Alexios IV Angelos

Alexios IV Angelos became Byzantine Emperor in August 1203, installed by crusader armies he'd promised to reward with gold and military aid. Born around 1182 into the ruling Angelos dynasty, he'd fled to the West after his father was deposed and blinded, then convinced the leaders of the Fourth Crusade to restore him by force. Once crowned, he couldn't deliver the treasury he'd pledged — the empire was broke, the population furious at Latin occupation. By January 1204, a rival strangled him in his cell, five months into a reign that had already doomed the city. The crusaders sacked Constantino…