Theodore Synadenos

Theodore Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos Synadenos (Θεόδωρος Κομνηνός Δούκας Παλαιολόγος Συναδηνός, ca. 1277 – ca. 1346), usually simply Theodore Synadenos, was a Byzantine magnate, senior official and military leader of the early 14th century, who played an important role in the civil wars of the period. The scion of an important noble lineage, he became one of the first and most important supporters of Andronikos III Palaiologos in his struggle against his grandfather Andronikos II, Synadenos held various provincial governorships during Andronikos III's reign, including Epirus and Thessalonica. After the outbreak of the civil war of 1341–1347, he tried to surrender Thessalonica to his old friend John Kantakouzenos, but was driven from the city by the Zealots of Thessalonica. Forced to reconcile himself with Kantakouzenos's enemies, he was placed under house arrest in Constantinople and died impoverished in 1345/1346.

Biography
Theodore Synadenos was a son of the megas stratopedarches John Synadenos and Theodora Palaiologina, the niece of Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282), and hence a member of the Byzantine Empire's highest aristocracy. He had a, probably older, brother also named John, and at least one sister, Euphrosyne. Little is known about his early life: he was born ca. 1277, and apparently lived at Bizye on the Black Sea coast of Thrace, where he had extensive estates.

Under Andronikos III
Synadenos was a close friend to his cousin, the junior emperor Michael IX Palaiologos, but after Michael's death in 1320, Michael's father, the old emperor Andronikos II (r. 1282–1328), distrusting his loyalty, sent him to the border with Serbia, as governor of Prilep. It was in this position that Syandenos became one of the earliest and most important supporters around Michael IX's son, the young Andronikos III (r. 1328–1341), who had been disinherited by Andronikos II after Michael's death. Along with the fellow aristocrats John Kantakouzenos and Syrgiannes Palaiologos, Theodore formed the leading "triumvirate" of Andronikos III's supporters, to which the "new man" Alexios Apokaukos attached himself as a junior member. In the first round of the civil war between grandfather and grandson, Andronikos III was successful in getting recognition for himself as junior emperor, with Thrace as his province. For his services, Synadenos secured the court rank of domestikos tes trapezes, and was soon after promoted to protostrator. In the final round of the civil war, in 1327–1328, Synadenos served as governor in Thrace. As more and more localities, including the Empire's second-most important city, Thessalonica, switched over to Andronikos III's camp, Synadenos along with Kantakouzenos urged Andronikos III to march on Constantinople and depose his grandfather outright. On the night of 13 May, the three men led their army through a gate after bribing its guard, taking possession of the imperial capital without resistance.

Theodore Synadenos was rewarded by being made Eparch of Constantinople, Apokaukos became head of the imperial secretariat, Kantakouzenos remained Andronikos III's principal advisor as megas domestikos, and Syrgiannes was named governor of Thessalonica. In ca. 1330, Synadenos was sent as governor to Mesembria, while in 1336, after Andronikos III and John Kantakouzenos annexed Epirus, he became its governor. In late 1338, however, a revolt broke out in Epirus in favour of Nikephoros II Orsini, the last descendant of the Epirote ruling dynasty. Synadenos was taken captive in the capital, Arta by the rebels, and remained a prisoner until 1340, when Andronikos III and Kantakouzenos campaigned against the rebels and recovered the region. John Angelos, a relative of Kantakouzenos, was installed as the new governor, while Synadenos was moved to the governorship of Thessalonica.

Renewed civil war and death
In June 1341, Andronikos III died suddenly, and a power struggle developed between Kantakouzenos, who initially assumed the powers of regency over Andronikos's underage son John V Palaiologos, and a powerful faction around the Patriarch John XIV Kalekas, the Empress-dowager Anna of Savoy and Alexios Apokaukos on the other. The dispute soon developed in outright conflict when the Patriarch the Empress and Apokaukos replaced Kantakouzenos as regent and imprisoned his family and supporters. In response, Kantakouzenos proclaimed himself emperor at Didymoteichon in October. The news of Kantakouzenos's proclamation sparked a wave of popular resistance across Macedonia and Thrace. The common people, impoverished by an exploitative and over-powerful aristocracy, viewed Kantakouzenos as a representative of the hated aristocrats and rallied behind the legitimate Palaiologos line and one by one, the cities were seized in the name of the Constantinopolitan regency. Thessalonica at first remained tranquil, and Synadenos contacted his old friend Kantakouzenos with the intention of surrendering the city to him. Such a move might well prove decisive, as possession of Thessalonica would enable Kantakouzenos to control Macedonia, Thessaly and Epirus, and in March 1342, he set out from Didymoteichon with his army in the direction of the city. Before he arrived there, however, Synadenos was overthrown and driven from the city by a rebellion led by a radical popular faction, the Zealots. Apokaukos with a fleet came to reinforce the new regime, and one of his sons was installed as its new governor.

Driven from Thessalonica, with Kantakouzenos's cause seemingly in ruins—he was soon forced to seek refuge in the court of the Serbian king, Stefan Dushan—and with his family back in Constantinople in the regency's hands, Synadenos made terms with Apokaukos. He was rewarded with the high rank of protovestiarios, but soon after placed under virtual house arrest in Constantinople. There he died, deprived of his court rank and considerable wealth, in late 1345 or early 1346. A year later, in February 1347, Kantakouzenos entered Constantinople as the victor of the disastrous civil war.

Family
Some time before 1320, Theodore married Eudokia Doukaina Komnene Palaiologina Synadene, and had two daughters:
 * Theodora Komnene Doukaina Raoulaina Palaiologina, who probably married a member of the Raoul family.
 * Anna Komnene Doukaina Palaiologina Asanina, who married John Kantakouzenos' brother-in-law, Manuel Asen.