Gregory Gabras
Encyclopedia
Gregory Gabras was the son of the Byzantine
governor of Trebizond, Theodore Gabras
who was involved in a minor unsuccessful rebellion against the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos
around the year 1091.
during the late 1080s when he became engaged to a daughter of Alexios’ brother, the sebastokrator
Isaac Komnenos. Gregory was left with the imperial court as his father returned to Trebizond.
Shortly afterwards Gregory’s mother died, and his father soon remarried, this time to a noblewoman of the Alani who happened to be the first cousin of Isaac Komnenos’ wife. When this became known in the capital, Gregory’s engagement was quietly broken off as they were now considered close relatives and according to civil and the ecclesiastical laws, such marriages were forbidden. Alexios, however, was worried about Theodore’s reaction, so he kept Gregory at the court as a hostage in order to ensure Theodore’s continued good behaviour, reassuring Theodore with the claim that he was contemplating marrying Gregory to one of his own daughters.
Theodore soon returned to the capital and hatched a plan to abduct his son and return with him to Trebizond. He took the boy as far as the port of Pharus before fleeing by ship into the Euxine. Alexios was soon advised and he responded by sending a squadron of ships to capture father and son. They overtook Theodore near the town of Aeginus and advised him to hand over his son to the emperor’s representatives. To persuade him they once again reiterated the emperor’s desire to marry Gregory to one of his daughters. Seeing he had no choice Theodore complied and Gregory soon found himself once again sequestered within Constantinople.
Michael. Michael soon instituted a rigorous educational and martial program for the boy, which Gregory soon grew to resent. He disliked his tutor, had a hard time following the rules, and was irritated at not being treated with the respect a future member of the imperial family deserved. His thoughts soon turned to how he could escape from the court and return to his father.
Gathering a small group of conspirators, some of whom were soldiers who were close to the emperor, Gregory outlined his plans for escaping. One of them did report Gregory’s plans to Alexios, but the emperor refused to believe him. So those few who were loyal to Alexios then hatched a plot to capture the unsuspecting Gregory and his supporters red-handed. When Gregory insisted that he wanted to flee Constantinople immediately, they told him that they would not go along with his plan unless he guaranteed his plot to them by an oath. Gregory agreed and so they took him to the church where one of the nails of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion
was kept. Here they told him to steal the sacred relic
and bring it out so that he could swear by it. Gregory, being young and naïve, listened to them and stole the sacred object.
At that point, one of the men who had kept the emperor appraised of the conspiracy went to fetch some guards and returned shouting, “Look, here is Gabras, and the sacred nail is within his clothes next to his chest.” Gregory was arrested and brought into the emperor’s presence, where the nail was revealed. On being questioned he admitted everything while also revealing the names of his fellow conspirators. Alexios found him guilty and sent him to George Mesopotamites, Dux
of Philippopolis
who was ordered to keep him imprisoned in one of the towers in the city. Gregory’s co-conspirators were all banished or imprisoned.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
governor of Trebizond, Theodore Gabras
Theodore Gabras
Theodore Gabras was a Byzantine governor in the Pontus who was involved in a minor unsuccessful rebellion against the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos around the year 1091.-Early life:...
who was involved in a minor unsuccessful rebellion against the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos
Alexios I Komnenos, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus , was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118, and although he was not the founder of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during his reign that the Komnenos family came to full power. The title 'Nobilissimus' was given to senior army commanders,...
around the year 1091.
Life at Constantinople
As Gregory’s father was an important governor and a formidable general, Alexios I was keen to align him with the imperial family. Consequently Gregory was with his father in ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
during the late 1080s when he became engaged to a daughter of Alexios’ brother, the sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
Isaac Komnenos. Gregory was left with the imperial court as his father returned to Trebizond.
Shortly afterwards Gregory’s mother died, and his father soon remarried, this time to a noblewoman of the Alani who happened to be the first cousin of Isaac Komnenos’ wife. When this became known in the capital, Gregory’s engagement was quietly broken off as they were now considered close relatives and according to civil and the ecclesiastical laws, such marriages were forbidden. Alexios, however, was worried about Theodore’s reaction, so he kept Gregory at the court as a hostage in order to ensure Theodore’s continued good behaviour, reassuring Theodore with the claim that he was contemplating marrying Gregory to one of his own daughters.
Theodore soon returned to the capital and hatched a plan to abduct his son and return with him to Trebizond. He took the boy as far as the port of Pharus before fleeing by ship into the Euxine. Alexios was soon advised and he responded by sending a squadron of ships to capture father and son. They overtook Theodore near the town of Aeginus and advised him to hand over his son to the emperor’s representatives. To persuade him they once again reiterated the emperor’s desire to marry Gregory to one of his daughters. Seeing he had no choice Theodore complied and Gregory soon found himself once again sequestered within Constantinople.
Defiance against Alexios I
On his return Alexios only ratified the marriage-contract by the usual legal formalities and placed Gregory in the care of one of the Empresses’ attendants, the eunuchEunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
Michael. Michael soon instituted a rigorous educational and martial program for the boy, which Gregory soon grew to resent. He disliked his tutor, had a hard time following the rules, and was irritated at not being treated with the respect a future member of the imperial family deserved. His thoughts soon turned to how he could escape from the court and return to his father.
Gathering a small group of conspirators, some of whom were soldiers who were close to the emperor, Gregory outlined his plans for escaping. One of them did report Gregory’s plans to Alexios, but the emperor refused to believe him. So those few who were loyal to Alexios then hatched a plot to capture the unsuspecting Gregory and his supporters red-handed. When Gregory insisted that he wanted to flee Constantinople immediately, they told him that they would not go along with his plan unless he guaranteed his plot to them by an oath. Gregory agreed and so they took him to the church where one of the nails of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
was kept. Here they told him to steal the sacred relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
and bring it out so that he could swear by it. Gregory, being young and naïve, listened to them and stole the sacred object.
At that point, one of the men who had kept the emperor appraised of the conspiracy went to fetch some guards and returned shouting, “Look, here is Gabras, and the sacred nail is within his clothes next to his chest.” Gregory was arrested and brought into the emperor’s presence, where the nail was revealed. On being questioned he admitted everything while also revealing the names of his fellow conspirators. Alexios found him guilty and sent him to George Mesopotamites, Dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
of Philippopolis
Philippopolis
The term Philippopolis , which translates as "Philip's Town," may refer to the following cities:*Plovdiv, Bulgaria *Shahba, Syria...
who was ordered to keep him imprisoned in one of the towers in the city. Gregory’s co-conspirators were all banished or imprisoned.