David of Trebizond
Encyclopedia
David Megas Komnenos (c. 1408 – November 1, 1463) was the last Emperor
of Trebizond
from 1459 to 1461. He was the third son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond
and Theodora Kantakouzene
.
David had played an important role throughout the reign of his older brother and predecessor John IV
. He had been given the courtly title of despotes
, which in Trebizond designated the heir to the throne. David had participated in his brother's depredations against the Genoese
, and also fulfilled various diplomatic tasks. In 1458 he ratified his brother's treaty with the Ottoman
Sultan Mehmed II
in Adrianople, and later the same year he conveyed his niece Theodora to her husband, Uzun Hassan
of the Ak Koyunlu
.
David ascended the throne on his brother's death, sometime before April 22, 1459. Although John IV had left behind a young son named Alexios, the precarious position of the Empire of Trebizond dictated that the crown should pass to a man of experience and David, already recognized as despotes, was the natural choice. David's accession proceeded without opposition.
David had married Maria
of Gothia
, the daughter of the semi-independent ruler of Theodoro
(Mangup
) in the Crimea
, an area that had been under the control of Trebizond. After Maria's death (sometime before 1447), he married Helena Kantakouzene
, a great-granddaughter of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos
. With the conquest of Constantinople
by the Ottoman Turks
in 1453 and the weakness of Crimean Gothia (overshadowed by the Genoese colonies and the remnants of the Golden Horde
), these marital alliances provided little support for Trebizond after David's accession in 1459.
The connections established with the Georgian
princes and Uzun Hassan
of the Ak Koyunlu were slightly more viable, and David seems to have counted on their support. With this in mind, he tried to attract the attention of the Valois duke of Burgundy
, Philip the Good in the hope of fostering an anti-Ottoman crusade. David's effort was supported by an appeal by Pope Pius II
, who also sent envoys to the Burgundians as well as to the Christian princes in the East in an attempt to create a Christian league. The Muslim rulers of Sinope
and Karaman
appear to have been enlisted as allies by David or Uzun Hassan.
With Western support against the Ottomans still very far off, David prematurely asked the Sultan for a remission of the tribute paid by his predecessor, and even worse, sought the intercession of Uzun Hassan. The latter's envoys insulted Mehmed II's sensibilities with their own demands, and precipitated his attack in the summer of 1461. The Sultan sent out a large fleet from the Straits, and personally led his land forces across Anatolia
, causing alarm to all his eastern neighbors, who were unsure of the immediate objective of this expedition, which was kept secret.
After pretending to be ready to negotiate with some of his neighbors, Mehmed II besieged Sinope and obtained its surrender, sending his fleet on to Trebizond. Meanwhile he led the land army against Uzun Hassan, whom he cowed into making an alliance. This deprived David of his most effective ally, and Mehmed II next headed to Trebizond. His fleet had already landed there, defeated David's army, and plundered the suburbs, besieging the city for more than a month. The Ottoman commander Mahmud Pasha had opened negotiations with David even before his master's arrival, and David's Treasurer, George Amiroutzes
, advised the emperor to surrender on terms. Although Mehmed II was displeased with the negotiations, he allowed them to proceed. David was now persuaded to surrender, keeping his family, household, and wealth, and was promised a profitable retirement in Thrace
.
David's submission in late August or early September marks the end of the Empire of Trebizond and of the Byzantine imperial tradition. The deposed emperor, his family, and courtiers were shipped off to Constantinople. The population was divided into groups, some being allocated to the service of the Sultan and his officers, others added to the population of Constantinople, and the remainder were allowed to inhabit the outskirts of Trebizond itself. Some local youths were duly enlisted into the corps of Janissaries
, while the Ottoman admiral was left to garrison the city.
David was settled in Adrianople together with his family, and received the profits of estates in the Struma River
valley, comprising an annual income of some 300,000 pieces of silver. The close family relations and continued exchange between David and Uzun Hassan were betrayed to the Sultan by George Amiroutzes (which involved an ambitious plan to send one of David's sons or Alexios to grow up at the court of Uzun Hassan in seeming opposition to Mehmed), furnished an excuse to imprison David and his sons in March 1463. On November 1, 1463 he was executed in Constantinople together with his nephew (the son of John IV) and three of his sons. Only one son, George, was spared due to his young age, and became a Muslim, before escaping to Georgia.
