Emperor Saint '''John Vatatzes the Merciful''' ({{el icon}}: Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Βατατζὴς ὁ ἐλεήμονας βασιλιὰς<ref name=MEGAS>Great [[Synaxarion|Synaxaristes]]: {{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/1092/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Βατατζὴς ὁ ἐλεήμονας βασιλιὰς].'' 4 Νοεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref>), also '''John III Doukas Vatatzes''' ({{el icon}}: Ιωάννης Γ΄ Δούκας Βατάτζης) or '''John III Vatatzes''', was the Emperor of [[Nicea|Nicaea]]<ref group="note">The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the [[Byzantine Empire]] that fled after [[Constantinople]] was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the [[Fourth Crusade]]. Founded by the Laskaris family, it lasted from 1204 to 1261, when the Nicaean recovery of Constantinople re-established the Byzantine Empire.</ref> from 1221 to 1254 and was one of the most remarkable among the successors of [[Constantine the Great]], being the chief architect of the restored [[Byzantine Empire]], and a respected leader who encouraged justice, charity and a cultural blossoming. He was born ca.1192 in [[w:Didymoteicho|Didymoteicho]] and died on 3 November 1254 in [[w:Nymphaion_(Ionia)#History|Nymphaion]]. His [[feast day]] is on [[November 4]].<ref name="MEGAS"/><ref group="note">Not be confused with the 7th-century Saint [[John the Merciful]] ([[November 12]]).</ref>

Following the [[Fourth_Crusade#Final_capture_of_Constantinople|capture of Constantinople]] in 1204, John Doukas Vatatzes went to [[w:Nymphaion_(Ionia)#History|Nymphaeum]] in Asia Minor, which [[w:Theodore I Laskaris|Theodore I Laskaris]] (1207/8-1222) had chosen as the seat of the Byzantine [[w:Empire of Nicaea|Empire of Nicaea]]. Thanks to the intercession of an uncle of his who was a [[priest]] in the palace and an associate of the emperor, John Vatatzes entered in the emperor’s service. The emperor appreciated his talents and his moral fibre, and conferred upon him the title of [[w:Protovestiarios|Protovestiarios]].<ref name="BANEV"/>

In Meanwhile, in 1224 [[w:Theodore Komnenos Doukas|Theodore Komnenos Doukas]], the ruler of Epirus and Thessaly, made himself master of [[Thessalonica ]] and of nearly the whole of Macedonia, assumed the title of emperor, and was crowned by the Autonomous [[Autonomous Archdiocese of Ohrid|Archbishop of Achrida]]<ref name="PLATE"/> Demetrios Chomatianos. Four emperors now reigned over the remnants of the Eastern empire:

The peace was of short duration. The old [[w:John of Brienne|John of Brienne]] (1231-1237), who after the death of Robert, in 1228, exchanged his nominal kingdom Kingdom of Jerusalem for the real though tottering throne of Constantinople, attacked Vatatzes in 1233, in Asia, but was routed in Bithynia, and hastened back to Thrace. Supported by the fleets of the Venetians, he could, however, renew his inroads whenever he saw a favourable opportunity.

Accordingly, Vatatzes conceived the plan of making himself master of the sea.<ref group="note">Had he succeeded, the Greek empire would have been soon restored to its limits of 1204.</ref> He expanded Nicaean control over much of the Aegean and annexed the important island of Rhodes, as well as Samos, Lesbos, Chios, Cos and many other islands, however . However the main force of the Venetians was in [[w:Kingdom of Candia|Candia]] (Crete). And ; and although Vatatzes conquered the greater part of that island (Crete), his progress was checked by the Venetian governor Marino Sanuti, the historian, who at last forced the Greeks to sail back to Asia.<ref name="PLATE"/>

Initially [[w:Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria|Ivan Asen II]] and John Vatatzes were on opposite sides, each seeking to capture Constantinople for his own sake. The However the political developments in the Latin Empire of Constantinople and the ascension of [[w:John of Brienne|John de Brienne]] to the imperial throne created ideal conditions for rapprochement between the Nicaean state and the Bulgarian one.<ref name="BANEV"/>

In 1236 the allies attempted to capture the capital once again. During the siege, however, Asen, fearsome of the rise of [[Nicea|Nicaea]], and listening to the persuasions of [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anseau_de_Cayeux Anseau de Cayeux], who acted as regent in the absence of the emperor [[w:Baldwin II of Constantinople|Baldwin II]] (1237-1261), cancelled the alliance and demanded that his daughter, Helen, should return to him. He then sided with the Latins and the Cumans of Macedonia and, circa 1237, he commenced hostilities against Vatatzes, besieging [[w:Çorlu|Tzouroulos]], a strategic stronghold. During that siege Ivan Asen changed his mind again, and remorseful, he broke off the siege, sent his daughter Helen back to Nicaea, and signed a peace treaty with Vatatzes. In 1241 the Bulgarian ruler passed away. Then John III Vatatzes, rid of all of his dangerous enemies, renewed the pact with the underage heir of Ivan Asen, [[w:Kaliman I of Bulgaria|Kaliman Asen I]] (1241-1246).<ref name="BANEV"/>

