John IV Laskaris

John IV Doukas Laskaris was born on December 25, 1250, into the ruling family of the Nicaean Empire, one of the Greek successor states that emerged after Western Crusaders sacked Constantinople in 1204. He took the throne on August 16, 1258, still a child. His reign lasted just over three years. On December 25, 1261 — his eleventh birthday — he was deposed by his successor, who had already led the reconquest of Constantinople earlier that year. John was the last emperor of the Laskarid line and the last to rule solely from Nicaea before the old capital was retaken. He lived until around 1305,…