Manuel II Palaiologos
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Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1391 to 1425. Shortly before his death he was tonsured a monk and received the name Matthaios. Manuel was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire
Miniature portrait of Manuel II, 1407–1409
Byzantine double-headed eagle with the Palaiologos family cypher.
Half stavraton coin by Manuel. On the reverse, Manuel's bust.
Miniature made c. 1404 depicting Manuel II, Helena and three of their sons, the co-emperor John VIII and the despots Theodore and Andronikos.
John VIII Palaiologos
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John VIII Palaiologos was the penultimate Roman emperor to rule in Constantinople. Ruling from 1425 to 1448, he attempted to bring about the reunification of the Orthodox and Catholic churches and pri
Manuel II Palaiologos
…victories against Latin neighbors helped Manuel's government survive and slightly expand its influence. His wife Helena Dragaš saw to it that their sons, John VIII and Constantine XI, became emperors. He is commemorated by the Greek Orthodox Church on 21 July. Manuel II Palaiologos was the second son of Emperor…
Detail from The Middle King by Benozzo Gozzoli, in the Magi Chapel of Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence, 1459–1461. Balthazar is represented as John VIII; the portrait is based on contemporary drawings made in Italy.
A famous portrait medal by Pisanello made in Florence, 1438
Sketches of John VIII at the Council of Florence, by Pisanello