Basil of Trebizond

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basil Megas Komnenos (Greek: Βασίλειος Μέγας Κομνηνός, Basileios Megas Komnēnos), (died April 6, 1340), Emperor of Trebizond from August 1332 to his death in 1340. Basil was a younger son of Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond and his wife Djidjak Jaqeli. When his elder brother Andronikos III assumed the throne in 1330 and killed two of his brothers (Michael and George), Basil managed to escape to Constantinople.

After the death of Andronikos III, during the reign of his infant son, Manuel II, the pro-Byzantine party at Trebizond called Basil from Constantinople to take the throne. In August 1332 Manuel was deposed and intended for a monastery, while Basil was crowned emperor. Basil purged the court from his brother and nephew's supporters, but his new appointment of a megas doux, a certain John, revolted in favor of the deposed Manuel. The revolt was crushed and to prevent further trouble the child was murdered in 1333, probably on Basil's order.

Instead of ending the factional strife, he actually encouraged it. Nobles throughout the Empire began to act as little princes, lording over their own estates, rapidly reducing the countryside to anarchy, while Basil himself continued apace making himself hated. The Scholarioi, the militia of capital, became so disaffected that he had to hire foreign bodyguards to protect his person, who rapidly made themselves and their master hated for their arrogance and corruption. Such was his unpopularity with the people of the city that he was even driven to flee to the city's citadel for his life on one occasion.

In 1335 Basil formed a marriage alliance with the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos, whose illegitimate daughter Irene he married. Shortly afterwards relations between the two rapidly deteriorated. Basil took a mistress also named Irene, by whom he fathered four illegitimate children. Eventually he decided to divorce his wife and marry the mistress. In July 1339 the Emperor decreed that they are to be divorced on the grounds of consanguinity and then forced clergy of Trebizond to acknowledge it by marrying him and his mistress.

This resulted in vigorous protests by Patriarch John XIV of Constantinople, who excommunicated the second Irene and threatened to excommunicate the metropolitan archbishop of Trebizond who had tolerated Basil's behavior. Since both of Basil's wives were named Irene, the local clergy contented themselves with the pretence that they were actually honoring the legitimate empress in their services.

The uneasy situation at the capital was exploited by the Turkmen, who attacked Trebizond but were repulsed. Nevertheless, a solar eclipse was attributed by the people to the emperor's wickedness, and the crowdd pelted him with stones.

Basil died on April 6, 1340, apparently poisoned by his legitimate wife, Irene Palaiologina, who quickly seized the throne.

The children of Basil and his second wife, Irene of Trebizond, were: