George, Emperor of Trebizond
Encyclopedia
George Megas Komnenos (c. 1255– after 1284), Emperor
of Trebizond
from 1266 to 1280. He was the elder son of Emperor Manuel I
and his third wife, Irene Syrikaina
, a Trapezuntine noblewoman.
George succeeded his elder half brother Andronikos II
in 1266. He pursued an anti-aristocratic policy and allied himself with Charles of Anjou and the anti-Unionists against the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
. This, and his apparent failure to provide effective support against the Mamluks of Egypt
, provoked the ire of his overlord, the Mongol Ilkhan Abaqa. Abaqa was a Byzantine ally and apparently summoned George to appear in his presence. George was betrayed to the Mongols by his courtiers on his way to the Ilkhan's residence in Tabriz
in 1280 and lost his throne. His younger brother John II
replaced him.
Although some Armenian chronicles report that George was executed by the Ilkhan, they are mistaken, since he survived and was released after Abaqa's death in 1282. In 1284 he invaded Trebizond, attempting to recover his throne. However, he was defeated again and his forces destroyed, but George himself managed to escape and spent a while wandering the mountains before he was captured. We know nothing of him since then. George's exile and adventures earned him the nickname "the Wanderer" or "the Vagabond" (Πλάνος, Planos) in the Chronicle of Michael Panaretos
.
By an unknown marriage or mistress, George had an unnamed daughter, who married a Georgian nobleman. Another possible daughter (or sister) married King Demetre II of Georgia
.
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of Trebizond
Empire of Trebizond
The Empire of Trebizond, founded in April 1204, was one of three Byzantine successor states of the Byzantine Empire. However, the creation of the Empire of Trebizond was not directly related to the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, rather it had broken away from the Byzantine Empire...
from 1266 to 1280. He was the elder son of Emperor Manuel I
Manuel I of Trebizond
Manuel I Megas Komnenos , Emperor of Trebizond from 1238 to 1263, surnamed the "Great Captain", was the second son of Alexios I, the first emperor of Trebizond, and Theodora Axuchina. He succeeded his brother, John I Axouchos...
and his third wife, Irene Syrikaina
Irene Syrikaina
-Name:The male form of her family name has been suggested being either "Syrikainos" or "Syrikos". The name may be related to the island Syros or to the terms "Syrios", "Syrikos", "Syriakos", all Greek language for Syrian. The geographic term Syria also applied to Coele-Syria and...
, a Trapezuntine noblewoman.
George succeeded his elder half brother Andronikos II
Andronikos II of Trebizond
Andronikos II Megas Komnenos or Andronicus II , . Emperor of Trebizond from 1263 to 1266. He was the eldest son of Manuel I of Trebizond by his first wife, Anna Xylaloe, a Trapezuntine noblewoman....
in 1266. He pursued an anti-aristocratic policy and allied himself with Charles of Anjou and the anti-Unionists against the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
. This, and his apparent failure to provide effective support against the Mamluks of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, provoked the ire of his overlord, the Mongol Ilkhan Abaqa. Abaqa was a Byzantine ally and apparently summoned George to appear in his presence. George was betrayed to the Mongols by his courtiers on his way to the Ilkhan's residence in Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
in 1280 and lost his throne. His younger brother John II
John II of Trebizond
John II Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from 1280 to 1297. He was the youngest son of Emperor Manuel I and his third wife, Irene Syrikaina, a Trapezuntine noblewoman...
replaced him.
Although some Armenian chronicles report that George was executed by the Ilkhan, they are mistaken, since he survived and was released after Abaqa's death in 1282. In 1284 he invaded Trebizond, attempting to recover his throne. However, he was defeated again and his forces destroyed, but George himself managed to escape and spent a while wandering the mountains before he was captured. We know nothing of him since then. George's exile and adventures earned him the nickname "the Wanderer" or "the Vagabond" (Πλάνος, Planos) in the Chronicle of Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos
Michael Panaretos wrote a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors from 1204 to 1426. Panaretos was a protosebastos and protonotarios in the service of Alexios III Komnenos...
.
By an unknown marriage or mistress, George had an unnamed daughter, who married a Georgian nobleman. Another possible daughter (or sister) married King Demetre II of Georgia
Demetre II of Georgia
Saint King Demetrius II the Self-sacrificer , from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1270–1289.-Life:...
.