Jovan II Orsini Kommenos Doukas

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_d%27Epiro

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_II_Orsini

John II Orsini, also John Komnenos Doukas or Comnenus Ducas (Greek: Ἰωάννης Κομνηνός Δούκας, Iōannēs Komnēnos Doukas, Italian: Giovanni II Orsini), was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1323 to 1324 and Despot of Epirus from 1323 to 1335.

Life

John was the son of Count John I Orsini of Cephalonia by Maria, a daughter of Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas of Epirus by Anna Palaiologina Kantakouzene. His older brother Nicholas Orsini had made himself ruler of Epirus in 1318 by murdering their maternal uncle Thomas I Komnenos Doukas. In 1323 John murdered his brother and succeeded in both Cephalonia and Epirus.

Family

By his wife Anna Palaiologina, John II Orsini had two children:

• Nikephoros II Orsini, who succeeded as ruler of Epirus
• Thomais Orsini, who married Simeon Uroš Palaiologos, emperor (tsar) of Serbians and Greeks, who succeeded as ruler of Epirus in 1359. Their daughter Maria married the later rulers of Epirus Thomas II Preljubović and Esau de' Buondelmonti, ruling Epirus herself after Thomas's death until Esau was made despotes.

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-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ALBANIA.htm#IoannesOrsinidied1335

2. IOANNES Orsini (-murdered Arta 1335). After murdering his brother in 1323, he succeeded as Lord of Epirus and Count of Kefalonia, converted to the Greek Orthodox religion and adopted the names "Angelos Komnenos Doukas"[181]. He was deposed as Count of Kefalonia in 1325 by Jean Conte di Gravina [Anjou-Capet] who stopped in the island to enforce his suzerainty on his way to Morea to claim the principality of Achaia[182]. Lord of Janina until 1328. He accepted Byzantine suzerainty over Epirus in 1328, and was granted the title Despot[183]. Lord of Bonditza and Leukas until 1331. He converted to the Greek Orthodox religion. He was poisoned by his wife[184].

m (1328) as her first husband, ANNA Palaiologina Angelina, daughter of ANDRONIKOS Palaiologos Angelos & his wife --- Kokala (-after 1355). Ioannes Kantakuzenus names "Annæ…filiæ protovestiarii" as the wife of "Ioannis despotæ"[185]. Nicephoras Gregoras names "Anna" as wife of "Ioannes…Angelus…Cephalonum comitis"[186]. She became regent of Epirus for her son in 1335 after poisoning her husband. She was expelled from Epirus with her son in 1339 by Emperor Andronikos III, who reasserted Byzantine control over the territory[187]. She was in prison in Constantinople 1342-1349. She married secondly (1355) Ioannes Komnenos Asen of Bulgaria, Serbian despot and Governor of Valona, Kanina and Berat. The Historia Epiri records that "mater…Thomaidis…eiusque fratris…Anna regina nostra" married "cuidam ex Bulgaris, Comneno tyranno, fratri regis Stephani", adding that he ruled "Caninam et Belgradam"[188]. Ioannes & his wife had three children: