born 0441; 1193
died Nov. 3, 1254, Nymphaion
Emperor of Nicaea (122254).
He succeeded Theodore I Lascaris and defeated rivals for the imperial throne in 1223. Two years later he triumphed over Latin forces loyal to his rivals and gained control of Asia Minor. He allied with Ivan Asen II against Epirus (1230) and besieged Constantinople (1235), prompting Asen to go to war with him (123537). He acquired territory in Bulgaria (1241) and Epirus (1242) and supported a cultural revival from his capital at Nicaea, paving the way for the eventual reestablishment of the Byzantine Empire. Venerated by his people, he was canonized in the Eastern church.