Other members of the family fared better. Maria Gattilusio, the widow of David's older brother Alexander, joined the Sultan's harem, as did David's daughter Anna (although she was later passed on to the general Zagan Pasha). Maria's son Alexios was also spared, becoming one of the Sultan's pages. However, the widowed Empress Helena Kantakouzene was heavily fined by the Sultan for burying her husband and her sons and spent the rest of her life in poverty.
One of David's daughters survived him as the wife of a Gurieli
ruler from the Dadiani
family. The later-day Gurieli thus claimed descent from David and from dozens of emperors who were his ancestors.
David apparently had no children by his first wife Maria of Gothia. By his second wife Helena Kantakouzene, he had:
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 1459 to 1461. He was the third son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond
Alexios IV of Trebizond
Alexios IV Megas Komnenos or Alexius IV , , Emperor of Trebizond from March 5, 1417 to October 1429. He was the son of Emperor Manuel III and Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia.- Reign :...
and Theodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene, wife of Alexios IV of Trebizond
Theodora Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of Alexios IV of Trebizond.-Family:Theodora and her relations are named in Dell'Imperadori Constantinopolitani, a manuscript held in the Vatican Library. The document is also known as the "Massarelli manuscript" because it was found in the papers of...
.
David had played an important role throughout the reign of his older brother and predecessor John IV
John IV of Trebizond
John IV Megas Komnenos , was Emperor of Trebizond from 1429 to 1459. He was a son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene....
. He had been given the courtly title of despotes
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
, which in Trebizond designated the heir to the throne. David had participated in his brother's depredations against the Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, and also fulfilled various diplomatic tasks. In 1458 he ratified his brother's treaty with the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
in Adrianople, and later the same year he conveyed his niece Theodora to her husband, Uzun Hassan
Uzun Hassan
Uzun Hasan or Hassan , Sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, or White Sheep Turkmen. Hassan ruled in parts of present-day western Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia between 1453 and 1478....
of the Ak Koyunlu
Ak Koyunlu
The Aq Qoyunlu or Ak Koyunlu, also called the White Sheep Turkomans , was an Sunni Oghuz Turkic tribal federation that ruled parts of present-day Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, northern Iraq, and Iran from 1378 to 1508.-History:According to chronicles from the Byzantine Empire, the Aq Qoyunlu...
.
David ascended the throne on his brother's death, sometime before April 22, 1459. Although John IV had left behind a young son named Alexios, the precarious position of the Empire of Trebizond dictated that the crown should pass to a man of experience and David, already recognized as despotes, was the natural choice. David's accession proceeded without opposition.
David had married Maria
Maria of Gothia
- Family :She was a daughter of Alexios II of Theodoro, ruler of the Principality of Theodoro in Crimea. Her native state was also known as Gothia because its territory had previously belonged to the Crimean Goths. The Goths had undergone Hellenization under the influence of the Byzantine Empire...
of Gothia
Crimean Goths
Crimean Goths were those Gothic tribes who remained in the lands around the Black Sea, especially in Crimea. They were the least-powerful, least-known, and almost paradoxically, the longest-lasting of the Gothic communities...
, the daughter of the semi-independent ruler of Theodoro
Principality of Theodoro
The Principality of Theodoro , also known as Gothia , was a small principality in the south-west of Crimea from the 13th through 15th centuries. Its capital was Doros, which was also sometimes called Theodoro and is now known as Mangup...
(Mangup
Mangup
Mangup also known as Mangup Kale is a historic fortress in Crimea, located on a plateau about 9 miles due east of Sevastopol . In medieval times it was known as Doros, later it was given the Kipchak name Mangup .- History :The settlement dates back to the 3rd century CE and was fortified by...
