George Emperor Trebizond The sixth Emperor of Trebizond in 1266-1280 Date of Birth: 01.01.1255 Country: Operator

1. Emperor George of Trebizond
2. Anti-Aristocratic Policies and Alliances
3. Imprisonment and Loss of Power
4. Release and Return Attempt

Emperor George of Trebizond

George was the eldest son of Trapezuntine Emperor Manuel I and his third wife, Irene Syrikaina, a Trapezuntine noblewoman. Historian Michel Kuršanskis suggests that Manuel's embassy to King Louis IX of France at Sidon in 1253 implied his desire to marry a French princess, indicating that Manuel was a widower at that time. Kuršanskis convincingly argues that Manuel's marriage to Irene Syrikaina occurred after this date, placing George no older than 13 at his accession. It is likely that he was assisted by a regency during the first few years of his reign.

Anti-Aristocratic Policies and Alliances

George succeeded his elder brother, Emperor Andronikos II, in 1266. During his rule, he pursued an anti-aristocratic policy. He formed alliances with Charles of Anjou and the opponents of the union in Byzantium against Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. George also declined to provide military assistance to the Mongol ruler of Iran, Ilkhan Abaqa, in his campaign against the Mamluks of Egypt.

Imprisonment and Loss of Power

George's actions led to his downfall in 1280. He was "treacherously captured by his entourage on Mount Tavresion in June." The location of Mount Tavresion is uncertain, with theories linking it to the Taurus Mountains or Mount Taroutza in eastern Anatolia. Historian Anthony Bryer believes Tavresion was a corruption of Tabriz.

Historians George Finlay and William Miller interpreted this as a capture in battle, while Bryer suggests that George was betrayed by his archons and delivered to Abaqa on a mountain near Tabriz in the summer of 1280. The Mongols, allied with Byzantium, imprisoned George and his younger brother, John II, took the Trapezuntine throne.

Release and Return Attempt

George was released in 1282 after Abaqa's death and sought refuge with his brother-in-law, King Demetrius II of Kartli. In 1284, he attempted to regain his throne, launching an invasion of Trebizond from Georgia. However, his forces were defeated, and George fled, hiding in the mountains until his eventual capture. His ultimate fate remains unknown.