In the West John Vatatzes’ main diplomatic concern was the a rapprochement with the German emperor [[w:Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II Hohenstaufen]] and an alliance with him, as both rulers were united in their struggle against the Latins. Frederick supported the Byzantine efforts to capture Constantinople and in 1236 he cancelled the crusade that Pope [[w:Pope Gregory IX|Gregory IX]] was organizing against Vatatzes, on account of John III’s hostilities against the Latins. John Vatatzes in turn sided with Frederick in the latter’s feud with the Pope. Later the two rulers signed an alliance, and in 1244 Vatatzes took as his spouse Constance, the illegitimate daughter of the German emperor, who subsequently took on the name Anna. This alliance, however, brought no significant gain to the Empire of Nicaea, although Vatatzes maintained diplomatic relations with the German dynasty even after the death of Frederick, during the reign of Conrad IV (1250-1254).<ref name="BANEV"/>

In around Around 1247-1248, the forces of Nicaea campaigned in Thrace, capturing Tzouroulos and Vizye, thus establishing an effective stranglehold on Constantinople.<ref name="BANEV"/> The issue of a protracted war was favourable to Vatatzes, who took several of the towns of the Latins in Thrace, and made peace with [[w:Michael II Komnenos Doukas|Michael]] in 1253.<ref name="PLATE"/>

His policy of appointing people of non-aristocratic descent in administrative posts was ground-breaking, causing much resentment among members of the aristocracy, noting that he relied heavily on the support of the military aristocracy. The success of his internal policy, however, was mainly the result of his economic and agrarian measures. His actions in this field , which aimed at achieving economic self-sufficiency and the improvement of domestic production, as well as at diminishing the import of foreign products, especially western luxury goods.<ref name="BANEV"/>

The generations after John Vatatzes looked back upon him as ''“the Father of the Greeks.”''<ref name="VASILIEV"/><ref group="note">"Apostolos Vacalopoulos notes that John III Ducas Vatatzes was prepared to use the words ‘nation’ (''genos''), ‘Hellene’ and ‘Hellas’ together in his correspondence with the Pope. John acknowledged that he was Greek, although bearing the title Emperor of the Romans: ''“the Greeks are the only heirs and successors of [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]]”'', he wrote. In similar fashion John’s son Theodore II, acc. 1254, who took some interest in the physical heritage of Antiquity, was prepared to refer to his whole Euro-Asian realm as “Hellas” and a “Hellenic dominion”. (What Vacalopoulos does not examine is whether, like the Latins, they also called their Aegean world ‘Roman-ia’)."<br>::* Michael O'Rourke. ''[http://www.scribd.com/doc/30421469/Byzantium-1220-to-1330 Byzantium: From Recovery to Ruin, A Detailed Chronology: AD 1220-1331].'' Compiled by Michael O'Rourke. Canberra, Australia, April 2010.</ref>

[[File:DIDIMOTEIXO-BATATZIS.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Taken at the [[Thyranoixia]] service at of the Church of St. John Vatatzes, in Didymoteicho, Greece. November 4, 2010.]]Seven years after his death when his grave was opened, a sweet fragrance permeated the surroundings, and they were surprised to find that his body was incorrupt, a clear example of holiness. His [[relics]] showed no sign that he was in fact dead; the color of his body was like that of a living person, and even his clothes had not deteriorated after 7 years and looked like they had just been newly sewn.<ref name=IOANNA>{{el icon}} Ιωάννα Κατσούλα. [http://www.orthodoxia.gr/show.cfm?id=1630&obcatid=3 ΑΓΙΟΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ Ο ΒΑΤΑΤΖΗΣ. Ο μαρμαρωμένος ελεήμων βασιλιάς και η βασιλεύουσα]. ΣΤΥΛΟΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑΣ. ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ 2011.</ref>

[[Miracle|Miracles]] began to be connected with his memory and ''The Life of St. John the Merciful'' was composed, a sort of popular canonization. As noted by his biographer, Christians who went on [[pilgrimage]] to pray before the Saint were rewarded with miracles; the diseased were healed and demons were expelled at his holy [[relics]].<ref name="IOANNA"/> The clergy and population of the [[w:Lydia|Lydian]] city of [[w:Magnesia ad Sipylum|Magnesia]] and its surroundings, where the Emperor was buried (in the Monastery of Christ the Savior on [[w:Mount Sipylus|Mt. Sipylos]] (Monastery of Sosandra)), gathered annually on [[November 4]] in the local church and honoured the memory of the late Emperor John the Merciful.<ref name="VASILIEV"/>

A contemporary account during the reign of [[w:Andronikos II Palaiologos|Andronikos Palaiologos]] (1282-1328), mentions that around the time that the Turks invaded Magnesia, on several occasions the castle guardsman had witnessed a lit candle circling around the city walls. He sent men to investigate the phenomenon but to no avail. Then the deaf-mute brother of the guardsman was sent, and he was given a revelation, and was completely healed upon his return. He stated said that at the area where the lit candle had appeared, he found a man of a grand royal stature, who loudly urged the Christians to continue the defense. He Later he recognized the image of the man he had seen when visiting the holy [[shrine]] of St. John Vatatzes. Since then John was recognized as a Saint and his memory was set to be honoured on [[November 4]].<ref name="IOANNA"/>

The legend states that since that time, he has been awaiting the liberation of Constantinople. It also states that the holy king has his sword with him in its sheath, and that each year the blade of the sword emerges a few millimeters, until the time comes for the entire sword to emergecompletely, which will signify the time for the liberation of the City.<ref name="IOANNA"/>

[[Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain|Nicodemus the Athonite]] (1749-1809), composed an [[akolouthia]] in honour of the emperor-saint John Vatatzes the Merciful, commissioned by the Metropolitan of Ephesus.<ref name="BANEV"/><ref group="note">For the full service in Greek to St. John Vatatzes the Merciful see:<br>