Manuel II Megas Komnenos (
Greek
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Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: Μανουήλ Μέγας Κομνηνός, ''Manouēl Megas Komnēnos'') (c. 1324–1333) was
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of
Trebizond for eight months in 1332. Manuel was the son of Emperor
Andronikos III, whom he succeeded at the age of eight in January 1332.
[ William Miller, ''Trebizond: The last Greek Empire of the Byzantine Era: 1204-1461'', 1926 (Chicago: Argonaut, 1969), p. 43]
Biography
The primary source for Manuel's reign, the chronicle of
Michael Panaretos Michael Panaretos ( el, ) (c. 1320 – c. 1390) was an official of the Trapezuntine empire and a Greek historian. His sole surviving work is a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors. This chronicle not only pr ...
, strikingly omits many facts about Manuel or his reign, despite that both occurred during living memory of Panaretos' writing. No information is provided about his mother, who conceivably could have acted as regent, nor even if there was a regency. All Panaretos tells us about his short reign is that
Bayram Beg, the
Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
of
Chalybia
The Chalybes ( grc, Χάλυβες/Χάλυβοι, ka, ხალიბები, Khalibebi) and Chaldoi ( grc, Χάλδοι, ) were peoples mentioned by classical authors as living in Pontus and Cappadocia in northern Anatolia during Classical ...
, invaded Manuel's territory with his
Turkmen, penetrating as far as Asomatos, where the Trapezuntine army defeated them on 30 August 1332, inflicting many casualties and capturing many of their horses.
According to William Miller, the crimes of his father had shocked the people to such a point that they had divided into rival factions: one based on the capital, which he describes as "the Byzantine party"; the other on the countryside, which he describes as "representing the original Pontic aristocracy". The Byzantine party invited Manuel's uncle
Basil
Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also k ...
to return to Trebizond from
Constantinople
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 ( ...
and to take over the government. Basil reached Trebizond 22 September 1332; Manuel was deposed after a reign of eight months and imprisoned. The ''
megas doux'' Lekes Tzatzintaion, his wife Syrikaina, and their son Tzambas, the ''
megas domestikos
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 ...
'', who were presumably Manuel's supporters, were executed. However, an unsuccessful revolt led by the ''megas doux''
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
in February 1333 prompted his uncle Basil to order Manuel's execution.
Manuel's execution was unusual for many reasons. Of the four Emperors deposed during the existence of the Empire of Trebizond, Manuel was the only one to be killed after being removed from power; in the other three cases, it was sufficient that the former ruler be exiled.
[These other three Emperors being George Komnenos, Michael Megas Komnenos, and John III Megas Komnenos.] Further, during the existence of the Byzantine Empire execution of underage rivals for the Imperial throne was rare; even the ruthless
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 ...
was satisfied with merely blinding the deposed and imprisoned
John IV Laskaris
John IV Doukas Laskaris (or Ducas Lascaris) ( el, Ἰωάννης Δούκας Λάσκαρις, ''Iōannēs Doukas Laskaris'') (December 25, 1250 – c. 1305) was emperor of Nicaea from August 16, 1258, to December 25, 1261. This empire was one ...
, who was about Manuel's age. That Manuel's father Andronikos III killed Manuel's two uncles may have influenced Basil's decision to order Manuel's death.
References
External links
Vougiouklaki Penelope, "Manuel II Grand Komnenos" ''Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World: Asia Minor''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manuel 02 Of Trebizond
1324 births
1333 deaths
14th-century emperors of Trebizond
Grand Komnenos dynasty
Rulers deposed as children
Medieval child rulers
Eastern Orthodox monarchs