Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης ca. 1285, Τrebizond. Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου after 1355, Constantinople (possibly)

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1 Περίληψη : Emperor of Trebizond, born into the family of the Grand Komnenoi. In July 1341, Michael tried unsuccessfully to overthrow Empress Anna Anachoutlou ( ) and to ascend the throne of Trebizond. However, on May 24, 1344, he managed to occupy the throne after overthrowing his son John III Grand Komnenos ( ). He resigned on December 13, 1349, due to ill health. Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης ca. 1285, Τrebizond Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου after 1355, Constantinople (possibly) Κύρια Ιδιότητα Emperor of Trebizond ( ) 1. Βiography Michael Grand Komnenos was born in Trebizond around He was the son of the emperor of Trebizond John II ( / ) and Eudokia Palaiologina and the brother of the subsequent Emperor Alexios II Grand Komnenos ( ). In 1297, after his brother ascended the throne of Trebizond, Michael was sent along with his mother to Constantinople, where he came under the protection of his uncle and Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos ( ) and got familiar with life in Constantinople. 1 On July 30, 1341, Michael returned to Trebizond and tried to overthrow Anna Anachoutlou ( ), though without success. Therefore, on August 7 he was arrested and was held in confinement. In May 1344, he escaped and, helped by the Scholarios family, managed to ascend the imperial throne after overthrowing his son John III Grand Komnenos ( ). Michael Grand Komnenos was crowned emperor of Trebizond on May 24 of the same year. On December 13, 1349, Michael resigned due to some illness he was suffering from. His successor, Alexios III Grand Komnenos ( ), forced him to become a monk at the cave-church of St. Sabas, where he remained for one year. He was then sent to Constantinople along with Michael Samson in order to ask a female member of the Palaiologos family to become the bride of Alexios III. In 1355 he tried unsuccessfully to regain the throne of Trebizond before he returned to Constantinople. There is no other information about his activities. 2. Ascension to the Throne 2.1. Τhe Events On July 30, 1341 Michael, with the support of the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos ( ), sailed from Constantinople to Trebizond with three military ships, accompanied by Niketas Scholares, Gregory Meizomates and other members of aristocracy in order to marry Empress Eirene Palaiologina (1340), the widow of Basil Grand Komnenos ( ), and become the head of the empire. However, before he arrived in Trebizond, a rebellion against Eirene had already broken out instigated by Anna Anachoutlou, the daughter of Emperor Alexios II Grand Komnenos ( ). The empress had to resign and the throne was occupied by Anna ( ). 2 On the night he arrived in Τrebizond, Michael was greeted as emperor by the nobles and the metropolitan of Trebizond Akakios. However, he was not officially proclaimed. On the following day the people rose against him, while the Laz of Anna Anachoutlou set his ships to fire and killed some of his disciples. On August 7, 1341 he was arrested and held in confinement initially at Oinaion and later at Limnia. In March 1344, Michael escaped with the help of Niketas Scholares. He arrived in Trebizond on May 3 of the same year and on the 24 th he was proclaimed emperor after overthrowing his son John III, whom he exiled to the cave-church of St. Savvas. In this Δημιουργήθηκε στις 19/7/2017 Σελίδα 1/5

