Komnene, daughter of Alexios I of Trebizond
Encyclopedia
Komnene was the wife of Andronikos I of Trebizond
. Her first name is unknown. Komnene is the female form of "Komnenos
", her family name.
and Theodora Axuchina
. Her siblings included John I of Trebizond
and Manuel I of Trebizond
.
Her paternal grandparents were Manuel Komnenos
and of Rusudan
. Her maternal grandfather was probably John Komnenos Axouch
. John was a short-lived rival emperor to Alexios III Angelos
. On 31 July 1200, John was proclaimed Emperor in Hagia Sophia
. He was betrayed and killed by his own soldiers, defecting back to the service of Alexios.
"A Genealogy of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond" by Kelsey Jackson Williams, gives his nickname as "John the Fat". Williams theorises that Komnene's maternal grandmother was a daughter of John II Komnenos
and Piroska of Hungary
.
gives his name as "Gidon". The origin of this family name is unknown. The article "Byzantine Trebizond:A Provincial Literary Landscape" by Jan Olof Rosenqvist suggests that it may originate in the first name Guido
, indicating Italian origins.
An Andronikos Gidos is recorded by Niketas Choniates to have served under Theodore I Laskaris
, Emperor of Nicaea
. In 1206, this Andronikos ambushed a force of three hundred troops of the Latin Empire
at Tracheiai, near Nicomedia
. The invading force had been lend by Henry of Flanders
to David Komnenos
as part of their alliance against Theodore I. Whether this Gidos was her husband or a namesake relative of his is uncertain.
On 1 February 1222, Alexios I died. He was succeeded not by his sons but by his son-in-law, Andronikos. Gidos was probably already a prominent member of the military, while his brothers-in-law were still underage. Komnene was his Empress consort, succeeding her mother. Their marriage seems to have been childless. Andronikos died in 1235, succeeded by her brother John I of Trebizond
.
Andronikos I of Trebizond
Andronikos I Gidos or Andronicus I Gidus , , Emperor of Trebizond-Marriage:He married a Komnene, whose first name is unknown. He succeeded his father-in-law, Alexios I of Trebizond in 1222. His mother-in-law was Theodora Axuchina....
. Her first name is unknown. Komnene is the female form of "Komnenos
Komnenos
Komnenós or Comnenus was the name of a ruling family of the Eastern Roman Empire , who halted the political decline of the Empire from c.1081 to c.1185.-Origins:...
", her family name.
Family
She was the only known daughter of Alexios I of TrebizondAlexios I of Trebizond
Alexios I Megas Komnenos or Alexius I Comnenus was Emperor of Trebizond from 1204 to 1222. He was the eldest son of Manuel Komnenos and of Rusudan, daughter of George III of Georgia. He was thus a grandson of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos I. Andronikos was dethroned and killed in 1185...
and Theodora Axuchina
Theodora Axuchina
"Theodora Axuchina" is supposed by some to have been the wife of Alexios I of Trebizond. She is not mentioned in any source and both her first name and surname are just guesses made by modern genealogists.-Name:...
. Her siblings included John I of Trebizond
John I of Trebizond
John I Megas Komnenos Axouchos was Emperor of Trebizond from 1235 to 1238.He was the eldest son of Alexios I of Trebizond and Theodora Axuchina, and was perhaps still a minor at the time of his father's death in 1222, as the throne passed to his brother-in-law, Andronikos I Gidos.John succeeded on...
and Manuel I of Trebizond
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...
.
Her paternal grandparents were Manuel Komnenos
Manuel Komnenos (born 1145)
Manuel Komnenos was the eldest son of Andronikos Komnenos by his first wife, whose name is not recorded....
and of Rusudan
Rusudan, daughter of Giorgi III of Georgia
Rusudan was the younger daughter of King George III of Georgia and of his wife, Burdukhan . Her elder sister was the famous Queen Tamar, who succeeded their father as ruler of Georgia....
. Her maternal grandfather was probably John Komnenos Axouch
John Komnenos the Fat
John Komnenos , nicknamed "the Fat" , was a Byzantine noble who on 31 July 1201 attempted to usurp the imperial throne from Alexios III Angelos in a short-lived coup in Constantinople...
. John was a short-lived rival emperor to Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos
Alexios III Angelos was Byzantine Emperor from 1195 to 1203.- Early life:Alexios III Angelos was the second son of Andronikos Angelos and Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa. Andronicus was himself a son of Theodora Komnene, the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina. Thus...
. On 31 July 1200, John was proclaimed Emperor in Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
. He was betrayed and killed by his own soldiers, defecting back to the service of Alexios.
"A Genealogy of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond" by Kelsey Jackson Williams, gives his nickname as "John the Fat". Williams theorises that Komnene's maternal grandmother was a daughter of John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos
John II Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs , he was the eldest son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina...
and Piroska of Hungary
Piroska of Hungary
Saint Irene of Hungary, born Piroska, was a daughter of Ladislaus I of Hungary and Adelaide of Swabia. Her maternal grandparents were Rudolf of Rheinfeld and his second wife Adelheid of Savoy. Adelheid was a daughter of Otto of Savoy and Adelaide of Turin. She was the mother of the future emperor...
.
Empress
Komnene married Andronikos Gidos. The chronicle of Michael PanaretosMichael 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...
gives his name as "Gidon". The origin of this family name is unknown. The article "Byzantine Trebizond:A Provincial Literary Landscape" by Jan Olof Rosenqvist suggests that it may originate in the first name Guido
Guido
Guido is a given name of Italian origin also utilised as a given name in Spanish. Guido is derived from the Ancient Germanic Wido. and Latin name Vito...
, indicating Italian origins.
An Andronikos Gidos is recorded by Niketas Choniates to have served under Theodore I Laskaris
Theodore I Laskaris
Theodoros I Komnenos Laskaris was emperor of Nicaea .-Family:Theodore Laskaris was born to the Laskaris, a noble but not particularly renowned Byzantine family of Constantinople. He was the son of Manuel Laskaris and wife Ioanna Karatzaina . He had four older brothers: Manuel Laskaris Theodoros...
, Emperor of Nicaea
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade...
. In 1206, this Andronikos ambushed a force of three hundred troops of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
at Tracheiai, near Nicomedia
Nicomedia
Nicomedia was an ancient city in what is now Turkey, founded in 712/11 BC as a Megarian colony and was originally known as Astacus . After being destroyed by Lysimachus, it was rebuilt by Nicomedes I of Bithynia in 264 BC under the name of Nicomedia, and has ever since been one of the most...
. The invading force had been lend by Henry of Flanders
Henry of Flanders
Henry was the second emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople. He was a younger son of Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut , and Margaret I of Flanders, sister of Philip of Alsace, count of Flanders....
to David Komnenos
David Komnenos
David Komnenos was one of the founders of the Empire of Trebizond and its joint ruler together with his brother Alexios until his death.-Early life:...
as part of their alliance against Theodore I. Whether this Gidos was her husband or a namesake relative of his is uncertain.
On 1 February 1222, Alexios I died. He was succeeded not by his sons but by his son-in-law, Andronikos. Gidos was probably already a prominent member of the military, while his brothers-in-law were still underage. Komnene was his Empress consort, succeeding her mother. Their marriage seems to have been childless. Andronikos died in 1235, succeeded by her brother John I of Trebizond
John I of Trebizond
John I Megas Komnenos Axouchos was Emperor of Trebizond from 1235 to 1238.He was the eldest son of Alexios I of Trebizond and Theodora Axuchina, and was perhaps still a minor at the time of his father's death in 1222, as the throne passed to his brother-in-law, Andronikos I Gidos.John succeeded on...
.