Theodora Axuchina
Encyclopedia
"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.
That her family name was "Axouch[os]" is considered possible because the full name of her eldest son was "John I Megas Komnenos Axouchos
". Komnenos
was the name of the reigning family of the Empire of Trebizond
. "Megas" (the Grand) was the name assumed by their particular branch of the family, in contrast with other existing lines of the extended Komnenoi family. The "Axouchos" in the name is thus considered to possibly reflect maternal ancestry.
The first name Theodora is a guess based on the name of her best known granddaughter, Theodora of Trebizond
. Under Greek naming conventions, the eldest daughter of a couple is named after her paternal grandmother. However it is not proved at all that the younger Theodora was the eldest daughter of her parents.: she had at least two sisters. So there is no evidence to even hypothezise that Theodora was the first name of Alexios' wife.
, known as "John the Fat", 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.
Kelsey Jackson Williams theorises that John had married a daughter of John II Komnenos
and Piroska of Hungary
. However, and whatever could be Williams' arguments, such couple can obviously not have begotten emperor Alexios’ wife: a daughter of Piroska could not have been born later than in the 1120s, and her own daughter would not be born after ca 1170 at the latest. So "Theodora" would be more than 12 years older than her supposed husband, which is highly unlikely, and she would have had her firstborn son when she was more than 35 years old (since he was still a minor in 1212), and her second son when she was more than 48 (since he is supposed to be born around 1218), which is obviously impossible. Moreover, if John Axouch was a son of Maria Komnene, granddaughter of John II, he can not have married his own aunt: such unions between close relatives were strictly prohibited at the time.
Her paternal grandparents would be Alexios Axouch
and Maria Komnene. Alexios served as Duke of Cilicia
, protostrator
and pansebastos. However he fell out of favor with Manuel I Komnenos
in 1167. John Kinnamos
and Niketas Choniates report that the accusations against him included practice of witchcraft
. He and an unnamed "Latin
" wizard were accused of causing the pregnancy of Maria of Antioch
, the Empress consort, to result in a miscarriage
. They supposedly managed to do so by providing drug
s to Maria
. Alexios ended his life as a monk. Maria Komnene, "wife of Alexios the protostrator" was mentioned in a seal. According to the Dictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza, this Maria was suffering from insanity
by the end of her life.
Alexios in turn was a son of John Axouch, founder of the Axouch family. This John Axouch served as megas domestikos of the Byzantine Army
during the early part of the reign of John II Komnenos. John Axouch was originally an Oghuz Turk
, born in the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm. In 1097, as an infant, he was among the population of Nicaea
when the city fell to the forces of the First Crusade
. He was sent as a present to Alexios I Komnenos
and was raised as a member of the imperial household.
The seal of Maria Komnene identifies her as a daughter of Alexios Komnenos, co-emperor from 1122 to 1142. He was the eldest son of John II Komnenos and Piroska of Hungary. He was an older brother of Isaac Komnenos
and Manuel I Komnenos. The identity of his wife is uncertain. The Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten suggests two wives. The first being Dobrodjeja Mstislavna of Kiev, a daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev
and his wife Christine of Sweden. The second being Katay of Georgia, a daughter of David IV of Georgia
by either of his two wives, Rusudan and Gurandukht. While both women are known to have married members of the Komnenoi family, several theories have been suggested as to the identities of their husband or husbands.
. He was the eldest son of Manuel Komnenos
and of Rusudan
. His paternal grandfather was Andronikos I Komnenos
. They would have at least three known children:
Alexios 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...
. She is not mentioned in any source and both her first name and surname are just guesses made by modern genealogists.
Name
Her name appears in the Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten (1978) by Detlev Schwennicke and has since found its place in several modern genealogies. However the name does not seem to appear in primary sources.That her family name was "Axouch[os]" is considered possible because the full name of her eldest son was "John I Megas Komnenos Axouchos
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...
". 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:...
was the name of the reigning family of the Empire 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...
. "Megas" (the Grand) was the name assumed by their particular branch of the family, in contrast with other existing lines of the extended Komnenoi family. The "Axouchos" in the name is thus considered to possibly reflect maternal ancestry.
The first name Theodora is a guess based on the name of her best known granddaughter, Theodora of Trebizond
Theodora of Trebizond
Theodora Megale Komnene , , Empress of Trebizond from 1284 to 1285. She was a daughter of Emperor Manuel I of Trebizond by his second wife, Rusudan, a Georgian princess....
. Under Greek naming conventions, the eldest daughter of a couple is named after her paternal grandmother. However it is not proved at all that the younger Theodora was the eldest daughter of her parents.: she had at least two sisters. So there is no evidence to even hypothezise that Theodora was the first name of Alexios' wife.
Family
She was perhaps a daughter of John Komnenos AxouchJohn 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...
, known as "John the Fat", 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.
Kelsey Jackson Williams theorises that John had married 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...
