Tarchaneiotes ( el, Ταρχανειώτης), feminine form Tarchaneiotissa (Ταρχανειώτισσα), also attested in the variant forms Trachaneiotes, Trachaniates, Tarchoniates, was the name of a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

aristocratic family from Adrianople, active from the late 10th to the 14th century, mostly as military commanders. From the 15th century on some of its members were active in Italy, while a branch of the family migrated to Russia, where their name was russified to Trakhaniot (Траханиот). They are attested until the 17th century. The origin of the family is unknown. It has been suggested that their name derives from the village of Tarchaneion in

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

, but alternatives have also been suggested, such a derivation from Mongol ''targan'', "smith", suggested by

Gyula Moravcsik Gyula (Julius) Moravcsik (Budapest, 29 January 1892 – Budapest, 10 December 1972), who usually wrote just as Gy. Moravcsik, was a Hungarian professor of Greek philology and Byzantine history who in 1967 was awarded the Pour le Mérite for Science ...

, or the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

origin ascribed to them by

Claude Cahen Claude Cahen (26 February 1909 – 18 November 1991) was a 20th-century French Marxist orientalist and historian. He specialized in the studies of the Islamic Middle Ages, Muslim sources about the Crusades, and social history of the medieval Isla ...

. No hypothesis can be conclusively proven. The family first appear with Gregory Tarchaneiotes,

catepan of Italy The Catepanate (or Catapanate) of Italy ( el, ''Katepaníkion Italías'') was a province of the Byzantine Empire from 965 until 1071. At its greatest extent, it comprised mainland Italy south of a line drawn from Monte Gargano to the Gulf of Sa ...

in 998–1006. Other members of the family occupied high military posts in the course of the 11th century. In the conflict between the

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

n military aristocracy and the

Constantinopolitan la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

civil bureaucracy, the Tarchaneiotai sided with the latter. As a result, they were distrusted by the

Komnenoi Komnenos ( gr, Κομνηνός; Latinized Comnenus; plural Komnenoi or Comneni (Κομνηνοί, )) was a Byzantine Greek noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185, and later, as the Grand Komnenoi (Μεγαλοκομνην� ...

after 1081 and lost in prominence in the 12th century. They regained their position in the Empire of Nicaea, where

Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes ( el, Νικηφόρος Ταρχανειώτης) was a 13th-century Byzantine aristocrat and general. Biography Nikephoros Tarchaneiotes was a scion of the Tarchaneiotes family, who were prominent members of the Byzantin ...

long served as

grand domestic The title of grand domestic ( grc-gre, μέγας δομέστικος, ''mégas doméstikos'') was given in the 11th–15th centuries to the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army, directly below the Byzantine Emperor. It evolved from the earl ...

(commander-in-chief of the army). He and his sons became closely connected to the

Palaiologos The House of Palaiologos ( Palaiologoi; grc-gre, Παλαιολόγος, pl. , female version Palaiologina; grc-gre, Παλαιολογίνα), also found in English-language literature as Palaeologus or Palaeologue, was a Byzantine Greek f ...

dynasty through ties of marriage.

Notable members

* Gregory Tarchaneiotes, first

in 998–1006 * Basil Tarchaneiotes, ''

stratelates ''Stratēlatēs'' ( el, στρατηλάτης, "driver/leader of the army") was a Greek term designating a general, which also became an honorary dignity in the Byzantine Empire. In the former sense, it was often applied to military saints, such ...

'' of the West in ca. 1057 * Joseph Tarchaneiotes (died 1074), general who played a dubious role in the Battle of Manzikert, later '' doux'' of

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...

John Tarchaneiotes John Tarchaneiotes ( el, Ἰωάννης Ταρχανειώτης, Iōannēs Tarchaneiōtēs; ) was a Byzantine Empire, Byzantine aristocrat and general under Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (). Although related by blood to the Palaiologos dynast ...

, '' protos'' of the monastic community of Mount Athos in the early 12th century *

(died before 1266), ''

'' of the Empire of Nicaea, married to Maria, the sister of

Michael VIII Palaiologos Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Δούκας Ἄγγελος Κομνηνὸς Παλαιολόγος, Mikhaēl Doukas Angelos Komnēnos Palaiologos; 1224 – 11 December 1282) reigned as the co-emperor of the Empire ...

(r. 1259–1282) ** Andronikos Tarchaneiotes, son of Nikephoros, ''

megas konostaulos ''Konostaulos'' or ''konostablos'' ("constable", in Greek variously ), later corrupted to ''kontostaulos''/''kontostablos'' (κοντόσταυλος), was a late Byzantine title, adopted from the Normans. The derivative dignity of ''megas konostaul ...

'' **

, son of Nikephoros, leader of the Arsenites and general **

Michael Tarchaneiotes Michael Palaiologos Tarchaneiotes ( el, Μιχαήλ Παλαιολόγος Ταρχανειώτης) was a Byzantine aristocrat and general, active against the Turks in Asia Minor and against the Angevins in the Balkans from 1278 until his death ...

(died 1284), son of Nikephoros, ''

'' from 1278 until his death, defeated the Angevins at

Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...

Michael Doukas Glabas Tarchaneiotes Michael Doukas Glabas Tarchaneiotes or Michael Tarchaneiotes Glabas ( el, ; – after 1304) was a notable Byzantine aristocrat and general. He served under emperors Michael VIII Palaiologos and Andronikos II Palaiologos in the Balkans, fighting ...

(ca. 1235 – after 1304), ''

protostrator ''Prōtostratōr'' ( el, πρωτοστράτωρ) was a Byzantine court office, originating as the imperial stable master. Its proximity to the imperial person led to a highly visible role in imperial ceremonies, and served as a springboard for ...

'' and one of the most distinguished Byzantine generals of the late 13th century ** Tarchaneiotissa, whose first name is not known, spouse of

Andronikos Asen Andronikos Asen (? - 1322?) was the ''epitropos'' ("steward, overseer") of the Byzantine province of the Morea between 1316 and 1322. Life Andronikos Asen was the son of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen III and Irene, who was the sister of Byzantine e ...

, daughter of Glabas and his wife Maria Doukaina Komnene Palaiologina Branaina and great-great-grandmother of Byzantine emperors

John VIII Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Ἰωάννης Παλαιολόγος, Iōánnēs Palaiológos; 18 December 1392 – 31 October 1448) was the penultimate Byzantine emperor, ruling from 1425 to 1448. Biography John VIII was ...

and Constantine XI Palaiologos * Constantine Tarchaneiotes, admiral in 1352 *

Michael Tarchaniota Marullus Michael Tarchaniota Marullus ( el, Μιχαήλ Μάρουλλος Ταρχανειώτης; it, Michele Marullo Tarcaniota; c. 1458 – 10 April 1500) was a Greek Renaissance scholar, poet of Neo-Latin, humanist and soldier. Life Michael Tarc ...

(c. 1458–1500), Renaissance scholar in Italy * Yuri Trakhaniot, Muscovite ambassador to Milan in 1486

References

Sources

* * {{cite web , last = Vougiouklaki , first = Penelope , title = Tarchaneiotes family , work = Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor , publisher = Foundation of the Hellenic World , url = http://www.ehw.gr/l.aspx?id=9245 , year = 2003 , accessdate = 26 September 2012