David of Trebizond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Megas Komnenos
Emperor and Autocrat of all the East and Perateia
David Megas Komnenos, as depicted in a modern religious icon
Emperor of Trebizond
Reign	April 1460 – 15 August 1461
Predecessor	Alexios V
Successor	None, Fall of Trebizond
Born	c. 1408
Died	1 November 1463(1463-11-01) (aged 54–55) Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey)
Spouse	Maria of Gothia Helena Kantakouzene
Issue	Basil Megas Komnenos Manuel Megas Komnenos Anna Megale Komnene George Megas Komnenos 1 other daughter
Dynasty	Komnenos
Father	Alexios IV Megas Komnenos
Mother	Theodora Kantakouzene

David Megas Komnenos (born around 1408 – died November 1, 1463) was the very last Emperor of the Empire of Trebizond. He ruled for a short time, from 1460 to 1461.

David was the third son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond. After the fall of Trebizond to the powerful Ottoman Empire, he and his family were captured. They were taken to the Ottoman capital, Constantinople. Sadly, David, his sons, and his nephew were killed there in 1463.

In July 2013, David and his family members were recognized as saints. This was done by the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Their special day is November 1st, the day they died.

David Becomes Emperor

David was very important during the rule of his older brother, John IV of Trebizond. He was given the special title of despotes. This title usually meant he was next in line for the throne.

David helped his brother in battles against the Genoese. He also worked on important diplomatic missions. For example, in 1458, he helped confirm a peace treaty. This treaty was between his brother and the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.

David became emperor in April 1460, after his brother John IV passed away. John IV had wanted his nephew, Alexios V, to be the next emperor. However, Alexios was still very young. David, with support from powerful families, took the throne for himself.

Facing the Ottoman Threat

The Ottoman Turks had captured Constantinople in 1453. This made the Ottoman Empire much stronger. It also made the small Empire of Trebizond feel much more threatened.

David's brother, John IV, had spent years building alliances. He wanted to protect Trebizond. He made friends with Georgian princes and Uzun Hassan of the Ak Koyunlu. David hoped these allies would help him too. Even Muslim rulers from nearby areas seemed to be on their side.

Around October 1460, a man named Ludovico da Bologna visited Emperor Frederick III. He brought people who claimed to be ambassadors from Persia and Georgia. They said many Eastern rulers wanted to join forces against the Ottomans.

Later, another ambassador joined them in Florence, Italy. This was Michael Alighieri, who said he represented Emperor David. Florence was interested in trading in the East. Alighieri helped arrange a trade agreement between Florence and Trebizond. This agreement allowed Florence to have a trading post in Trebizond.

David hoped for help from Western Europe against the Ottomans. But this support was not yet strong. David then made a big mistake. He asked the Sultan to stop the yearly payments (tribute) that Trebizond had been making. He sent this message through Uzun Hassan's messengers. These messengers also made very demanding requests for their own ruler.

Sultan Mehmed II was not pleased. He told them they would get his answer later. His answer came the next summer. A large Ottoman fleet sailed towards Trebizond. At the same time, Sultan Mehmed led his army from Bursa towards the city.

The Fall of Trebizond

Mehmed II first captured the city of Sinope. Then, he sent his fleet to Trebizond. He led his army against Uzun Hassan. Uzun Hassan's mother, Sara Khatun, went to Mehmed's camp. She brought expensive gifts to ask for peace.

She managed to make peace for her son. But she could not save Trebizond. Mehmed II marched his army to Trebizond. His fleet had already arrived in July. They defeated David's army and attacked the city's outer areas. The city was under siege for over a month.

The Ottoman commander, Mahmud Pasha Angelovic, started talking with David. David's advisor, George Amiroutzes, told the emperor to surrender. When Mehmed II arrived in August, he allowed the talks to continue. David was convinced to surrender. He was promised that he and his family would be safe. He was also promised a comfortable life in Thrace.

David surrendered on August 15, 1461. This day marked the end of the Empire of Trebizond. It also ended a long tradition of Byzantine emperors. David and his family were taken to Constantinople. The people of Trebizond were divided. Some served the Sultan, some moved to Constantinople, and others stayed in the city's outskirts.

After the Fall

David and his family settled in Adrianople. They received a large income from lands there. However, David was a descendant of the Komnenoi family. This family had ruled the Byzantine Empire for centuries. He was a powerful symbol of the old empire. Sultan Mehmed saw him as a possible leader for any Greek resistance. So, Mehmed looked for a reason to get rid of him.

Less than two years later, an excuse appeared. David's niece, Theodora, supposedly wrote letters to him. She asked him to send one of his sons or his nephew Alexios to live with her. George Amiroutzes, David's former advisor, found these letters. He gave them to Sultan Mehmed, fearing for his own safety. Some say the letters might have been fake, made by the Sultan's orders.

Regardless, Mehmed ordered David, his three sons (Basil, Manuel, and Georgios), and his nephew Alexios to be arrested. They were imprisoned on March 26, 1463. They were taken to Constantinople. On November 1, 1463, David and his sons and nephew were killed.

Other family members also faced difficulties. David's daughter, Anna, was taken to the Sultan's palace. She later married Zaganos Pasha. Some stories say she was killed for not changing her religion. Others say she remarried after her husband died or they divorced.

David's youngest son, George, was raised as a Muslim. But he later visited his sister in Georgia. There, he returned to Christianity and married a Georgian princess.

Veneration

Family Tree

David had no children with his first wife, Maria of Gothia. With his second wife, Helena Kantakouzene, he had:

• Basil, who was killed in 1463.
• Manuel, who was killed in 1463.
• Anna (born 1447), who was part of the Sultan's household. She later married Zagan Pasha.
• George (born 1460), who survived.
• A daughter (name unknown), who likely married Mamia Gurieli.

See also

• Demetrio Stefanopoli