2 attempt he was joined by the people of Trebizond, who had turned against John Grand Komnenos ( ) because the latter had tolerated and abetted his father s captivity imposed by Anna Anachoutlou ( ). Michael was crowned at the church of Theotokos Chrysokephalos Τhe Reasons The first unsuccessful attempt of Michael to ascend the throne as well as his subsequent ascension in 1344 indicates the troubled relationships among the aspiring aristocrats. The aristocracy of Trebizond was represented mainly by two families, the Scholarios of Constantinople and the native Amytzantarios families. Each of these two groups aimed separately at enforcing its sociopolitical power and assuming ultimate political power. 3 The prevalence of the Amytzantarios family, when Anna Anachoutlou ascended the throne ( ), drove the Scholarios family to repeated attempts to overthrow her with the support of other aristocratic families as well. The family was also helped by Constantinople, for the capital was displeased with the fall of Eirene Palaiologina (1340) and the ascension of Anna Anachoutlou, while Venetian and Genoese forces were involved too. Michael and his son John III led the efforts to dethrone Anna Anachoutlou. The disputes between the two aristocratic families continued in the years of Michael s reign due to the favourable attitude of the emperor towards the Scholarios family, which had actually instigated and supported his efforts to ascend the throne. 3. The Reign 3.1. Internal policy During his reign Michael honoured the nobles that had helped him in his efforts to occupy the throne of Trebizond by awarding them top imperial titles and offices, such as the megas doukas to Niketas Scholares, the megas domestikos to Leo Kabasites, the protovestiarios to Constantine Doranites, the scholarios to his son John and the megas logariastes to Michael Meizomates. The favourable attitude towards the Scholarios group and the families that supported them caused discontent and reaction from the Amytzantarios family. Some time later, in November 1345, when Michael was afraid of new civil conflicts against him, provoked even by people who had helped him occupy the throne, he ordered the arrest of the megas doux Niketas Scholares and the megas domestikos Leo Kabasites as well as of other members of aristocracy, and sent his son, John, to Constantinople Εxternal Affairs While he was on the throne, apart from the internal disputes he had to confront, Michael had also to deal with Turkmen threats. In 1346, the Türkmen captured St. Andrew and Oinaion, while on June 29, 1348, they unsuccessfully attacked the city of Trebizond. In addition, the emperor should settle the disputes between the merchants of Trebizond and Genoa. From the early 14 th century the relations of the locals with the Genoese merchants settled in the city had been tense, while they often led to generalised conflicts. The Trebizondians besieged the quarter of the Genoese merchants and killed a large number of people because the latter, for unknown reasons, had acted violently against Cherson and had contemned Trebizond. In 1348, the Genoese captured Cerasous and shattered the naval forces sent against them, 4 while after the new attack against the Genoese quarter Italian forces were sent to help them. Therefore, Michael had to succumb in January of the same year. By virtue of this agreement Michael allowed the Genoese to settle again at Leontokastron, which they had deserted by force in 1316 following a peace treaty signed between them and the then Emperor Alexios II Grand Komnenos ( ). 1. The strong bonds between Constantinople and Trebizond, forged with intermarriages, were one of the main factors that contributed to his Δημιουργήθηκε στις 19/7/2017 Σελίδα 2/5

3 subsequent ascension to the throne of Trebizond. 2. See Χρύσανθος, μητροπολίτης Τραπεζούντος, Η Εκκλησία της Τραπεζούντος, Αρχείον Πόντου 4-5 (Athens 1933), pp See Λυμπερόπουλος, B., O Bυζαντινός Πόντος. H αυτοκρατορία της Τραπεζούντας (Athens 1999), p According to the editors of the Εγκυκλοπαίδεια του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού [Encyclopedia of Pontic Hellenism, in Greek] the Genoese in 1348 destroyed the imperial fleet and killed John Kabasites and Michael Tzanichites. See Γεωργιάδης, Θ. (ed.), Εγκυκλοπαίδεια του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού. Ο Πόντος. Ιστορία, Λαογραφία και Πολιτισμός 1 (Thessaloniki 1991), p Βιβλιογραφία : Χρύσανθος Φιλιππίδης, μητροπολίτης Τραπεζούντος, "Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος", Αρχείον Πόντου, 4/5, 1933, Λυμπερόπουλος Β.Χ., Ο Βυζαντινός Πόντος. Η Αυτοκρατορία της Τραπεζούντας ( ), ο χώρος, οι άνθρωποι, η οικονομία, Αθήνα 1999 Bryer A.A.M., Winfield D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, 1 (With Maps and Plans by R. Anderson and Drawings by J. Winfield), Washington D.C. 1985, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 20 Janssens E., Trébizonde en Colchide, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles 1969, Travaux de la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres XL Miller W., Trebizond. The Last Greek Empire of the Byzantine Era, , London 1926 Γεωργιάδης Θ. (επιμ.), Εγκυκλοπαίδεια του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού. Ο Πόντος. Ιστορία, Λαογραφία και Πολιτισμός, 1, Θεσσαλονίκη 1991 Kuršanskis M., "L usurpation de Théodora Grande Comnène", Revue des Études Byzantines, 33, 1975, "Κομνηνός Μιχαήλ", Trapp, E. Beyer, H. Leontiades, I., Prosopographisches Lexicon der Palaiologenzeit, 5, Wien 1981, 230 Γλωσσάριo : grand logariastes A higher imperial official. the office was introduced by Alexios I Komnenos ( ). The grand logariastes functioned as primary coordinator and controller of all fiscal services. Laz Ethnic group of the south-eastern shores of the Black Sea. Their language belongs to the South Caucasian Language group. Most of the Laz live in Turkey, while some live in Georgia. Limnia Byzantine city on the shore of the Black Sea, close to Cerasous (later it ceased to be coastal, due to deposition of slit from the local rivers). It was a major trade port. megas domestikos Δημιουργήθηκε στις 19/7/2017 Σελίδα 3/5

