of 80 ships. Family In 1253, Michael VIII Palaiologos married Theodora Palaiologina, a grandniece of John III Doukas Vatatzes, Emperor of Nicaea. Orphaned in childhood, she was raised by her great-uncle John III, who was said to have "loved her like a daughter", and who arranged for her marriage to Michael. Their children were: Manuel Palaiologos (c. 1255–before 1259) Irene Palaiologina (c. 1256–before 1328), who married emperor Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria Andronikos II Palaiologos (1259–1332), Byzantine emperor Anna Palaiologina (c. 1260–1299/1300), who married Demetrios/Michael Komnenos Doukas, third son of Michael II of Epirus Constantine Palaiologos (1261–1306), who married Eirene Raoulaina his second cousin Theodora Palaiologina, who married King David VI of Georgia Eudokia Palaiologina, who married Emperor John II of Trebizond Theodore Palaiologos (c. 1263 – after 1310) By a mistress, a Diplovatatzina, Michael VIII also had two illegitimate daughters: Euphrosyne Palaiologina, who married Nogai Khan of the Golden Horde Maria Palaiologina, who married Abaqa Khan of Ilkhanid Persia See also List of Byzantine emperors Footnotes References Sources Further reading Charanis, Peter. "The Jews in the Byzantine Empire under the First Palaeologi." Speculum, 22 (1947), 75–77. Harris, Jonathan, Byzantium and the Crusades (Bloomsbury, 2nd ed., 2014). Heath, Ian, Byzantine Armies, AD 1118–1461 (Osprey Publishing, 1995). * Vannier, J-F. Les premiers Paléologues (Etudes prosopographiques), 1989 External links Coinage featuring Michael VIII Palaiologos 1223 births 1282 deaths Palaiologos dynasty Byzantine regents People excommunicated by the Greek Orthodox Church People excommunicated by the Catholic Church Roman Catholic monarchs Emperors of Nicaea Eastern Orthodox monarchs 13th-century Byzantine emperors Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars Despots (court title) Megaloi doukes People of the War of the Sicilian Vespers People of the War of Saint Sabas Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Greek Orthodox Christians Greek Eastern Catholics