Basil of Trebizond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basil Megas Komnenos |
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| Emperor and Autocrat of all the East and Perateia | |
Silver asper depicting Basil Megas Komnenos on horseback
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| Emperor of Trebizond | |
| Reign | September 1332 – 6 April 1340 |
| Predecessor | Manuel II |
| Successor | Irene |
| Died | 6 April 1340 |
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| Dynasty | Komnenos |
| Father | Alexios II Megas Komnenos |
| Mother | Djiadjak Jaqeli |
Basil Megas Komnenos (Medieval Greek: Βασίλειος Μέγας Κομνηνός) was an important ruler of the Empire of Trebizond. He was the Emperor from August 1332 until his death in 1340. During his time, Trebizond was going through a difficult period of internal conflict. Even though Basil's rule brought some calm, some of the problems started because of his personal relationships.
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The Early Life of Emperor Basil
Basil was a younger son of Alexios II of Trebizond, who was also an Emperor, and his wife Djiadjak Jaqeli. When his older brother, Andronikos III of Trebizond, became Emperor in 1330, he sadly caused the deaths of his two brothers, Michael and George. Luckily for Basil, he was in Constantinople at the time. This meant he was safe from the danger his brothers faced.
Becoming Emperor of Trebizond
After Andronikos III passed away, his very young son, Manuel II of Trebizond, became the next Emperor. However, people invited Basil to come back from Constantinople and take the throne instead. Manuel was removed from power in August 1332 and sent to live in a monastery.
Basil then removed many people who supported his brother and nephew from the court. This included important officials like Lekes Tzatzintzaios and his son Tzambas. But the new official Basil chose, John the Eunuch of Limnia, started a rebellion. He wanted Manuel to be Emperor again. This rebellion was stopped. To prevent more trouble, the young Manuel was killed in 1333, likely on Basil's orders.
Challenges During Basil's Rule
Even with Basil back in charge, the disagreements and fighting between different groups continued. Historian George Finlay wrote that the powerful officials and nobles had become too strong. They acted like small rulers, causing chaos in the countryside.
The Scholarioi, who were the city's local soldiers, became very disobedient. Basil had to hire soldiers from other countries to protect himself. However, these foreign soldiers became arrogant and caused problems. This made both them and Emperor Basil unpopular with the people of the city. One time, when a solar eclipse happened, people thought it was a sign of bad luck from above. They were so angry that they tried to throw stones at the Emperor. Basil had to hide in the city's fortress for safety.
Basil's Marriages and Family Life
On September 17, 1334, Basil made an important alliance with the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos. He married Andronikos's daughter, Irene Palaiologina of Trebizond.
However, the relationship between Basil and Irene soon became difficult. Basil then had another partner, also named Irene, and they had four children together. It's not clear if Basil officially divorced his first wife. There was a letter from the leader of the church in Constantinople, Patriarch John XIV of Constantinople, to the church leader in Trebizond. In this letter, the Patriarch told the local clergy off for allowing things to happen that went against church rules. He ordered them to fix the situation. The local clergy, however, pretended that they were still honoring the official Empress Irene in their church services.
Defending Trebizond
The difficult situation in the capital city was noticed by the Turkmen leader Sheikh Hassan. He attacked Trebizond on July 5, 1335. The fighting was fierce, happening near the wall of Saint Kerykios and on Mount Minthrion. But a sudden rainstorm helped the people of Trebizond. It allowed them to defeat the attackers and make them retreat.
Basil passed away on April 6, 1340. It seems he was poisoned by his official wife, Irene Palaiologina of Trebizond. She then quickly took control of the throne.
Basil's Children
Basil had children with his second partner, Irene of Trebizond. They were:
- Alexios (born 1337, died around 1349)
- John, who later became Alexios III of Trebizond (born 1338, died 1390)
- Maria, who married Fahreddin Kutlug beg, a leader of the Aq Qoyunlu in 1352.
- Theodora, who married Hajji Amir, a leader from Chalybia, in 1358.
Basil also likely had a daughter with Irene Palaiologina of Trebizond (his first wife):
- Helena (died 1366), who was the first wife of Bagrat V of Georgia.
