Kantakuzenos family


The Byzantine family of Kantakouzenos, latinised as Cantacuzenus and modernized as Cantacuzino or Cantacuzene, has had a long history dating back to the 12th century. From its somewhat obscure beginnings, the family rapidly rose to prominence under the reign of the Komnenus emperors. By marrying into the Komnenos, Angelos and Palaiologos families their postions became secured into Byzantine politics, military life and bureaucracy. As was the tradition of the day, members directly related to other Byzantine families through marriage or female descent, would add their other antcedents' names to their own surnames. For this reason the genealogical tree consists of the applicable descendents in the female line who applied the surname of Kantakouzenos to their other surnames.

The line starts with one N Kantakouzenos, a distinguished general in the Byzantine army, who served under Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, fl 1100, +after 1107; m.NN and this issue represents either his actual children or grandchildren from his first son (LINE 1):

Another line descended from N Kantakouzenos were probably his grandchildren from a second son (LINE 2):

(LINE 3) This family descended from N Kantakouzenos, fl 1100, but the exact paternal line cannot be established with any certainty until the 13th century under one Manuel Kantakouzenos, who was the pinkernes of the Nicaean Empire during the 1250s under the reign of Emperor Ioannes III Batatzes. Manuel's probable issue were:
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Last updated 8th December 2003