) in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, an area that had been under the control of Trebizond. After Maria's death (sometime before 1447), he married Helena Kantakouzene
Helena Kantakouzene, Empress of Trebizond
-Family:The primary source about her is the account "On the Origin of the Ottoman Emperors" by Theodore Spandounes. Theodore was related to the Kantakouzenoi. He was a son of Matthew Spandounes and Eudokia Kantakouzene. His father was a soldied of the Republic of Venice...
, a great-granddaughter of Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
. With the conquest of Constantinople
Constantinople
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:...
by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
in 1453 and the weakness of Crimean Gothia (overshadowed by the Genoese colonies and the remnants of the Golden Horde
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
), these marital alliances provided little support for Trebizond after David's accession in 1459.
The connections established with the Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
princes and Uzun Hassan
Uzun Hassan
Uzun Hasan or Hassan , Sultan of the Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, or White Sheep Turkmen. Hassan ruled in parts of present-day western Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia between 1453 and 1478....
of the Ak Koyunlu were slightly more viable, and David seems to have counted on their support. With this in mind, he tried to attract the attention of the Valois duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
, Philip the Good in the hope of fostering an anti-Ottoman crusade. David's effort was supported by an appeal by Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
, who also sent envoys to the Burgundians as well as to the Christian princes in the East in an attempt to create a Christian league. The Muslim rulers of Sinope
Sinope
Sinope may refer to:*Sinop, Turkey, a city on the Black Sea, historically known as Sinope** Battle of Sinop, 1853 naval battle in the Sinop port*Sinope , in Greek mythology, daughter of Asopus*Sinope , a moon of the planet Jupiter...
and Karaman
Karaman
Karaman is a town in south central Turkey, located north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the capital district of the Karaman Province. According to 2000 census, the population of the province is 231 872 of which 132,064 live in the town of Karaman. The district covers an area...
appear to have been enlisted as allies by David or Uzun Hassan.
With Western support against the Ottomans still very far off, David prematurely asked the Sultan for a remission of the tribute paid by his predecessor, and even worse, sought the intercession of Uzun Hassan. The latter's envoys insulted Mehmed II's sensibilities with their own demands, and precipitated his attack in the summer of 1461. The Sultan sent out a large fleet from the Straits, and personally led his land forces across Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, causing alarm to all his eastern neighbors, who were unsure of the immediate objective of this expedition, which was kept secret.
After pretending to be ready to negotiate with some of his neighbors, Mehmed II besieged Sinope and obtained its surrender, sending his fleet on to Trebizond. Meanwhile he led the land army against Uzun Hassan, whom he cowed into making an alliance. This deprived David of his most effective ally, and Mehmed II next headed to Trebizond. His fleet had already landed there, defeated David's army, and plundered the suburbs, besieging the city for more than a month. The Ottoman commander Mahmud Pasha had opened negotiations with David even before his master's arrival, and David's Treasurer, George Amiroutzes
George Amiroutzes
George Amiroutzes was a Pontic Greek Renaissance scholar and philosopher.He was born in Trebizond, lived and taught in Italy and eventually died in Constantinople. He is considered as a controversial figure of the late Byzantine era...
, advised the emperor to surrender on terms. Although Mehmed II was displeased with the negotiations, he allowed them to proceed. David was now persuaded to surrender, keeping his family, household, and wealth, and was promised a profitable retirement in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
.
David's submission in late August or early September marks the end of the Empire of Trebizond and of the Byzantine imperial tradition. The deposed emperor, his family, and courtiers were shipped off to Constantinople. The population was divided into groups, some being allocated to the service of the Sultan and his officers, others added to the population of Constantinople, and the remainder were allowed to inhabit the outskirts of Trebizond itself. Some local youths were duly enlisted into the corps of Janissaries
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
, while the Ottoman admiral was left to garrison the city.
David was settled in Adrianople together with his family, and received the profits of estates in the Struma River
Struma River
The Struma or Strymónas is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymōn . Its catchment area is 10,800 km²...
valley, comprising an annual income of some 300,000 pieces of silver. The close family relations and continued exchange between David and Uzun Hassan were betrayed to the Sultan by George Amiroutzes (which involved an ambitious plan to send one of David's sons or Alexios to grow up at the court of Uzun Hassan in seeming opposition to Mehmed), furnished an excuse to imprison David and his sons in March 1463. On November 1, 1463 he was executed in Constantinople together with his nephew (the son of John IV) and three of his sons. Only one son, George, was spared due to his young age, and became a Muslim, before escaping to Georgia.
