representation of power, and people would often "call" it for protection.

After the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204, the Byzantine double-headed eagle was used by the successor states of Epirus and Nicaea. Theodore II Laskaris chose it for his symbol as Emperor (Empire of Nicaea), taking it to symbolize his state's claims to all the Byzantine Empire's former domains, both European (West) and Asian (East). An alternative (and probably more correct) interpretation is that the eagle symbolized the Emperor's double temporal and spiritual sovereignty.

In 1261, after the recapture of Constantinople by the Michael VIII Palaiologos two crowns were added (over each head) representing — according to the most prevalent theory — the newly recaptured capital and the intermediate "capital" of the empire of Nicaea. The symbol was used as an emblem of the imperial family, but it is uncertain whether it was the official emblem of the Empire.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Constantine Lascaris, Greek grammarian
• Janus Lascaris, Greek scholar
• Byzantine scholars in Renaissance