(First wife of Isaac II Angelos)

Notes:

The origins of Isaac II Angelos's first wife are not known. She is frequently called "Irene", or some variant thereof, because her name is given as "Herina" in the necrology of Speyer Cathedral, where her son-in-law Phillip, Duke of Swabia and King of Germany, second husband of her daughter Irene Angelina (also called Eirene-Maria), is buried. But this is problematic because in this period of Byzantine history, it was a well-established custom that children were never given the names of her parents.

In this database we have followed, for her origins, the hypothesis set forth in "Eirene?, First Wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos, Is a Probable Tornikina and Gateway to Antiquity," by Don C. Stone and Charles R. Owens, citation details below, which puts forth the argument that "the first wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos was very likely a daughter of Demetrios Tornikes. We believe that our solution is the simplest way to accommodate all the evidence we have reviewed." Stone and Owens continue:

"We believe that the biographical information [...] provides additional support for this conclusion, showing, for example, political alliances that correlate with postulated family relationships. We noted that Demetrios Tornikes as judge of the velum opposed Andronikos Komnenos and almost paid for this resistance with death. The opposition of Isaakios Angelos, the future emperor, and his family to Andronikos Komnenos seems even more likely if the Angeloi were angered over Andronikos Komnenos' treatment of Demetrios Tornikes, father-in-law of Isaakios. Andronikos Komnenos' uncharacteristic lack of response to Angeloi opposition also seems more likely if Andronikos knew that Demetrios Tornikes was the father-in-law of Isaakios and understood the family's anger."

Family/Spouse: Isaac II Angelos, Emperor of Byzantium. Isaac (son of Andronikos Doukas Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa) was born in Sep 1156 in Constantinople; died in Jan 1204 in Constantinople. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Irene Angelina was born about 1181 in Constantinople; died on 27 Aug 1208 in Hohenstaufen Castle, Bavaria.

Notes:

"His father died at a young age, and Demetrios' oldest brother Georgios became head of the family. Georgios corresponded with Eirene, daughter of Anna Komnene (discussed above) and Nikephoros Bryennios, and arranged for Demetrios to be raised in Eirene's household as a companion for one of Eirene's sons and as a family servant. Anna was probably then spending much time at the Kecharitomene Convent, founded by her mother, but not yet permanently living there. 'The convent Kecharitomene, overlooking the Golden Horn, gave our historian the serenity she probably never enjoyed in the imperial palace.' According to her eulogy by Georgios Tornikes, she gathered about her there 'a philosophic circle whose work she inspired and directed.' Anna's daughter Eirene, widowed at a fairly early age, collaborated with her mother. Thus Demetrios Tornikes, raised in Eirene's household, was near the center of Anna Komnene's intellectual orbit. Demetrios no doubt also absorbed much about etiquette and protocol as a child. His association with this family continued, and his career culminated 'in the office of the logothete of the drome, effectively foreign minister of the empire.'" ["Eirene?, First Wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos, Is a Probable Tornikina and Gateway to Antiquity," by Don C. Stone and Charles R. Owens, citation details below.]

Demetrios married (Unknown sister of Euthymios Malakes). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In a post to SGM on 25 Oct 2015, Peter Stewart says "Eirene could well have been the name of Eirene Angelina's maternal grandmother -- the eldest daughter of Isaac Angelos was named Euphrosyne (after his own mother), so the next daughter (as far as we know Eirene), customarily would have been named after her mother's mother. This woman may have been the wife of Demetrios Tornikes, whose son Konstantinos was called 'uncle' of Isaac's son Alexios IV, but this relies on less-than-compelling evidence."

Notes:

"Was in military service; died fairly young." ["Eirene?, First Wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos, Is a Probable Tornikina and Gateway to Antiquity," by Don C. Stone and Charles R. Owens, citation details below.]

(Unknown) married (Unknown niece of Theophylaktos, Bishop of Ohrid). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Theophylaktos was "a biblical commentator and tutor to Konstantinos Doukas, son of Emp. Michael VII." ["Eirene?, First Wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos, Is a Probable Tornikina and Gateway to Antiquity," by Don C. Stone and Charles R. Owens, citation details below.]