Helena Angelina Doukaina - Biography

Biography

She was a daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Ruler of Epirus and his wife Theodora Petraliphaina. Her father was often called Michael Angelos in narrative sources.

She was a sister of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas and a paternal half-sister of John I Doukas, Ruler of Thessaly.

Her paternal grandfather was Michael I Komnenos Doukas, illegitimate son of the sebastokratōr' 'John Doukas.

John Doukas was the eldest son of Constantine Angelos by Theodora Komnene, the seventh child of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. He adopted the surname of his maternal grandmother.

She was married to Manfred of Sicily sometime between the death of his first wife Beatrice of Savoy in 1257 and his own rise to the throne on 10 August 1258.

Manfred was Regent of the Kingdom of Sicily since 1254, reigning in the name of his nephew Conradin. Michael II had lost the city of Dyrrhachium to Theodore II Laskaris of the Empire of Nicaea in 1256. Manfred had captured Dyrrachium and its surrounding area within the following two years. Michael II still had a territorial claim at the city but at the time was preparing to besiege Thessalonica.

Her marriage was intended to maintain peace between Epirus and Sicily since both Michael II and Manfred had more pressing concerns elsewhere. Her dowry included all rights to Dyrrhachium and its surrounding area along with the island of Corfu. Corfu being the only actual territorial gain for Manfred.

Manfred was killed at the Battle of Benevento on 26 February 1266 while fighting against his rival and successor Charles I of Sicily. Charles captured Helena and imprisoned her. She lived five years later in captivity into the castle of Nocera Inferiore where she died in 1271.