Helena Dragases' Jelena Dejanović Dragaš (Serbian: Јелена Дејановић Драгаш / Jelena Dejanović Dragaš) (c. 1372 – 23 March[1] 1450), or Augusta Helen Palaiologos (also known by her monastic name Ipomoni), was the Empress consort of Manuel II Palaiologos.
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Family
Dragaš was a daughter of Constantine Dragaš, a regional semi-independent lord in a Serbian realm centered at Velbăžd (Kyustendil). Her mother was Constantine's unnamed first wife, not his second wife Eudokia Megaskomnene. Her stepmother was a daughter of Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene.
Her father died in 1395 at the batlle of Rovine. Constantine Dragaš was killed while fighting for his overlord Sultan Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire against the rebel Mircea I of Wallachia.
Marriage
On 10 February, 1392, Helena married Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor. They had several children. The list follows the orders of births given by George Sphrantzes:
- A daughter. Mentioned as the eldest daughter but not named. Possibly confused with Isabella Palaiologina, an illegitimate daughter of Manuel II known to have married Ilario Doria.
- Constantine Palaiologos. Died young.
- John VIII Palaiologos (18 December, 1392 - 31 October, 1448). Byzantine emperor 1425-1448.
- Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonike (d. 1429).
- A second daughter. Also not named in the text.
- Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea (d. 1448).
- Michael Palaiologos. Died young.
- Constantine XI (8 February, 1405 - 29 May, 1453). Byzantine emperor 1448-1453.
- Demetrios Palaiologos (c. 1407 - 1470). Despotēs in Morea.
- Thomas Palaiologos (c. 1409 - 12 May, 1465). Despotēs in Morea.
Manuel II died on 21 July, 1425. Helena survived him by almost twenty five years. She retired to a monastery under the monastic name Hypomone (Patience). Helena died on March 23, 1450 in Constantinople.
Her children included the last two Byzantine emperors. Constantine XI renamed himself after her maiden name Dragaš (in Greek, Dragasēs), adding it to his own.
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Helena Dragaš
Born: c. 1372 Died: 1450 |
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| Preceded by Helena Kantakouzene |
Byzantine Empress consort 1392–1425 with Irene Gattilusio (1399–1408) Anna of Moscow (1416–1417) |
Succeeded by Sophia of Montferrat |
References
- ^ Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Serbia
External links
- Her listing in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley. The project "involves extracting and analysing detailed information from primary sources, including contemporary chronicles, cartularies, necrologies and testaments."
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