Trebizond

```
Officialy: Empire of the Romans / Byzantine Empire, Empire of the Greeks(in Modern culture)

```

```
Commonly Used: Empire of Trebizond

```

# Empire of Trebizond

For more info on other contemporary states visit the Realms Main page.

### History Before 1237

The Empire of Trebizond was founded by "Alexios Komnenos" and "David Komnenos" (Later "Megas-Komnenos"), Who were the Grandchildren of Byzantine Emperor Andronikos I Komnenos, through his eldest son Manuel Komnenos. Their familail heritage gave them a claim to the throne of the Byzantine Empire, which after the Death of Andronikos I Komnenos had been Claimed by the Angelos Family, the two at the time boys Fled to the Kingdom of Georgia Under Tamar the Great sometime in 1185 and for the following years would be raised and educated by the Georgians until eventualy in 1204 they decided to press their claim to the Byzantine Throne when with the support of Tamar they Invaded the byzantine pontus with the two peacefuly taking Trebizond a few weeks before the "Eternal City" of Constantinople was sacked by the Forth Crusade.

As a result of the Sack of Constantinople and the disestablishment of Angeloi Imperial authority the two brothers thusly claimed the legitimate governance of the Byzantine Empire, with Alexios soon thereafter being crowned Emperor Alexios III Megas Komnenos, With the name change being made inorder to highlight the dynastic legitimacy of the two brothers of being the senior line of the Komnenos and them using "II" (with which title he will be refered to from here on out) as they did not view the angelos Government in Constantinople as legitimate they as such do not recognise their Emperors.

Soon after the crowning of Alexios III, David Komnenos Marched westwards with the Trapezuntine forces capturing the rest of the byzantine Pontus and Paphlagonia up to Heraclea Pontica, and subsequently made himself the master of these lands, With Alexios III Capturing both Sinope and Samsun and with the capture of Samsun cut of the seljuks from the black sea thus weakening their influence in the region. However the Path of the two brothers would soon seperate as Alexios III was forced to hold back in Trebizond inorder to defend against the seljuks, whilst David went on campaigning in the east. Theodore Laskaris, the Provincal Nicaen legate become Self declared Emperor would cross the sangarios in 1208 into Trapezuntine Lands, as a response David Sent a delegation the the Latin State setup in constantinople, making them attack nicomedia forcign Theodore to retreat, However Theodore would soon return capturing Heraclea pontica in the response to which David atempted to hault the advance by becoming a vassal of the latins, this in the end was however not sufficient in avoiding Nicene Conquest and David would soon thereafter become disgraced and be forced into monkhood. It was soonthereafter that disaster struck. The Seljuks began advancing on Sinope and whilst on a hunt outside sinope Alexios II was captured by the Sultan, He was shortly thereafter paraded infront of the walls of sinope as leverage to have the city handed over to the sultanate, the defenders at first refused, citing that Alexios III had raised sons capable of ruling, yet after being tortured by the barbarians in front of the city walls the defenders eventualy relented and were forced to hand over Sinope, the Greatest black sea port, a blow from which recovering would prove difficult.

After the Handover of Sinope Alexios III was eventualy forced into a tributary relationship with the seljuks, being made to pay both arms and money to the sultan on an annaul basis, yet even though his ambitions Had been thwarted Trebizond was now by this point well established in the region behind the Pontic alps and in the Crimean "Perateia" (Overseas lands), who were sometime beforehand made to bow to loose Trapezuntine control. It was then that Alexios III would go on to rule for another Decade passing eventualy away peacefuly on February 1st 1222, His son Ioannes was still young and as such a guardian emperor was appointed in the form of his son-in-law Andronikos II Gidon.

It was in the reign of Andronikos I that the turks attempted to establish control over the crimea, It was then that the Despicable Barbarian Governor of Sinope would, in violation of treaties made with Trebizond arest and loot the archon of the Perateia who had been forced by a storm into the cities harbor, Andronikos II was not tolerant of these actions and would swiftly launch a retaliatory strike, successfuly attacking sinope and managing to free the archon and destroy many seljuk ships. However he would soon be forced back into Trebizond as the Seljuk Sultan Attacked the mighty city. Yet through both the blessing of god, the Protection of Trebizonds Patront Saint Eugenios, and the deception used by the Trebizontines the Seljuk siege was repelled and their sultan taken captive.

The Sultan would eventually be released after signing a treaty with the Trapezuntines which cancelled the tribute obligations and reinstalled a relation of peace between the nations, The Barbarian Sultan, Melik, would have his heart for but a moment be enlightened by the piety and modesty of the civilised emperor, so that he would voluntarily hand over a regular gift of Arab horses to the Monestary of St. Eugenios.

Yet this peace was not to last the Iranian Peoples under Jilal ad-din would soon come into contact with both Trebizond and the Seljuk sultans in Iconium, Andronikos II would as such favor cooperation with the Iranians and made the Terrible mistake of joining the Iranians in war with the Seljuks, yet this was would, Douptlesly due to the cowardice of their barbaian Compatriots, result in defeat, and Trebizond would once more be forced into a Tributary relationship with the Seljuk sultans, who were through their wickedness not content with mearly punishing the Iranians, as they certainly should have ought to do.

The Reign of Andronikos II would from this point on be a short but prosperous one, and one which though it had its setbacks was one that stabelised Trebizond and douptlesly set the foundations for it to "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's". Andronikos II would die in 1235, having ruled long and competently enough to leave Ioannes, now Crowned Ioannes III Grand Komnenos in charge of an Economicaly Prosperous empire, and one ready for glory

### People of note

#### Saint Eugenios

Saint Eugenios Was a Christian saint who originated in Trebizond and was Martyred during the Reign of Diocletian & Maximian, with his His feast day being on the 21st of Janurary. St. Eugenios was eventualy adopted as not only the Patron saint of Trebizond but of the entire Empire of Trebizond by its Komnenian rulers, There also is a monestary dedicated to him on mt. Minthrion

###