Theodora Kantakouzene

Theodora Kantakouzene (c. 1340 – after 1390) was the Empress consort of Alexios III of Trebizond.

Family

Theodora is considered a daughter of Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, sebastokratōr. According to the chronicle of their kinsman John VI Kantakouzenos, Nikephoros was imprisoned by orders of Alexios Apokaukos, one of the main advisors of Anna of Savoy in the civil war against John VI, in 1341. Nikephoros was later released and recorded being the governor of Adrianople in the 1350s. The identity of her mother is unknown. ^[1]

The available Latin translations of the chronicle mention Nikephoros as a Patruelis of John VI, a paternal first cousin. Assuming this was not an error in translation, Theodora's paternal grandfather would be a sibling of Michael Kantakouzenos. ^[2]

Marriage

On 28 September 1351, Theodora married Alexios III of Trebizond. According to Trebizond: The Last Greek Empire of the Byzantine Era (1926) by William Miller, the marriage took place in newly rebuilt Church of St. Eugenios. Miller considered the marriage to be the result of an alliance between John VI and Alexios III. Her new husband was about a week short of his thirteenth birthday. Theodora is considered likely to have been of an equivalent age, born in about 1340. ^[3]

They would have six children. The maternity of the daughters has been questioned because of their marriage to non-Christian rulers, a practice typically followed by illegitimate daughters of emperors such as Maria Palaiologina. However they are not mentioned as illegitimates in available sources. ^[4]:

• Anna of Trebizond (6 April 1357 – after 1406). Married Bagrat V of Georgia as his second wife. The "Georgian Chronicle" of the 18th century indicates she was the mother of Bagrat V's youngest son, Constantine I of Georgia. ^[5]
• Basil of Trebizond (17 September 1358 – c. 1377). Eldest son, died young.
• Manuel III of Trebizond (16 December 1364 – 5 March 1417).
• Eudokia of Trebizond. Married first Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop, also Emir of Limnia. The marriage took place on 8 October 1379. Tadjeddin was killed in battle against his uncle Haji Omar in 1386. ^[6] George Sphrantzes indicates she had children by her first husband but does not name them. Eudokia then married Constantine Dragaš, a regional semi-independent lord in the fragmenting realm of the former Serbian Empire, his own realm centered at Velbăžd (Kyustendil). In 1395, together with his neighbor and ally, the Serbian king of Prilep Marko, Constantine Dragaš was killed fighting for their Ottoman overlord Sultan Bayezid I against Mircea cel Bătrân of Wallachia at Rovine, near Craiova. Eudokia had no known children by her second marriage. Her stepchildren by Constantine included Helena Dragaš. ^[7]
• Maria of Trebizond. Married Suleyman Beg, Emir of Chalybia. He was a son of Haji Omar and cousin of Tadjeddin Pasha.
• An unnamed daughter. Married Mutahharten, Emir of Erzindjan.

Alexios III had at least one illegitimate son, Andronikos of Trebizond. He was betrothed or married to Gulkhan Khatun, a daughter of David IX of Georgia. This illegitimate was assassinated on 14 March 1376. ^[8]

Alexios died on 20 March 1390. Theodora survived him, retiring to a monastery Constantinople. Her monastic name was Theodosia. There is no further mention of her. ^[9]

References