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63-600: The 11th-century Byzantine historian Michael Psellos reported that the Komnenos family originated from the village of Komne in Thrace —usually identified with the "Fields of Komnene" ( Κομνηνῆς λειμῶνας ) mentioned in the 14th century by John Kantakouzenos —a view commonly accepted by modern scholarship. The first known member of the family, Manuel Erotikos Komnenos , acquired extensive estates at Kastamon in Paphlagonia , which became

126-410: A conspiracy against him by his sister, the chronicler Anna Komnene . John's son Manuel ruled for another 37 years. The Komnenos dynasty produced a number of branches. As imperial succession was not in a determined order but rather depended on personal power and the wishes of one's predecessor, within a few generations several relatives were able to present themselves as claimants. After Manuel I's reign

189-399: A coup against Michael and was proclaimed emperor. Although his reign lasted only until 1059, when his courtiers pressured him to abdicate and become a monk, Isaac initiated many useful reforms. The dynasty returned to the throne with the accession of Alexios I Komnenos , Isaac I's nephew, in 1081. By this time, descendants of all the previous dynasties of Byzantium seem to have disappeared from

252-634: A decisive victory over the Norman King of Sicily , William II , at the Battle of Demetritzes on 7 November 1185. William had invaded the Balkans with 80,000 men and 200 ships towards the end of Andronikos I's reign. Elsewhere Isaac's policy was less successful. In late 1185, he sent a fleet of 80 galleys to liberate his brother Alexius III from Acre , but the fleet was destroyed by the Normans of Sicily. He then sent

315-599: A fleet of 70 ships, but it failed to recover Cyprus from the rebellious noble Isaac Komnenos , thanks to Norman interference. This fleet was misinterpreted by many in the Holy Land as naval support for the Muslim offensive in accordance with Isaac's alliance with Saladin . However the theory of a supposed alliance between Isaac and Saladin against the Third Crusade has been discredited by modern research. Isaac's administration

378-585: A junior position at court as a secretary ( ὑπογραμματεύς ) in the imperial chancellery and began a rapid ascent at court. He became an influential political advisor to emperor Constantine IX Monomachos (reigned 1042–1055) and became the leading professor at the University of Constantinople , bearing the honorary title of "Chief of the Philosophers" ( ὕπατος τῶν φιλοσόφων hypatos tōn philosophōn ). Despite his eminence and prowess in learning, his knowledge of Latin

441-500: A letter to Psellos's brother comforting him on the death of his brother saying that, "Your brother has not died, but has departed to God released of both a painful life and disease". The Chronographia ( Greek : Χρονογραφία ), a history of the Byzantine emperors during the 100 years leading up to Psellos' own time, is probably Psellos' best known and most accessible work. It covers the reigns of 14 emperors and empresses, beginning with

504-602: A military expedition against Serbia . The Byzantine army was victorious in the battle at South Morava (autumn 1191), that led to the recovery of Niš and the consequent peace treaty. By 1196, Isaac II had allowed the once powerful Byzantine navy to decline to only 30 galleys. The next five years were disturbed by continued warfare with Bulgaria , against which Isaac led several expeditions in person. In spite of their promising start these ventures had little effect, and on one occasion in 1190 Isaac barely escaped with his life. The Byzantines suffered yet another major defeat in

567-481: A series of biographies from emperor Basil II to Nikephoros III , which serves as a valuable source on the history of the 11th century Byzantine Empire . The main sources of information about Psellos' life are his works, which contain extensive autobiographical passages. Michael Psellos was probably born in Constantinople . His family hailed from Nicomedia and, according to his own testimony, counted members of

630-533: A tradition linking them to Claudius Gothicus , the supposed grandfather of Constantine the Great . Many classical monuments dedicated to Claudius stood in the vicinity of Kastra Komnenon , which according to historian Maximilian C. G. Lau may have increased his appeal in the eyes of the Komnenoi. The 17th-century French scholar du Cange suggested that the family descended from a Roman noble family that followed Constantine

