Eudokia of Trebizond
Encyclopedia
Eudokia Megale Komnene was a Trapezuntine
noblewoman, and a member of the powerful Byzantine
Komnenos dynasty as a daughter of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond
.
She was styled Despoina in Sinop after her first marriage to Muslim
Turkmen
Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop
, Emir of Limnia, which had been arranged by her father to foster peaceful relations between the Pontic Greek Christians and the neighbouring Muslims.
. She had two brothers, and three sisters; the eldest Anna
later became Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V
.
The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos
records the marriage on "8 October 1378 at Oinaion of Eudokia and Muslim
Turkmen
ruler Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop, Emir of Limnia" after which "the Emperor took over Limnia". Her sisters, Maria and another whose name is not known, also married Muslims. As it was an uncommon practice for Byzantine rulers to marry their legitimate daughters to non-Christians, some have speculated that Eudokia and her younger sister were born out of wedlock to an unnamed mistress, leaving Anna as his only legitimate daughter by Theodora, who married a Christian king. Contemporary sources, however, indicate that Eudokia was born to Theodora. A matrimonial alliance between a daughter of Alexios and a neighbouring Muslim ruler was diplomatically advantageous as it fostered harmonious relations between the Pontic Greeks and the Turkmen; besides, there were at least 11 documented marriages involving Trapezuntine princesses and Muslims, including Alexios's own sisters, Theodora and Maria. Tadjeddin had sought a matrimonial alliance with the infant daughters of Emperor Alexios as early as June 1362, and it finally came to fruition in 1378 with Eudokia after much parleying. Following her marriage, she was styled Despoina
in Sinop. Sinop was described as a corsair emirate
.
Although it was recorded that she had several children by Tadjeddin, only the name of one son, Altamur, is known. Altamur himself had issue, and left descendants. In 1387, a year after Tadjeddin's death in battle on 24 October 1386 against his uncle Haji Omar, and where he was "cut to pieces", she married secondly Constantine Dragas
, a regional semi-independent Serbian lord. Their marriage set a precedent for a Byzantine to marry a former member of a Turkish harem
. Although she did not bear her second husband offspring, she had stepchildren from his first marriage, including Helena Dragas
.
On 17 May 1395, she lost her second husband at the Battle of Rovine; and on 4 September of that same year, the Chronicle of Michael Panaretos notes that she "came from Constantinople
with brides for her brother, Emperor Manuel
and nephew, Lord Alexios
", entering Trebizond "on Sunday, the following day in a shower of rain". After that date there is no further mention of her in the Chronicles or state documents, but it is presumed she retired to 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...
noblewoman, and a member of the powerful Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Komnenos dynasty as a daughter of Emperor Alexios III of Trebizond
Alexios III of Trebizond
Alexios 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...
.
She was styled Despoina in Sinop after her first marriage to Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Turkmen
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop
Sinop, Turkey
Sinop is a city with a population of 36,734 on İnce Burun , by its Cape Sinop which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope...
, Emir of Limnia, which had been arranged by her father to foster peaceful relations between the Pontic Greek Christians and the neighbouring Muslims.
Family and marriages
Eudokia was born on an unknown date, the second daughter of Emperor Alexios III and Theodora KantakouzeneTheodora Kantakouzene
Theodora Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of Alexios III of Trebizond.- Family :Theodora is considered a daughter of Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, sebastokratōr...
. She had two brothers, and three sisters; the eldest Anna
Anna of Trebizond, Queen of Georgia
Anna Megale Komnene , , was a Trapezuntine Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V...
later became Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V
Bagrat V of Georgia
Bagrat V, “the Great” was the son of the Georgian king Davit IX with whom he was co-ruler from 1355, and became king after the death of his father in 1360....
.
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...
records the marriage on "8 October 1378 at Oinaion of Eudokia and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Turkmen
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
ruler Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop, Emir of Limnia" after which "the Emperor took over Limnia". Her sisters, Maria and another whose name is not known, also married Muslims. As it was an uncommon practice for Byzantine rulers to marry their legitimate daughters to non-Christians, some have speculated that Eudokia and her younger sister were born out of wedlock to an unnamed mistress, leaving Anna as his only legitimate daughter by Theodora, who married a Christian king. Contemporary sources, however, indicate that Eudokia was born to Theodora. A matrimonial alliance between a daughter of Alexios and a neighbouring Muslim ruler was diplomatically advantageous as it fostered harmonious relations between the Pontic Greeks and the Turkmen; besides, there were at least 11 documented marriages involving Trapezuntine princesses and Muslims, including Alexios's own sisters, Theodora and Maria. Tadjeddin had sought a matrimonial alliance with the infant daughters of Emperor Alexios as early as June 1362, and it finally came to fruition in 1378 with Eudokia after much parleying. Following her marriage, she was styled Despoina
Despoina
In Greek mythology, Despoina, Despoena or Despoine, was the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon and sister of Arion. She was the goddess of mysteries of Arcadian cults worshipped under the title Despoina,"the mistress" alongside with her mother Demeter,one of the goddesses of the Eleusinian mysteries...
in Sinop. Sinop was described as a corsair emirate
Emirate
An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Muslim monarch styled emir.-Etymology:Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir ....
.
Although it was recorded that she had several children by Tadjeddin, only the name of one son, Altamur, is known. Altamur himself had issue, and left descendants. In 1387, a year after Tadjeddin's death in battle on 24 October 1386 against his uncle Haji Omar, and where he was "cut to pieces", she married secondly Constantine Dragas
Constantine Dragas
Constantine Dragaš Dejanović was a Serbian magnate that ruled the area around Kyustendil from 1378, during the fall of the Serbian Empire, until his death on May 17, 1395 at the battle of Rovine...
, a regional semi-independent Serbian lord. Their marriage set a precedent for a Byzantine to marry a former member of a Turkish harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
. Although she did not bear her second husband offspring, she had stepchildren from his first marriage, including Helena Dragas
Helena Dragaš
Helena Dragaš Helena was born to Constantine Dragaš of the noble House of Dejanović. Constantine was a Serbian provincial lord, ruling one of the principalities that emerged after the breakup of the Serbian Empire, centered at Velbăžd . Her mother was Constantine's unnamed first wife...
.
On 17 May 1395, she lost her second husband at the Battle of Rovine; and on 4 September of that same year, the Chronicle of Michael Panaretos notes that she "came from 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:...
with brides for her brother, Emperor Manuel
Manuel III of Trebizond
Manuel 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...
and nephew, Lord Alexios
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 :...
", entering Trebizond "on Sunday, the following day in a shower of rain". After that date there is no further mention of her in the Chronicles or state documents, but it is presumed she retired to Trebizond.