Irene Asanina | |
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Empress consort of the Byzantine Empire | |
Tenure | 1341–1354 |
Born | c. 1300 |
Died | between 1363 and 1379 |
Spouse | John VI Kantakouzenos |
Issue Detail | Matthew Kantakouzenos Manuel Kantakouzenos Theodora Kantakouzene Helena Kantakouzene Andronikos Kantakouzenos Maria Kantakouzene |
House | Asen |
Father | Andronikos Asen |
Mother | Tarchanaiotissa |
Irene Asanina (Greek: Εἰρήνη Ἀσανίνα; died after 1354), was the empress consort of John VI Kantakouzenos of the Byzantine Empire. She is known to have participated in military issues in a degree uncommon for a Byzantine empress. She commanded the garrison of Didymoteicho during the Byzantine civil war of 1341–1347, and organized the defense of Constantinople against the Genoese in 1348, and the forces of John V in 1353.[1]