693-502: Is found on the necrology of Speyer Cathedral , where their daughter Irene is interred. The first wife of Isaac II is usually considered to be a Byzantine noblewoman of unknown name. In an Italian edition of the chronicle of Nicetas Choniates "Greatness and catastrophe of Byzantium" can be found an interesting note to the XIV Book. The names of Isaac II's first wife and eldest daughter, unknown from Byzantine sources, are found in an obituary in

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756-431: Is little reliable information about his later years. Some scholars believe that Psellos had to retreat into a monastery again at some time during the 1070s. Following a remark by Psellos' fellow historian Joannes Zonaras , it is believed by most scholars that Psellos died soon after the fall of Michael VII in 1078, although some scholars have also proposed later dates. What is known is that Theophylaktos of Bulgaria wrote

819-503: Is so fascinating that if you only read one book about Byzantium, by a Byzantine, that would be the one I’d choose". Psellos left many other writings: Psellos was universally educated and had a reputation for being one of the most learned men of his time. He prided himself on having single-handedly reintroduced to Byzantine scholarship a serious study of ancient philosophy, especially of Plato . His predilection for Plato and other pagan (often Neoplatonic ) philosophers led to doubts about

882-503: The Battle of Arcadiopolis in 1194. Isaac organized yet another offensive against Bulgaria in 1195 in cooperation with the Kingdom of Hungary, but Alexios Angelos , the Emperor's older brother, taking advantage of Isaac's absence from camp on a hunting expedition, proclaimed himself emperor and was readily recognised by the soldiers as Emperor Alexios III on 8 (or 9) April. Alexios then canceled

945-456: The Chronographia , transmitting highly critical and subversive messages about the emperors portrayed, or even about Byzantine Christian beliefs and morality at large. As mentioned above, serious questions were raised during Psellos' lifetime concerning his religious beliefs. For example, according to Byzantinist Anthony Kaldellis , "In 1054 he [Psellos] was accused by his erstwhile friend,

1008-496: The Despotate of Epirus in 1204, under Michael I Komnenos Doukas , great-grandson of Emperor Alexios I. This branch adopted the surnames Komnenos Doukas and are known as such in modern scholarship. Helena Doukaina Komnene, a child of that branch of the family, married Guy I de la Roche thereby uniting the Komnenos and the de la Roche houses, with Komnenos family members eventually becoming Dukes of Athens . One renegade member of

1071-660: The Fourth Crusade in 1204, by Alexios V Doukas , a relative from the Doukas family. Several weeks before the occupation of Constantinople by crusaders in 1204, one branch of the Komnenoi fled back to their homelands in Paphlagonia, along the eastern Black Sea and its hinterland in the Pontic Alps , where they established the Empire of Trebizond . Their first 'emperor', named Alexios I ,

1134-947: The Seljuk Turks , who had captured it just prior to Alexios' reign. Alexios also saw the First Crusade pass through Byzantine territory, leading to the establishment of the Crusader states in the east. The Komnenos dynasty was very much involved in crusader affairs, and also intermarried with the reigning families of the Principality of Antioch and the Kingdom of Jerusalem - Theodora Komnene , niece of Manuel I Komnenos , married Baldwin III of Jerusalem , and Maria , grandniece of Manuel, married Amalric I of Jerusalem . Remarkably, Alexios ruled for 37 years, and his son John II ruled for 25, after uncovering

1197-558: The Byzantine throne, establishing the Angelos family as the new imperial dynasty. His father Andronikos Doukas Angelos was a military leader in Asia Minor (c. 1122 – aft. 1185) who married Euphrosyne Kastamonitissa (c. 1125 – aft. 1195). Andronikos Doukas Angelos was the son of Constantine Angelos and Theodora Komnene (b. 15 January 1096/1097), the youngest daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina . Thus Isaac

1260-551: The Cathedral of Speyer, the pantheon of German kings. Here, the wife of Philip of Swabia is said to be the daughter of Isaac and Irene (there is reference to the following article: R. Hiestand, Die erste Ehe Isaaks II. Angelos und seine Kinder, in Jahrbuch der Osterreichischen Byzantinisk, XLVII 1997 pp. 199–208). This Irene could be identified with the daughter of George Paleologus Ducas Comnenus and wife Aspae, Bagratiid Princess of Ossetia;

