Vatatzes

The House of Vatatzes or Batatzes (Greek: Βατάτζης) was a noble Byzantine Greek family of the 11th–14th centuries with several branches, which produced several senior generals of the Byzantine army and, after John III Doukas Vatatzes intermarried with the Laskaris family, the ruling line of the Empire of Nicaea until the usurpation of Michael VIII Palaiologos in 1261.

[1] According to the Greek scholar Konstantinos Amantos, the name Vatatzes is a diminutive form of βάτος, vatos, 'bramble, briar', and suggests that it was given as a nickname signifying a harsh character.

John Skylitzes (Synopsis Historion, 343.134) records that "Vatatzes with his entire family" was among those "distinguished citizens of Adrianople" who fled to the Bulgarian emperor Samuel because they were accused of pro-Bulgarian sentiments.

[2][3] Michael Psellos records that in 1047, a John Vatatzes, relative of Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (r. 1042–1055), joined the revolt of Leo Tornikios.

John proved a capable ruler, defeating the Latin Empire at the Battle of Poimanenon, and expanding his realm into Europe, where he captured Thessalonica in 1246.

[15] Theodore II was succeeded by his only son, John IV Laskaris (r. 1258–1261), but was driven from the throne by Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282) after the reconquest of Constantinople in 1261, blinded, and placed in confinement in a remote fortress, where he died some time after 1285.