Editing List of Byzantine emperors (section)

== Laskaris dynasty (1205–1261) ==
{{Main|Laskaris|Empire of Nicaea}}
:{{Small|'''''Note:''' Roman rule in Constantinople was interrupted with the [[sack of Constantinople|capture and sack of the city]] by the [[Fourth Crusade|crusaders]] in 1204, which led to the establishment of the [[Frankokratia]]. Though the crusaders created a new line of [[Latin emperor]]s in the city, modern historians recognize the line of emperors of the Laskaris dynasty, reigning in [[Empire of Nicaea|Nicaea]], as the legitimate Roman emperors during the [[struggle for Constantinople]] because the Nicene Empire eventually retook the city.{{Sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=734}} For other lines of claimant emperors, see [[List of Trapezuntine emperors]] and [[List of Thessalonian emperors]].''}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:100%; text-align:center"
|+ {{Sronly|Laskaris dynasty}}
! scope=col width="7%" | Portrait
! scope=col width="17%" | Name
! scope=col width="26%" | Reign
! scope=col width="50%" | Notes

|-
| [[File:148 - Theodore I Laskaris (Mutinensis - color).png|100px|alt=miniature portrait]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | [[Theodore I Laskaris|'''Theodore I''' Laskaris]]<br/>{{Small|Θεόδωρος Κομνηνὸς Λάσκαρις}}
|{{Circa}} May 1205 – November 1221<br/>{{Small|(16 years and 6 months)<hr/>''with'' [[Nicholas Laskaris (son of Theodore I)|'''Nicholas''' Laskaris]] (1208–1210)}}{{Efn|name=co-emperor}}
| Born {{Circa|1174}}, he rose to prominence as a son-in-law of Alexios III. His brother [[Constantine Laskaris]] (or Theodore himself, it is uncertain) was elected emperor by the citizens of Constantinople on the day before the city fell to the Crusaders; Constantine only remained for a few hours before the sack of the city and later fled to [[Nicaea (city)|Nicaea]], where Theodore organized the Greek resistance to the Latins. Proclaimed emperor after Constantine's death in 1205, Theodore was crowned only in Easter 1208. He managed to stop the Latin advance in Asia and to repel Seljuk attacks, establishing the [[Empire of Nicaea]] as the strongest of the Greek successor states.

|-
| [[File:149 - John III Doukas Vatatzes (Mutinensis - color).png|100px|alt=miniature portrait]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | [[John III Vatatzes|'''John III''' Vatatzes]]<br/>{{Small|Ἰωάννης Δούκας Βατάτζης}}
| c. December 1221 – 3 November 1254<br/>{{Small|(32 years and 11 months)}}
| Born {{Circa|1192}}, he became the son-in-law and successor of Theodore I in 1212. A capable ruler and soldier, he expanded his state in Bithynia, Thrace, and Macedonia at the expense of the [[Latin Empire]], Bulgaria, and the rival Greek state of [[Despotate of Epirus|Epirus]].

|-
| [[File:Theodoros II Laskaris (cropped).jpg|100px|alt=miniature portrait]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | [[Theodore II Laskaris|'''Theodore II''' Laskaris]]<br/>{{Small|Θεόδωρος Δούκας Λάσκαρις}}
| 3 November 1254 – 16 August 1258<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|1254|11|3|1258|8|16}})}}
| Born in 1221/1222 as the only son of John III, he succeeded on his father's death. His reign was marked by his hostility towards the major houses of the aristocracy, and by his victory against Bulgaria and the subsequent expansion into Albania.

|-
| [[File:151 - John IV Laskaris (Mutinensis - color) (cropped).png|100px|alt=miniature portrait]]
! scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA" | [[John IV Laskaris|'''John IV''' Laskaris]]<br/>{{Small|Ἰωάννης Δούκας Λάσκαρις}}
| 16 August 1258 – 25 December 1261<br/>{{Small|({{Age in years, months and days|1258|8|16|1261|12|25}})}}
| Born on 25 December 1250 as the only son of Theodore II, he succeeded on his father's death. Due to his minority, the regency was exercised at first by [[George Mouzalon]] until his assassination, and then by [[Michael VIII Palaiologos|Michael Palaiologos]], who within months was crowned senior emperor. After the recovery of Constantinople in August 1261, Palaiologos sidelined John IV completely, had him [[Blinding (punishment)|blinded]] and imprisoned. John IV died in captivity several decades later, {{Circa|1305}}.{{Sfnm|1a1=ODB|1pp=1048–1049|2a1=Macrides|2y=2013|2p=303|3a1=Angelov|3y=2019|3p=305|4a1=PLP|4p=2663 (#14534)}}

|}