Family
On 8 November 1273 Andronikos II married as his first wife Anna of Hungary, daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and Elizabeth the Cuman, with whom he had two sons:
- Michael IX Palaiologos (17 April 1277 – 12 October 1320).
- Constantine Palaiologos, despotes (c. 1278 – 1335). Married firstly Eudokia, a daughter of Theodore Mouzalon and a woman of the Kantakouzenos family. Married secondly Eudokia Neokaisareitissa. He also had a mistress, Kathara, who was in the service of his second wife. Constantine was forced to become a monk by his nephew Andronikos III Palaiologos.
- Eudokia Palaiologina. Only legitimate daughter of Constantine and Eudokia Neokaisareitissa. John VI Kantakouzenos records her marriage to Demetrios Tsamplakos, megas stratopedarches.
- Michael Katharos. Illegitimate son of Constantine and Kathara. A favorite of his paternal grandfather Andronikos II in the later years of his reign.
After Anna died in 1281, in 1284 Andronikos II then married Yolanda (renamed Irene), a daughter of Marquis William VII of Montferrat, with whom he had:
- John Palaiologos (c. 1286–1308), despotes, married Irene Choumnaina, no issue.
- Theodore I, Marquis of Montferrat (1291–1338)
- Demetrios Palaiologos (d. after 1343), despotes. Father of Irene Palaiologina.
- Simonis Palaiologina (1294-after 1336), who married King Stefan Milutin of Serbia
Andronikos II also had at least two illegitimate daughters:
- Irene, who married John II Doukas, ruler of Thessaly
- Maria, who married Toqta, Khan of the Golden Horde
Read more about this topic: Andronikos II Palaiologos
Famous quotes containing the word family:
“Family lore can be a bore, but only when you are hearing it, never when you are relating it to the ones who will be carrying it on for you. A family without a storyteller or two has no way to make sense out of their past and no way to get a sense of themselves.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“One theme links together these new proposals for family policy—the idea that the family is exceedingly durable. Changes in structure and function and individual roles are not to be confused with the collapse of the family. Families remain more important in the lives of children than other institutions. Family ties are stronger and more vital than many of us imagine in the perennial atmosphere of crisis surrounding the subject.”
—Joseph Featherstone (20th century)
“One banquet in a rich family could feed a poor man’s family for half a year.”
—Chinese proverb.