VATATZES, JOHN III DOUKAS. - Emperor of Nicaea (1222-54). He prepared the fall of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, which was accomplished under his second successor Michael VIII Palaeologus.

Under him there took place the famous union meetings at Nicaea and Nymphaion (near Smyrna) in 1234 between the Greeks under the patriarch Germanos II and the delegates of Pope Gregory IX, namely the Franciscans Aymo and Rofoldo and the Dominicans Hugh and Peter. Also under Innocent IV he continued union negotiations. But the motives of this union policy were not religious, nor did he find in the Byzantine clergy defenders of a religious union with Rome. For his works of charity V, he acquired the name of "the Merciful"; indeed he is venerated in the Greek Orthodox Church as a saint.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: A. Heisenberg, Kaiser Joh. Batatzes der Barmerzige, in Byzant. Zeitschr., 14 (1905), pp. 160-233; K. Prichter, Zum Eubomium auf Kaiser Johann Batatzes den Barmerzigen, ibid., 16 (1907), pp. 143-48; F. Dölger, Regesten der Kaiserschmalen des oströmischen Reiches, I, III, Monaco 1932, nos. 1709-1822, pp. 8-25.

Giorgio Hofmann

@incollection{ec12_vatatzes_giovanni_iii_dukas, author = {Hofmann, Giorgio}, title = {Vatatzes Giovanni III Dukas}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1040}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/vatatzes-giovanni-iii-dukas} }

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Vatatzes, John III Doukas

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