Alexios IV Angelos

Reign: 1203 – 1204
Life: 1182–1204

Alexios IV Angelos (Greek: Ἀλέξιος Ἄγγελος, romanized: Aléxios Ángelos; c. According to the contemporary account of Robert of Clari it was while Alexios was at Philip's court that he met with Marquis Boniface of Montferrat , Philip's cousin, who had been chosen to lead the Fourth Crusade , but had temporarily left the Crusade during the siege of Zara in 1202 to visit Philip. Boniface and Alexios allegedly discussed diverting the Crusade to Constantinople so that Alexios could be restored to his father's throne. Montferrat returned to the Crusade while it wintered at Zara and he was shortly followed by Prince Alexios's envoys who offered to the Crusaders 10,000 Byzantine soldiers to help fight in the Crusade, maintain 500 knights in the Holy Land, the service of the Byzantine navy (20 ships) in transporting the Crusader army to Egypt , as well as money to pay off the Crusaders' debt to the Republic of Venice with 200,000 silver marks.

During Alexios IV Angelos' reign, John, King of England ruled England, Alfonso VIII of Castile ruled Spain, and Sancho I of Portugal ruled Portugal.

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SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard

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SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

Mary Beard

Beard's acclaimed introduction to Roman politics and emperors, readable and wide-ranging.

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