Duke of Adrianople

King of Adrianople
King of Adrianople
	Coat of arms of the House of Claudius
	Constantine IV of Adrianople
Details
Style	His Majesty
First monarch	Peter I
Last monarch	Constantine IV
Formation	19 June 1059
Abolition	28 November 1428
Residence	Palatium Supranio
Appointer	Hereditary

The Rulers of Adrianople were a collection of dukes, and kings that reigned over the Latin city of Adrianople and even much of western Latium as independent rulers from 1059 until 1428 when the kingdom was reintegrated into the united Latin Empire. The Kingdom of Adrianople is a historiographical term created after the existence of the realm to differentiate it from what was recognized as the Latin Empire. Throughout the entire 285 year existence of the realm, the Claudii rulers of Adrianople claimed to be the rightful Latin Emperors, due to the first king's status as the youngest son of Empress Maria Augusta and Michael V.

At its largest territorial extent, the rulers of Adrianople controlled much of western and southwestern Latium, including Iasonia, Utica, Aarhusium and Rutupiae. The Monarchs of Adrianople even controlled most of the territory composing the modern-day border region with Lyncanestria, including the counties of Gelonia and Olybrium, from 1059 until 1149. The early dominance of Adrianople over Latium is often attributed the reinforcement levies from western Latium proper never reaching Audonia.

The sovereignty of Adrianople's monarchs came to an end on 28 November 1689, when Michael I (Michael VI as Latin pretender) was defeated in battle outside of the modern-day city of Colonia Julia. Michael sued for peace, relinquished his claims on the Latin throne, and submitted to Emperor Alexander XIV. While Michael still held control over a sizable amount of territory, he was enabled to retain his non-imperial titles and swore fealty to Alexander XIV as the 26th Duke of Adrianople.

History

The Monarchy of Adrianople traces its roots to the Imperial Latin pretender rulers following the devastating military defeats of the Latin legions across Belisaria, and assassination of Latin Emperor Peter III in 1059. Months before, the Latin armies led by Prince Constantine, heir and eldest child of Empress Maria I Augusta was killed during the Battle of Saint-Nazaire while fighting rebellious Audonian and allied armies. The death of Prince Constantine left the armies in disarray, though his brother Prince Peter was said to have taken command afterwards, and saw the retreat from the Vannoisian frontier to defensible positions in modern-day Lihndos, where they were unable to sustain any hold on defenses. Prince Constantine's death reportedly drove Empress Maria Augusta to depression, resulting in her death later that year. She was succeeded by Constantine's only son Maurice, whom was only 9 years old.

Latin forces were continuing to withdraw from the north and Vannoisian frontier in 1404 when a coup led by Hellenic senators assassinated the young emperor Maurice in Alexandria, naming general John Visellius the rightful Emperor, breaking the nearly 1000 years rule of the Claudii. Hearing word of his nephew's assassination, Prince Peter ordered his retreat to fall back to the city of Mauriopolis after ordering his commanders in Adrianople to raise the local levies.

The Anarchy

The assassination of Emperor Maurice initiated a nearly ten year long civil war between the recently proclaimed and Senate backed Emperor John V and the Claudii, led by Prince Peter who proclaimed himself Emperor Peter VI of the Latins. The civil war ultimately did not result in a victory for either faction and saw Latium proper split in half, with the Latin emperors ruling from Alexandria in the east and the Claudii ruling from the west in Adrianople.

Titles and styles

Claimed titles

Throughout the course of the Sovereignty of Adrianople, the Claudii rulers continued to proclaim their status as the lawful Latin emperors in an unbroken line from Emperor Philip I in 372. When receiving or entertaining dignitaries or other nobles, the Claudii rulers of Adrianople kept with the long old tradition of addressing the ruler as "Caesar" with the chief among his titles being "Emperor of the Latins" The Claudii rulers of Adrianople claimed the following Imperial titles:

His Imperial Majesty [Name], By the Grace of God, the Most Serene and Noble, Unconquered, Emperor of the Latins, Basileus and Autokrator of the Hellenes, Most Christian and Apostolic King of Castellum and Alba, Lord of the Palatine, Conqueror and Master of Belisaria, Father of the Fatherland, First Citizen of Senate, He Who Commands the Tides of Our Sea and the Narrow Sea, Equal to the Apostles, Ruler faithful in Christ, Sword of Christ, Defender of the Faith.

In addition the Ruler of Adrianople was also the Duke of Adrianople, which is the official reference for the Adrianople rulers among Latin Imperial records of the era.

