John Palaiologos (brother of Michael VIII)

John Palaiologos
Born	1225/30
Died	1274/75
Allegiance	Empire of Nicaea / Byzantine Empire
Rank	Despotes
Wars	Byzantine-Latin wars Campaigns against Epirus

John Doukas Palaiologos (Greek: Ἱωάννης Δούκας Παλαιολόγος, 1225/30 – 1274) was a Byzantine aristocrat, brother to Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 1259–1282), who served as the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army. He played a prominent part in his brother's military campaigns, most notably in the crucial victory at the Battle of Pelagonia, but also in repeated campaigns against Epirus and against the Turks in Asia Minor. He retired from active service after his defeat at Neopatras, and died shortly after.

John Doukas Palaiologos was born sometime after 1225 and before 1230, the son of Andronikos Palaiologos, the megas domestikos of the Empire of Nicaea, and his first wife Theodora Palaiologina. John was their second son, after the future emperor Michael Palaiologos, and the fourth child overall.

Nothing is known of him until 1256, when he appears to have been sent to Rhodes; the reasons for this, i.e. whether this was to take charge of a military or administrative post or as an exile, are unknown. He appears again in 1258, when he participated in the coup launched by his elder brother Michael Palaiologos, then megas konostaulos, against the regent for the underage John IV Laskaris (r. 1258–1261), George Mouzalon. After Mouzalon's murder, Michael placed the young emperor under the protection of John and their half-brother Constantine. Michael quickly secured his own nomination as regent, and in turn appointed John as megas domestikos and sent him to command the Nicaean army in Macedonia, with Alexios Strategopoulos and John Raoul Petraliphas as subordinate commanders.

...
Wikipedia