Helena Palaiologos, saint Hypomone

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Dragas

Helena Dragases (Serbian: Јелена Драгаш / Jelena Dragaš) (c. 1372 – 23 May 1450) was the Empress consort of Manuel II Palaiologos/

Family

She was a daughter of Constantine Dragaš, a regional semi-independent lord in the fragmenting Serbian realm centered at Velbăžd (Kyustendil).

Her mother was his unnamed first wife, not his second wife Eudokia Megaskomnene. Her stepmother was a daughter of Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene.

Her father died in 1395 at the batlle of Rovine. Constantine Dragaš was killed while fighting for his overlord Sultan Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire against the rebel Mircea I of Wallachia.

Marriage

On 10 February 1392, Helena married Manuel II Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor. They had several children. The list follows the orders of births given by George Sphrantzes:

• A daughter. Mentioned as the eldest daughter but not named. Possibly confused with Isabella Palaiologina, an illegitimate daughter of Manuel II known to have married Ilario Doria.
• Constantine Palaiologos. Died young.
• John VIII Palaiologos (18 December 1392 - 31 October 1448). Byzantine emperor 1425-1448.
• Andronikos Palaiologos, Lord of Thessalonike (d. 1429).
• A second daughter. Also not named in the text.
• Theodore II Palaiologos, Lord of Morea (d. 1448).
• Michael Palaiologos. Died young.
• Constantine XI (8 February 1405 - 29 May 1453). Byzantine emperor 1448-1453.
• Demetrios Palaiologos (c. 1407 - 1470). Despotēs in Morea.
• Thomas Palaiologos (c. 1409 - 12 May 1465). Despotēs in Morea.

Manuel II died on 21 July 1425. Helena survived him by almost twenty five years. She retired to a monastery under the monastic name Hypomone (Patience). Helena died on May 23, 1450 in Constantinople.

Her children included the last two Byzantine emperors. Constantine XI renamed himself after her maiden name Dragaš (in Greek, Dragasēs), adding it to his own.