Other members of the family fared better. Maria Gattilusio, the widow of David's older brother Alexander, joined the Sultan's harem, as did David's daughter Anna (although she was later passed on to the general Zagan Pasha). Maria's son Alexios was also spared, becoming one of the Sultan's pages. However, the widowed Empress Helena Kantakouzene was heavily fined by the Sultan for burying her husband and her sons and spent the rest of her life in poverty.
One of David's daughters survived him as the wife of a Gurieli
Gurieli
Gurieli was a Georgian noble family and a ruling dynasty of the southwestern Georgian province of Guria which was autonomous and later for a few centuries independent, as well as a few ducal rulers of the dynasty rose in the 17th-18th centuries to be kings of the whole western Caucasus in place...
ruler from the Dadiani
Dadiani
Dadiani was a Georgian family of nobles, dukes and princes, and a ruling dynasty of the western Georgian province of Samegrelo.- The House of Dadiani :...
family. The later-day Gurieli thus claimed descent from David and from dozens of emperors who were his ancestors.
David apparently had no children by his first wife Maria of Gothia. By his second wife Helena Kantakouzene, he had:
- Basil, beheaded 1463
- Manuel, beheaded 1463
- one or five other sons, beheaded 1463
- George, (1460–after 1463)
- Anna (1447–after 1463), who married Zagan Pasha and then Sinan
- Unnamed daughter, who married Mamia Gurieli
Ancestry
Patrilineal descent
- Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, d. 1020
- John Komnenos, 1015–1076
- Alexios I KomnenosAlexios I KomnenosAlexios 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,...
, 1048/1056–1118 - Sebastokratōr Isaac KomnenosIsaac Komnenos (d. 1152)Isaac Komnenos or Comnenus was the third son of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Empress Irene Doukaina.-Life:He was the brother of Emperor John II Komnenos and the historian Anna Komnene...
, d. 1152 - Andronikos I KomnenosAndronikos I KomnenosAndronikos I Komnenos was Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185). He was the son of Isaac Komnenos and grandson of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.-Early years:...
, 1118–1185 - Manuel KomnenosManuel Komnenos (born 1145)Manuel Komnenos was the eldest son of Andronikos Komnenos by his first wife, whose name is not recorded....
, b. 1145 - Alexios I of TrebizondAlexios I of TrebizondAlexios 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...
, 1182–1222 - Manuel I of TrebizondManuel I of TrebizondManuel 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...
, 1218–1263 - John II of TrebizondJohn II of TrebizondJohn 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...
, 1262–1297 - Alexios II of TrebizondAlexios II of TrebizondAlexios II Megas Komnenos or Alexius II , was Emperor of Trebizond from 1297 to 1330. He was the elder son of John II and Eudokia Palaiologina, and also used the name Palaiologos.- Life :...
, 1282–1330 - Basil of TrebizondBasil of TrebizondBasil Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from August 1332 to his death in 1340. Basil was a younger son of Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond and his wife Djiadjak Jaqeli...
, d. 1340 - Alexios III of TrebizondAlexios III of TrebizondAlexios III Megas Komnenos or Alexius III , Emperor of Trebizond from December 1349 until his death. He was the son of Emperor Basil of Trebizond and his second wife, Irene of Trebizond...
, 1338–1390 - Manuel III of TrebizondManuel III of TrebizondManuel III Megas Komnenos was Emperor of Trebizond from March 20, 1390 to his death in 1417. He was the son of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond by Theodora Kantakouzene.Manuel became the heir of his father in 1377, after the death of his elder brother Basil...
, 1364–1417 - Alexios IV of TrebizondAlexios IV of TrebizondAlexios IV Megas Komnenos or Alexius IV , , Emperor of Trebizond from March 5, 1417 to October 1429. He was the son of Emperor Manuel III and Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia.- Reign :...
, 1382–1429 - David of Trebizond, 1408–1463