. However, and whatever could be Williams' arguments, such couple can obviously not have begotten emperor Alexios’ wife: a daughter of Piroska could not have been born later than in the 1120s, and her own daughter would not be born after ca 1170 at the latest. So "Theodora" would be more than 12 years older than her supposed husband, which is highly unlikely, and she would have had her firstborn son when she was more than 35 years old (since he was still a minor in 1212), and her second son when she was more than 48 (since he is supposed to be born around 1218), which is obviously impossible. Moreover, if John Axouch was a son of Maria Komnene, granddaughter of John II, he can not have married his own aunt: such unions between close relatives were strictly prohibited at the time.
Her paternal grandparents would be Alexios Axouch
Alexios Axouch
Alexios Axouch or Axouchos, sometimes found as Axuch , was a 12th-century Byzantine nobleman and military leader of Turkish ancestry....
and Maria Komnene. Alexios served as Duke of Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
, protostrator
Protostrator
Prōtostratōr was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master, which in the last centuries of the Empire evolved into one of the senior military offices...
and pansebastos. However he fell out of favor with Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
in 1167. John Kinnamos
John Kinnamos
Joannes Kinnamos or John Cinnamus was a Greek historian. He was imperial secretary to Emperor Manuel I , whom he accompanied on his campaigns in Europe and Asia Minor...
and Niketas Choniates report that the accusations against him included practice of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
. He and an unnamed "Latin
Latins
"Latins" refers to different groups of people and the meaning of the word changes for where and when it is used.The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy. Through conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome, the original Latins culturally "Romanized"...
" wizard were accused of causing the pregnancy of Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch
Maria of Antioch was a Byzantine empress as the wife of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I Komnenos. She was the daughter of Constance of Antioch and her first husband Raymond of Poitiers...
, the Empress consort, to result in a miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
. They supposedly managed to do so by providing drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s to Maria
Maria
Maria is a female given name in many diverse cultures, including Mexican, African, Arab, Armenian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Italian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Romanian, Pakistani, Afghan, Serbian, Swedish, Spanish.In Roman Empire the...
. Alexios ended his life as a monk. Maria Komnene, "wife of Alexios the protostrator" was mentioned in a seal. According to the Dictionnaire historique et Généalogique des grandes familles de Grèce, d'Albanie et de Constantinople (1983) by Mihail-Dimitri Sturdza, this Maria was suffering from insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
by the end of her life.
Alexios in turn was a son of John Axouch, founder of the Axouch family. This John Axouch served as megas domestikos of the Byzantine Army
Byzantine army
The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct descendant of the Roman army, the Byzantine army maintained a similar level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization...
during the early part of the reign of John II Komnenos. John Axouch was originally an Oghuz Turk
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
, born in the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm. In 1097, as an infant, he was among the population of Nicaea
Siege of Nicaea
The Siege of Nicaea took place from May 14 to June 19, 1097, during the First Crusade.-Background:Nicaea , located on the eastern shore of Lake İznik, had been captured from the Byzantine Empire by the Seljuk Turks in 1081, and formed the capital of the Sultanate of Rüm...
when the city fell to the forces of the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. He was sent as a present to 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,...
and was raised as a member of the imperial household.
The seal of Maria Komnene identifies her as a daughter of Alexios Komnenos, co-emperor from 1122 to 1142. He was the eldest son of John II Komnenos and Piroska of Hungary. He was an older brother of Isaac Komnenos
Isaac Komnenos (d. 1154)
Isaac Komnenos or Comnenus , was the third son of Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos by Piroska of Hungary.-Life:Shortly before his death in 1143, John II Komnenos designated his fourth son Manuel as his heir, although the third son, Isaac, was still alive...
and Manuel I Komnenos. The identity of his wife is uncertain. The Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten suggests two wives. The first being Dobrodjeja Mstislavna of Kiev, a daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great was the Grand Prince of Kiev , the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex...
and his wife Christine of Sweden. The second being Katay of Georgia, a daughter of David IV of Georgia
David IV of Georgia
David IV "the Builder", also known as David II , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Georgia from 1089 until his death in 1125....
by either of his two wives, Rusudan and Gurandukht. While both women are known to have married members of the Komnenoi family, several theories have been suggested as to the identities of their husband or husbands.
Marriage and children
"Theodora" married 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...
. He was the eldest son of 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....
. His paternal grandfather was Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos I Komnenos
Andronikos 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:...
. They would have at least three known children:
- KomneneKomnene, daughter of Alexios I of TrebizondKomnene was the wife of Andronikos I of Trebizond. Her first name is unknown. Komnene is the female form of "Komnenos", her family name.-Family:...
, a daughter. Wife of Andronikos I of TrebizondAndronikos I of TrebizondAndronikos 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....
. - John I of TrebizondJohn I of TrebizondJohn 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...
. - 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...
.