The
Laskaris or
Lascaris family was a
Byzantine Greek noble family whose members formed the ruling dynasty of the
Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261 and remained among the senior nobility up to the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire, whereupon many emigrated to Italy and then to Smyrna (much later). According to
George Pachymeres, they were also called
Tzamantouros (Tζαμάντουρος). The feminine form of the name is
Laskarina (Λασκαρίνα).