The man himself and the places he holds in his own hand: Philippopolis, the walled city on its hills in the Maritsa plain that he commanded for the emperor, and the forts of the northern Rhodopes, Stenimachos above the Asenitsa and Krytzimos above the Vacha, which shelter his Vlach fighters.
His Vlach and Bulgarian followers are not named in the sources. On 1 January 1200 he is a victorious rebel, holding the protostrator Kamytzes captive or newly ransomed; within months the emperor will take him by a trick (spring 1200).
Who he is
- Name
- Ivanko, called Alexios
- Title
- Rebel lord; formerly the emperor's commander at Philippopolis
- Since
- 1197 (command); revolt 1198 or 1199
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Married (1197) Theodora Angelina, granddaughter of Alexios III. See Ivanko.
- Confidence
- medium
As Ivanko.
Overlord
None in practice (ally of Kaloyan).
What it holds
- Philippopolis (Philippopolis).
- Stenimachos (Stenimachos).
- Krytzimos (Krytzimos).
- The mountains to Smolena and the overrun southern slopes (Ivanko).
How it was acquired
Command from Alexios III (1197); revolt (1198 or 1199).
Allies and rivals
Kaloyan (ally); Chrysos (rival); Alexios III (enemy).
How things stand that morning
In possession and at war with the emperor.
Wealth
As Ivanko.
Military
Trained Vlach fighters; the walls of Philippopolis; the Rhodope castles.
Threats
- The imperial campaign of 1200.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- Spring 1200Seized at a parley by Alexios III; his forts surrender to the emperor.Depends on: His accepting a safe conduct. Stopped by: His refusal; help from Kaloyan.
Places of note
- Stenimachos: His Rhodope stronghold.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: As Ivanko.
On the map: His person and his own strongholds; the full domain is the realm record Ivanko.
Primary sources for Ivanko
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- History of Niketas Choniates, Niketas Choniates (about 1185 to 1217, in stages, with a final revision in exile at Nicaea after 1204). The central narrative for the Byzantine Empire under Alexios III Angelos: the Bulgarian and Vlach war under Kaloyan, the breakaway of Ivanko in the Rhodopes and his capture by treachery in 1200, Dobromir Chrysos at Prosek and Strumica and the emperor's campaign and settlement with him, the Cuman raids into Thrace, John Komnenos the Fat's one-day revolt at Constantinople on 31 July 1200, the loosening of imperial control in the provinces and the rise of Leo Sgouros, and the court's fiscal abuses. Read online
Sources and studies
- Ivanko (boyar) (English Wikipedia), citing Choniates (trans. Magoulias 1984) pp. 257-258, 281, 285; Treadgold 1997 pp. 661-662; Kazhdan, Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium p. 1025; Madgearu 2016 p. 117; Cheynet 1986 p. 171
- Iwanko (German Wikipedia), citing Choniates, Historia 509-513 and 518-519 (ed. van Dieten); Brand 1968; Cheynet 1996 no. 188; Hoffmann 1974
- Manuel Kamytzes (English Wikipedia), citing Varzos, Genealogia ton Komnenon II (1984) pp. 697-712 and Choniates (trans. Magoulias) pp. 258, 281-283, 293-294
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.