Manuel I on the throne, with a Catholic monk and a messenger
Emissaries of the Byzantine emperorJohn II Komnenos arrived in Germany, seeking an alliance against Roger II of Sicily. To seal the alliance, the emissaries requested that Conrad send a princess of his family to be married to the emperor's son, Manuel. Instead, Conrad selected his sister-in-law, Bertha,[2] and after legally adopting her as his daughter,[3] sent her to the Byzantine Empire escorted by Emicho von Leiningen, the Bishop of Würzburg.
By the time Bertha arrived at the Imperial court in Constantinople, the emperor John was dead, and his son Manuel was now the reigning emperor. Manuel delayed marrying her for three years, until shortly after Epiphany 1146, at which point she became empress and was renamed "Irene" (Εἰρήνη),[3] a common name for foreign-born princesses. As an introduction for her to the Hellenic culture she was marrying into, John Tzetzes wrote his Allegories on the Iliad.
Bertha-Irene was noted for shunning the frivolity of the luxurious Byzantine court; Basil of Ochrid, the archbishop of Thessalonica, praised her for her modesty and piety, and Nicetas Choniates (53sq.) noted that she did not wear face-paint. The patriarch of Constantinople, Cosmas II Atticus, who had been accused of heresy, allegedly cursed Bertha-Ireneʻs womb in 1147 to prevent her bearing a son.
Bertha-Irene died in Constantinople in 1159.[4] Her husband Manuel was described as "roaring like a lion" in grief at her death, despite his infidelities during her lifetime. He remarried, in 1161, to Maria of Antioch.
Chalandon, Ferdinand (1923). "The Later Comneni". In Tanner, J.R.; Previte-Orton, C.W.; Brooke, Z.N. (eds.). The Cambridge Medieval History:The Eastern Roman Empire. Vol. IV. The Macmillan Company.
Freed, John B. (2016). Frederick Barbarossa: The Prince and the Myth. Yale University Press.
Hodgson, Natasha R. (2007). Women, Crusading and the Holy Land in Historical Narrative. The Boydell Press.
Magdalino, Paul (1993). The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143-1180. Cambridge University Press.
Choniates, Nicetas, Historia, ed. J.-L. Van Dieten, 2 vols., Berlin and New York, 1975; trans. as O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniates, by H.J. Magoulias, Detroit; Wayne State University Press, 1984.
Garland, Lynda. Byzantine Empresses, 1999
Garland, Lynda, & Stone, Andrew, "Bertha-Irene, first wife of Manuel I Comnenus", De Imperatoribus Romanis (external link)
bertha, sulzbach, 1110s, 1159, byzantine, empress, marriage, byzantine, emperor, manuel, komnenos, contents, life, empress, issue, notes, references, sourceslife, editshe, born, sulzbach, daughter, berengar, count, sulzbach, 1080, december, 1125, second, spous. Bertha of Sulzbach a 1110s 1159 was a Byzantine Empress by marriage to Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos Contents 1 Life 1 1 Empress 2 Issue 3 Notes 4 References 5 SourcesLife EditShe was born in Sulzbach a daughter of Berengar II Count of Sulzbach c 1080 3 December 1125 and his second spouse Adelheid of Wolfratshausen 1 He was one of the rulers who signed the Concordat of Worms 23 September 1122 In August 1125 Berengar is mentioned in documents of Lothair III King of the Romans The death of Berengar is mentioned four months later Empress Edit Manuel I on the throne with a Catholic monk and a messenger Emissaries of the Byzantine emperor John II Komnenos arrived in Germany seeking an alliance against Roger II of Sicily To seal the alliance the emissaries requested that Conrad send a princess of his family to be married to the emperor s son Manuel Instead Conrad selected his sister in law Bertha 2 and after legally adopting her as his daughter 3 sent her to the Byzantine Empire escorted by Emicho von Leiningen the Bishop of Wurzburg By the time Bertha arrived at the Imperial court in Constantinople the emperor John was dead and his son Manuel was now the reigning emperor Manuel delayed marrying her for three years until shortly after Epiphany 1146 at which point she became empress and was renamed Irene Eἰrhnh 3 a common name for foreign born princesses As an introduction for her to the Hellenic culture she was marrying into John Tzetzes wrote his Allegories on the Iliad Bertha Irene was noted for shunning the frivolity of the luxurious Byzantine court Basil of Ochrid the archbishop of Thessalonica praised her for her modesty and piety and Nicetas Choniates 53sq noted that she did not wear face paint The patriarch of Constantinople Cosmas II Atticus who had been accused of heresy allegedly cursed Bertha Ireneʻs womb in 1147 to prevent her bearing a son Bertha Irene died in Constantinople in 1159 4 Her husband Manuel was described as roaring like a lion in grief at her death despite his infidelities during her lifetime He remarried in 1161 to Maria of Antioch Issue EditShe and Manuel had two daughters Maria Comnena 1152 1182 who married Renier of Montferrat 5 Anna Comnena 1154 1158 6 Notes Edit In German Bertha von SulzbachReferences Edit Chalandon 1923 p 360 Magdalino 1993 p 38 a b Freed 2016 p 48 Hodgson 2007 p 88 Magdalino 1993 p table 1 Magdalino 1993 p 243 Sources EditChalandon Ferdinand 1923 The Later Comneni In Tanner J R Previte Orton C W Brooke Z N eds The Cambridge Medieval History The Eastern Roman Empire Vol IV The Macmillan Company Freed John B 2016 Frederick Barbarossa The Prince and the Myth Yale University Press Hodgson Natasha R 2007 Women Crusading and the Holy Land in Historical Narrative The Boydell Press Magdalino Paul 1993 The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos 1143 1180 Cambridge University Press Otto of Freising Deeds of Frederick Barbarossa Choniates Nicetas Historia ed J L Van Dieten 2 vols Berlin and New York 1975 trans as O City of Byzantium Annals of Niketas Choniates by H J Magoulias Detroit Wayne State University Press 1984 Garland Lynda Byzantine Empresses 1999 Garland Lynda amp Stone Andrew Bertha Irene first wife of Manuel I Comnenus De Imperatoribus Romanis external link Bertha of SulzbachHouse of BabenbergBorn 1110s Died 1159Royal titlesPreceded byIrene of Hungary Byzantine Empress consort1146 1159 Succeeded byMaria of Antioch Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bertha of Sulzbach amp oldid 1130783371, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
