View source for Trebizond

'''Trebizond''' was a [[city]] on the far south-east coast of the [[Black Sea]]. The [[empire]] of Trebizond came out of the final years of the [[Byzantine Empire]].  In 1204 Tamar, [[Queen]] of [[Georgia]], provided troops, and the impetus, for two members of the former Imperial family, the Comneni, to conquer the cities of Trebizond and Sinope, and the surrounding area, Paphlagonia.

Within months the [[Fourth Crusade]] had conquered [[Constantinople]] and the brothers, [[Alexius I|Alexios]] and David, had founded a successor empire in Trebizond.  David took the western part of the [[Turkey|Turkish]] Black Sea coast, and lost it soon afterwards to Nicea.  Alexios became first Grand Comnenus and [[emperor]] and held Trebizond against foes, even after Sinope and much of Paphlagonia were lost.  His empire clung to the south-eastern corner of the Black Sea, and survived by playing off foes one against another, and by the [[marriage]] of Comnenus daughters into local power bases, to obtain and maintain defensive alliances.

The Empire was less one of conquest and more one of trade -- it was a [[Christian]] outpost on the edge of the [[Muslim]] and barbarian worlds, and to and through it came [[merchants]] from East and West.  It was also the last remainder of the [[Greece|Hellenic]] civilization which stretched back to the Classical period.

The Empire lasted until 1461CE -- the last emperor, David, misplayed his hand, and sought to put together an offensive alliance against the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]].  The Ottoman Emperor, [[Mehmed II]] sent an [[army]] to take the city, and on 15 August Trebizon fell.

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==List of Emperors==
*[[Alexius I]] Comnenus (1204-1222) 
*Andronicus I Gidus Comnenus (1222-1235) 
*John I Axuch Comnenus (1235-1238) 
*Manuel I Comnenus (1238-1263) 
*Andronicus II Comnenus (1263-1266) 
*George Comnenus (1266-1280) 
*John II Comnenus (1280-1297) 
*Alexius II Comnenus (1297-1330) 
*Andronicus III Comnenus (1330-1332) 
*Manuel II Comnenus (1332) 
*Basil Comnenus (1332-1340) 
*Irene Palaeologina (1340-1341) 
*Anna Comnena (1341) 
*Michael Comnenus (1341) 
*Anna Comnena (restored, 1341-1342) 
*John III Comnenus (1342-1344) 
*Michael Comnenus (restored, 1344-1349) 
*Alexius III Comnenus (1349-1390) 
*Manuel III Comnenus (1390-1416) 
*Alexius IV Comnenus (1416-1429) 
*John IV Comnenus (1429-1459) 
*David Comnenus (1459-1461)

[[Category:Cities (medieval)]]