Maria (Doukaina Komnene) Petraliphaina was the wife of Theodore Komnenos Doukas. She is the earliest consort of the Despotate of Epiros known by name. The two wives of Michael I Komnenos Doukas, predecessor of her husband, were members of the Melissenos family but their first names are unknown.[1][2]
George Acropolites notes that Maria had a brother, John Petraliphas, who was a ranking noble in the court of Isaac II Angelos, and was appointed as governor of Thessaly and Macedonia. His daughter Theodora Petraliphaina married Michael II Komnenos Doukas.[3]
Niketas Choniates reports that the Petraliphas family descended from "Franks" (Western Europeans). Morris Bierbrier, a modern genealogist, traces their descent to Peter of Alife, a Norman. In that case their last name would partly derive from the town of Alife in Campania. The earliest member of the family recorded was Alexios Petraliphas. According to John Kinnamos, Alexios was in charge of a military force sent by Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine Emperor, to his ally Kilij Arslan II, Sultan of Rûm.[4] According to The Byzantine Family of Raoul-Ral(l)es (1973) by Sterios Fassoulakis, Alexios Petraliphas married Anna Raoul, a daughter of John Roger Dalassenos (Raoul) and Maria Komnene. However, Kinnamos records that Anna was a daughter of John II Komnenos and Piroska of Hungary.[5] A son of Alexios Petraliphas and Anna Raoul reportedly married Helena of Bohemia. Helena was a daughter of Frederick of Bohemia and Elizabeth of Hungary;[6] Elizabeth was a daughter of Géza II of Hungary and Euphrosyne of Kiev.[7]
Kinnamos also mentions a certain Nikephoros Petraliphas. He and Andronikos Lampardas co-led a Byzantine campaign in the Kingdom of Hungary. Kinnamos does not mention his relation to other members of the family. An hagiography of Saint Panteleimon preserved in the archives of Mount Athos names Nikephoros as a grandson of Maria with the title of sebastokratōr. If said Maria was Maria Komnene, Nikephoros could be a son of Alexios and Anna Raoul.[8] A Theodora Antiochitissa Petraliphaina is mentioned on a seal dated to c. 1200. Antiochitissa means "woman from Antioch".[9]
Maria married Theodore Komnenos Doukas. He was a son of sebastokratōr John Doukas and of Zoe Doukaina.[10] According to Sturdza, Zoe was a daughter of Constantine Doukas, better known as "Macrodoukas". On 30 May 1185, Constantine was stoned to death by orders of Andronikos I Komnenos. Choniates records that his wife was a Komnene. Her parents were daughter of Isaac Komnenos (d. 1154) and his first wife Theodora.[11]
Theodore took over as Lord of Argos, Corinth and Nafplion in 1208. He succeeded his paternal half-brother Michael I Komnenos Doukas as ruler of ruler of Epiros in 1215. He expanded his rule to Thessaly and Medieval Thessalonica. He was crowned emperor in 1225. He was captured by Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria in 1230 and effectively deposed from all his lands. Maria is presumed to have been his consort throughout the reign. Her date of death is not recorded.[12]
They had four known children:[13]
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Margaret of Hungary |
Despoina consort of Epiros c. 1216–1230 |
Succeeded by Theodora Petraliphaina |