List of rulers of Adrianople

Sovereigns of Adrianople

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Succession right
Peter I (IV) Spurius Michael Thomas Petrus 19 June 1059 – 31 August 1099		3 January 1027 Alexandria Maria Augusta and Michael VI	wife, 3 children	31 August 1099 Adrianople aged 72	Youngest child of Maria Augusta.
Constantine I (XV) Gaius Iason Felix Alexander 31 August 1099 – 4 March 1115		16 September 1065 Castellum ab Alba son of Peter I and wife	wife, 2 children	4 March 1115 Adrianople aged 50	Eldest son of Peter I
Michael I (VI) Gaius Iason Felix Alexander 31 August 1115 – 4 March 1132		22 August 1094 Castellum ab Alba son of Peter I and wife	wife, 7 children	4 March 1132 Adrianople aged 38	Son of Constantine I
Leo I (VII) Gaius Constantinus Felix Alexander 4 March 1132 – 28 August 1151		1113 Palatium Supranio son of John I and wife	wife, 4 children	28 August 1151 Adrianople aged 38	Son of Michael I.
Jason I (VI) Gaius Iason Constantinus Felix 28 August 1151 – 1194	<imgur w=100>oErPzrD.png</imgur>	1131 Palatium Supranio son of Jason I and wife	wife, 3 children	1194 Augusta Tolosa aged 63	Son of Leo I.
Constantine II (XVI) Flavius Hadrianus Leo Peter 1194 – 1229	<imgur w=100>RtCMxEO.png</imgur>	1184 Palatium Supranio son of Constantine II and wife	wife, 3 children	1229 Adrianople aged 45	Grandson of Jason I.
Leo II (VIII) Flavius Hadrianus Leo Peter 1229 – 1245		1200 Palatium Supranio son of Adrian I and wife	wife, 3 children	1245 Adrianople aged 45	Son of Constantine II
Peter II (V) Gaius Iason Felix Alexander 1245 – 1267	<imgur w=100>oErPzrD.png</imgur>	1219 Alexandria son of Leo I and wife	wife, 3 children	1267 Adrianople aged 48	Son of Leo II
Constantine III (XVII) Vopiscus Constantinus Felix Alexander 1267 – 1311	<imgur w=100>wxPSx6P.png</imgur>	1254 Palatium Supranio son of Prince John and wife	wife, 3 children	1311 Olympia aged 57	grandson of Peter II
Jason II (VII) Gaius Leo Philipus Iustinus 1311 – 1361	<imgur w=100>I5rin58.png</imgur>	1286 Palatium Supranio son of Constantine III and wife	wife, 3 children	1361 Adrianople aged 75	Son of Constantine III
Theodosius I (I) Faustus Petrus 1361 – 1400	<imgur w=100>oErPzrD.png</imgur>	1330 Palatium Supranio son of Prince John and wife	wife, 3 children	1400 Salassorum aged 70	Grandson of Jason II
John I (III) Flavius Constans Valerius Felix 1400 – 1419		1370 Villa d'Iuliabona son of Adrian of Adrianople and Maria of Adrianople	wife, 3 children	1419 Adrianople aged 49	Nephew of Theodosius I
Constantine IV (XVIII) Flavius Michael Constantinus Iordanes 1419 – 28 November 1428		1395 Palatium Supranio son of Constantine IV and wife	wife, 3 children	1449 Castellum ab Alba aged 54	Son of John I

Dukes of Adrianople

Other titles: Duke of Tolosa, Marchis of Philadelphia, Count of Corcyra, Count of Colonia Julia, Viscount of Aarhusium, High Lord of Gelonia, Lord of Oea, Lord of Olympia, Lord of Durolipons, Master of the Aventine, Exarch of Karchidonia, and Prince of An–Oriant, and Lord Palatine of the Occidens.

Constantine Claudius, 17th Duke of Adrianople (1395–1449)
Alexander Claudius, 18th Duke of Adrianople, son of Constantine (1421–1471)
Leo Claudius, 19th Duke of Adrianople, son of Alexander (1442–1483)
Jason Claudius 20th Duke of Adrianople, son of Leo (1475–1524)
Maria Claudia, 21st Duchess of Adrianople, daughter of Jason (1525–1577)
Philip Claudius, 22nd Duke of Adrianople, son of Maria (1544–1579)
John Claudius, 23rd Duke of Adrianople, brother of Philip (1546–1600)
Philip Claudius, 24th Duke of Adrianople, son of John (1564–1621)
Michael Claudius, 25th Duke of Adrianople, son of Philip (1579–1655)
Donus Claudius, 26th Duke of Adrianople, son of Michael (1617–1666)
Clementius Claudius, 27th Duke of Adrianople, grandson of Donus (1664–1677)
Leo Claudius, 28th Duke of Adrianople , uncle of Clementius (1658–1705)
Adrian Claudius, 29 Duke of Adrianople, son of Leo (1689–1714)
Constantine Claudius, 30th Duke of Adrianople, son of Adrian (1724–1779)
Jason Claudius, 31st Duke of Adrianople, son of Constantine (1753–1782)
Leo Claudius, 32nd Duke of Adrianople, son of Jason (1777–1830)
Isidorus Claudius , 33rd Duke of Adrianople, son of Leo (1809–1871)
Peter Claudius, 34th Duke of Adrianople, son of Isidorus (1826–1914)
Theodosius Claudius, 35th Duke of Adrianople, eldest son of Peter (1867–1930)
Jason Claudius, 36th Duke of Adrianople, eldest son of Theodosius (1900-1981)
Prince Leo, Duke of Apennina, eldest son of Jason (1929–1997)
Jason VI Augustus of Latium, eldest son of Leo (1963–2017)
Constantine XX of Latium, eldest son of Jason (b. 1994)

Duke of Adrianople

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