Who was Emperor Isaac II Angelos and what was his legacy?

Isaac II Angelos was a Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 1185-1195 and again from 1203-1204. He was born in 1156 in Constantinople and was the son of Emperor Andronikos Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa.

Isaac was not known for any significant achievements during his reign, and his legacy is mostly remembered for his failure to deal with the Fourth Crusade which led to the eventual fall of Constantinople.

In 1185, Isaac II Angelos and his brother Alexios staged a revolt against Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos and took control of the empire. Isaac's reign was marked by internal conflicts and external threats. He failed to deal with the threat of the Normans in the Balkans, resulting in their invasion of Thessalonica and parts of Greece.

During the Fourth Crusade, Isaac was overthrown by his own brother Alexios III and imprisoned. He was later released and restored to the throne with the help of the Crusaders. However, his second reign was short-lived and he was again overthrown, this time by his own people, who blamed him for the fall of Constantinople to the Crusaders in 1204.

Isaac II Angelos died in 1204, and his legacy is marked by his inability to unite his people and protect the empire from external threats. His reign is seen as a period of decline for the Byzantine Empire.