4 Supreme military commander of the imperial army. High-ranking title which was generally given to close relatives of the emperor. megas doukas The commander of the Byzantine fleet. In the Late Byzantine period, the title of the megas doukas was assigned to the highest officials of the imperial administration. protovestiarios (and protovestiarites) Honorific title given to high-ranking officials and future emperors during this period. The protovestiarios was originally responsible for the imperial wardrobe, but in the 9th-11th centuries the holders of the title could command an army or conduct negotiations with foreign states. Πηγές B.G. Niebuhr (ed.), Nicephori Gregorae, Byzantina Historia 1 (CSHB, Bonnae 1830). Λαμψίδης, Ο. (ed.), «Μιχαήλ του Παναρέτου περί των Mεγάλων Κομνηνών», Aρχείον Πόντου 22 (1958), pp Λαμψίδης, Ο. (ed.), Ανδρέου Λιβαδηνού, Bίος και Έργα (Αθήνα 1975). Rosenquist, J. O. (ed.), The Ηagiographical Dossier of St. Eugenios of Trevizond in Codex Athous Dionysiou 154. A Critical Edition with Introduction, Translation, Commentary and Indexes (Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis 3, Uppsala 1996). Χρονολόγιο 1297: Emperor Alexios II Grand Komnenos sends his brother Michael Grand Komnenos and his mother Eudokia Palaiologina to Constantinople July 30, 1341: Michael, with the support of the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos, arrives in Trebizond and claims the throne 1341: Anna Anachoutlou becomes empress of Trebizond ( ) August 7, 1341: Michael is arrested by Empress Anna Anachoutlou and is confined at Oinaion and Limnia 1342: Michael s son, John III Grand Komnenos, becomes emperor of Trebizond ( ) March 1344: Michael Grand Komnenos escapes from Limnia May 3, 1344: Michael returns to Trebizond May 24, 1344: John III is overthrown and Michael Grand Komnenos ascends the throne ( ) November 1345: Michael orders the arrest of the megas doux Niketas Scholares and the megas domestikos Leo Kabasites 1346: The Türkmen capture St. Andrew and Oinaion June 29, 1348: The Türkmen attack Trebizond December 13, 1349: Michael Grand Komnenos resigns from the imperial throne after 1349: Michael Grand Komnenos is sent to Constantinople in order to prepare intermarriage between the Grand Komnenoi and the Palaiologos family Δημιουργήθηκε στις 19/7/2017 Σελίδα 4/5

5 1355: Michael Grand Komnenos tries unsuccessfully to regain the throne after 1355: Michael Grand Komnenos returns to Constantinople Βοηθ. Κατάλογοι Trebizond Emperors Alexios I 1204 Andronikos I (Gidon) 1222 John I (Axouch) 1235 Manuel I 1238 Andronikos II 1263 George 1266 John II 1280 Theodora 1285 John II (again) 1285 Alexios II 1297 Andronikos III 1330 Manuel II 1332 Basil 1332 Eirene 1340 Anna Anachoutlou 1341 John III 1342 Michael (again) 1344 Alexios III 1349 Manuel III 1390 Alexios IV 1417 John IV 1429 David Δημιουργήθηκε στις 19/7/2017 Σελίδα 5/5