ANDRONICUS I, an'dro-ni-cfis (Com NENUS), Byzantine emperor: b. 1110; d. 12 Sept. 1185. In his youth he served against the Turks, in 1141 was for some time a prisoner and was afterward appointed to a military com mand in Cilicia, but was unsuccessful. Engag ing in a treascinable correspondence with the King of Hungary, he was thrown into prison by his cousin, the Emperor Manuel; but after 12 years he succeeded in making his escape and reached Kiev, the residence of Prince Jaroslay. He regained the favor of his cousin by per suading Jaroslav to join him in the invasion of Hungary, and by his gallantry in that war; but again incurred fiis displeasure and was sent in honorable banishment to Cilicia. After a pil grimage to Jerusalem and his scandalous seduc tion of Theodora, the widow of Baldwin, King of Jerusalem, he settled among the Turks in Asia Minor with a band of outlaws, making frequent inroads into the province of Trebi zond; but at length made his peace with the Emperor and was sent to CEnoe in Pontus.
Upon the death of Manuel in 1182 he was re called to become, first, guardian, then colleague, of the young Emperor Alexius II. Soon after he caused the Empress-mother to be strangled, and afterward Alexius himself, whose youthful widow he married. His reign, though short, was vigorous, and restored prosperity to the provinces; but tyranny and murder were its characteristics in the capital. At last a destined victim, Isaac Angelus, one of his relatives, hav ing fled to the church of Saint Sophia for sanc tuary, a crowd gathered, and a sudden insur rection placed Isaac on the throne, while An dronicus, now 75 years of age, was put to death by the infuriated populace after horrible muti lations and tortures.