Gregorios Taronites (Dux of Chaldia)

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Gregorios Taronites ( Middle Greek Γρηγόριος Ταρωνίτης ; † after 1107) was a Byzantine military commander of Armenian descent who revolted against Emperor Alexios I in Trebizond in 1103 .

Life

Gregorios Taronites was a nephew of Panhypersebastus Michael Taronites , who was married to Maria Komnena , a sister of Emperor Alexios I. Some researchers (including Karl Hopf , Claude Cahen ) identified him with Gregorios Gabras , a son of Theodoros Gabras , who had ruled the subject of Chaldia de facto independently of Constantinople until his death in 1099 . However, it is unlikely that Anna Komnena , whose Alexiad is the main source for this period, confused or confused these two related persons.

From a series of letters from Archbishop Theophylact of Ohrid it emerges that Gregorios Taronites must first have served as a civil servant in the Balkans before he was sent on a military mission to Pontos around 1101/1103 . There he is to both the Seljuks also known as Franks triumphed, the latter probably a reference to his role in triggering Bohemund of Antioch , who since the defeat at the Battle of Melitene (1100) from Danishmends - Emir Danishmend Gazi three years in Neokaisareia had been detained.

After returning to Constantinople, Gregorios Taronites was appointed Dux of Chaldia by Alexios I. On his arrival in Trebizond, however, he decided to revolt, took his predecessor Dabatenus prisoner and had various notables in the city arrested. Alexios I initially tried to amicably persuade the rebel to give in, but the latter returned the offer of peace with abusive poems against the emperor, his family and court . Thereupon Alexios sent an army against Gregorios in 1105, which was commanded by his cousin Johannes Taronites . The rebel marched with his troops inland to Koloneia to win the Danischmenden of Sebasteia for a fighting alliance, but Johannes got ahead of him and took him prisoner.

Thanks to Johannes' intercession, Gregorios Taronites escaped the usual punishment of blinding for high treason . Alexios I left it at that, shearing the rebels and showing them in a shameful procession in Constantinople, only to have him incarcerated in the tower of Anemas at the Blachernen Palace . After some time, Nikephoros Bryennios obtained a pardon from his father-in-law's friend, Gregorios.

It is uncertain whether Gregorios Taronites is identical to the Protovestiarios of the same name , who held this high ministerial office under Alexios' I son and successor John II .

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literature

  • Anthony AM Bryer: The Empire of Trebizond and the Pontos. Variorum Reprints, London 1980, ISBN 978-0-86-078062-5 , pp. 175-176.
  • Jean-Claude Cheynet: Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance (963-1210) (= Publications de la Sorbonne. Series Byzantina Sorbonensia. Vol. 9). Reimpression. Publications de la Sorbonne Center de Recherches d'Histoire et de Civilization Byzantines, Paris 1996, ISBN 2-85944-168-5 , p. 101 No. 131.
  • Alexander P. Kazhdan (Ed.): The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium . Oxford University Press, New York NY 1991, ISBN 0-19-504652-8 , pp. 2012-2013.
  • Basile Skoulatos: Les Personnages Byzantins de l'Alexiade. Analysis Prosopographique et Synthèse (= Recueil de Travaux d'Histoire et de Philologie. Sér. 6, Vol. 20, ZDB -ID 437846-5 ). Nauwelaerts, Louvain-la-Neuve 1980, pp. 116-118, No. 79 (also: Louvain, Universität, Dissertation, 1978).

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ See Bryer, Empire , p. 175.
  2. ↑ See Skoulatos, Personnages , p. 108.
  3. ↑ See Bryer, Empire , p. 176; Skoulatos, Personnages , p. 116.
personal data
SURNAME Gregorios Taronites
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gregor Taronites; Γρηγόριος Ταρωνίτης (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Byzantine Dux of Chaldia and rebel against Emperor Alexios I.
DATE OF BIRTH 11th century
DATE OF DEATH after 1107