Ioannes the Just

Ioannes (c.732 - 25 October 784), known as the Just, was Byzantine emperor from 775 until his death in 784, and founder of the Avastaktos dynasty.

Strategos of Krete

Ioannes as the Strategos of Krete (769; age 37)

Ioannes became the Strategos of Krete around the year 752, and was presumably appointed to the position by Konstantinos the Lion. He established his capital at Gortyn. Ioannes acquired his sobriquet "the Just" in 770, after he rounded up and executed a group of women on Gortyn suspected of being witches, blamed for having caused famines and disease. He was hailed by his citizens as a just and diligent lord.
In the same year Misael Karteroukas, Strategos of Boukellarion, revolted against Konstantinos the Lion.

Ioannes had established a non-aggression pact with the rebel through a betrothal between his son Ioustinianos and Misael's daughter Leontia, but despite familial ties he stayed loyal to the basileus. Ioannes was granted a position as commander by Konstantinos the Lion, and fought at the battles of Amorion and Iuliopolis. He was granted the honorary title of Hypatos for his service. The rebellion was defeated in 772, and the leading strategoi were apprehended. The basileus publicly executed them in unique and grotesque ways, and blinded the seventeen-year-old son of Karteroukas. These actions led many to see him as a cruel tyrant, and soon the Catholic lords of the west rebelled under the Strategos of Sardinia. This was accompanied by a Bolghar invasion of Thrace. Ioannes fought as a commander in both campaigns.
Domestically, dissent against the basileus continued to simmer. Konstantinos had nominated his eldest son Prince Leon as his successor, but now prominent electors started to switch their loyalties. Ioannes was put forward as a candidate by fellow army commanders, and gained support from two members of the imperial council, the protostrator Strategos Andronikos of Opsikion, and an advisor, Strategos Elpidios of Sicily. By mid-773 Ioannes was the favoured opposition candidate and a direct challenge to the succession of Prince Leon. Support for Ioannes held steady; by 775 he had gained the blessing of the basileus's skellarios the Strategos of Cibyrrhaeot, and the mystikos, the Strategos of Abydos.

Imperial Coup

In November of 775 the imperial navy tracked the fleet of the rebel Catholic lords to Zakynthos. Traveling there from the north, the imperial fleet charted a path through the Palaoi Frourio system, ruled by Theognostos Demetrianos, the Strategos of Cephalonia. Demetrianos was one of the most outspoken opponents of Konstantinos the Lion, and supporters of Ioannes began negotiating with him. Clandestine communication channels were also opened with the Catholic rebels in order to ensure that they would put down their arms if Konstantinos was overthrown. On the 11 of November 775, Ioannes and three other commanders, the Strategoi of Thessalonika, Calabria, and Cherson, presented an ultimatum to the basileus, commanding him to abdicate and call an imperial election. When Konstantinos refused the commanders proclaimed Ioannes the new emperor, and arrested Konstantinos with the assistance of Cephalonian troops.

Imperial Election

Anxiety gripped the empire as news of what had occurred in Palaoi Frourio spread. The Twenty Year's Anarchy was still within living memory of the older generation, and the rebellion of Artavasdos in 741 was still more recent. Although the Empire had managed to go three and a half decades without a war over the throne, it seemed as if a renewal of violence was unavoidable. Eventually the rebelling strategoi procured a letter stating that the basileus was abdicating and calling for an immediate imperial election, signed by Konstantinos himself.

The results of the imperial election of 775. Pictured from left to right are Strategos Ioannes the Just, Prince Leon, Anthypatos Michael the Mutilator, Prince Nikephoros, and Princess Anthousa.

Whether the basileus was persuaded into signing this document or his signature was forged is unknown, but the Imperial Council received the command in Constantinople and called an emergency session. The council technically did not have the power to veto a basileus's call for an election, and majority support for Ioannes ensured that the order was obeyed. The Senate was convened, and a vote held. Ioannes had the support of nine strategoi and earned 385 votes. Prince Leon had the support of three, plus the influence of his father, which earned him only 330 votes. Ioannes had now acquired political and constitutional legitimacy, along with his prior support from the military. At this point there was no doubt that, at the age of 43, Ioannes Avastaktos was the new basileus.

Early Reign

Ioannes did not move his capital to Constantinople, as was customary with new emperors, but kept his court at Gortyn, preferring the isolation and protection provided by its position in the Mediterranean. Upon Ioannes' accession the Empire was involved in wars against the Muslims of Armenia and the Bolghars, as well as dealing with peasant revolts in both Thrace and Achaia. The two peasant revolts were put down with relative ease. In 776 the Bolghar warlord Venda of Silistria sailed a fleet of 1000 men in a daring raid against the Island of Krete, managing to occupy Gortyn whilst the basileus's army was busy in Greece. There he took Basilissa Ioanna as a captive. This was a massive blow not only to the prestige of Ioannes but to that of the whole empire. Although the Bolghars were defeated later that year, the basilissa was not freed from captivity until

Civil Wars

Achaian Revolt

In October of 776 Ioannes was presented with an ultimatum by his kouropalates Strategos Konstantinos of Hellas, demanding that he abdicate and give the throne to Christophoros Isauros, the second eldest son of Konstantinos the Lion. Ioannes refused and the Strategos of Hellas revolted. He was joined by many prominent vassals, including two councilors and many who had supported Ioannes in the imperial election. The reason for this change of opinion towards Ioannes is not known for certain, but it is likely that the capture of Gortyn by the Bolghars irreparably damaged his reputation. The rebel army was over three times the size of that of the basileus.
In January of 777 Strategos Theognostos of Cephalonia, the man who's assistance had made the coup against Konstantinos the Lion possible, declared his own separate revolt to install Leon Isauros, Konstantinos the Lion's first born, on the throne. Two more councilors joined him. This rebel army was about a third the size of that of the Strategos of Hellas, but was still larger than that of the basileus. For his part Leon Isauros, now the Doux of Dyrrachion, remained loyal to Ioannes, serving on the Imperial Council as skellarios. In January of 778 the two rebels armies clashed with each other at a battle in Madyta, which the supporters of Christophoros Isauros won. In August of the same year the Imperial Navy moved to liberate the Sector of Kaliopolis.

External Conflicts

On the east coast of the Black Sea the Georgian Duchy of Abkhazia was beset by Muslim invasion. As a Byzantine tributary the empire was obligated to assist Duke Levan II, but due to the raging civil wars and rebellions no imperial assistance arrived during the reign of Ioannes. Levan II lost two eastern sectors to the Uqaylid Sultanate in 776. Then, October of 777, Bulan the Tenacious of Khazaria sent a fleet of almost 6000 ships into Abkhazia, demanding that Levan II pay him tribute. The Georgians put up token resistance, but as assistance from the Byzantines was non-existent, Levan II surrendered in January of 778 and became a Khazar tributary.

Ioannes the Just

Ioannes aged 51 (783)

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Basileus of the Byzantine Empire

Reign 11 November 775 - 25 October 784

Predecessor Konstantinos V the Lion 

Successor Ioustinianos III the Drunkard

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Strategos of Krete

Reign c. 752 - 25 October 784

Successor Ioustinianos III the Drunkard

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Born c. 685

Died 25 October 784 (aged 52)

Cypsela, Byzantine Empire

Spouse Ioanna Pediasimos

Issue Ioustinianos III the Drunkard, Eulalia

Dynasty Avastaktos

Religion Iconoclast Christianity