1323-423: The Great to Constantinople , from whose cousin but although such mythical genealogies were common—and are attested for the closely related Doukas clan as well—the complete absence of any such assertion in the Byzantine sources argues against Du Cange's view. The Romanian historian George Murnu suggested in 1924 that the Komnenoi were of Aromanian descent, but this view too is now rejected. Modern scholars consider

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1386-602: The Komnenos dynasty also held the name of Axouchos as descendants of John Axouch , a Byzantine nobleman and minister to the Byzantine Komnenian Dynasty. A princess of the Trebizond branch is said to have been the mother of prince Yahya (born 1585), who reportedly became a Christian yet spent much of his life attempting to gain the Ottoman throne. Another branch of the family, descendants of Constantine Angelos , founded

1449-536: The Komnenos dynasty fell into conspiracies and plots like many of its predecessors (and the various contenders within the family sought power and often succeeded in overthrowing the preceding kinsman); Alexios II , the first Komnenos to ascend as a minor, ruled for three years and his conqueror and successor Andronikos I ruled for two, overthrown by the Angelos family under Isaac II who was dethroned and blinded by his own brother Alexios III. The Angeloi were overthrown during

1512-528: The almost 50-year-long reign of Basil II, the "Bulgar-Slayer" (976–1025), and ending some time during the reign of Michael VII Doukas (1071–1078). It is structured mainly as a series of biographies. Unlike most other historiographical works of the period, it emphasizes the description of characters rather than details of political and military events. It also includes extensive autobiographical elements about Psellos' political and intellectual development, and it gives far greater weight to those periods when Psellos

1575-713: The churches of his metropolis. In 1185, the Empire lost Lefkada , Kefallonia , and Zakynthos to the Normans . In the same year the Vlach–Bulgarian Empire was restored after the rebellion of the brothers Asen and Peter , thus losing Moesia and parts of Thrace and Macedonia. After that Cilicia was retaken by the Armenians , and Cyprus wrested from the empire by the Crusaders . Isaac II's first wife's name, Herina (i.e., Irene),

1638-564: The city of Philippopolis and defeated a Byzantine army of 3,000 men that attempted to recapture the city. The Byzantine troops managed to constantly and successfully harass the Crusaders but a group of Armenians revealed to the Germans the strategic plan of the Byzantines. The Crusaders, who outnumbered the Byzantines, caught them unprepared and defeated them. Thus compelled by force of arms, Isaac II

1701-499: The consular and patrician elite among its ancestors. His baptismal name was Constantine ; Michael was the monastic name he chose when he entered a monastery later in life. "Psellos" ('the stammerer') probably was a personal by-name referring to a speech defect. Michael Psellos was educated in Constantinople. At around the age of ten, he was sent to work outside the capital as a secretary of a provincial judge, to help his family raise

1764-600: The descendant and heir of the Emperors of Trebizond. Irene Angelina , daughter of Isaac II Angelos and thus a descendant of Alexios I Komnenos, married Philip of Swabia (1177–1208), the King of Germany . From this union many of the royal and aristocratic families of Western Europe can trace a line of descent. Michael Psellos Michael Psellos or Psellus ( Greek : Μιχαὴλ Ψελλός , romanized :  Michaḗl Psellós , Byzantine Greek : [mixaˈil pseˈlːos] )

1827-421: The dowry for his sister. When his sister died, he gave up that position and returned to Constantinople to resume his studies. While studying under John Mauropus , he met the later Patriarchs Constantine Leichoudes and John Xiphilinos , and the later emperor Constantine X Doukas . For some time, he worked in the provinces again, now a judge. Some time before 1042 he returned again to Constantinople, where he got

1890-762: The establishment of the Vlach-Bulgarian Empire under the Asen dynasty . In 1187 Alexios Branas , the victor over the Normans, was sent against the Bulgarians but turned his arms against his master and attempted to seize Constantinople, only to be defeated and slain by Isaac's brother-in-law Conrad of Montferrat. Also in 1187 an agreement was made with Venice , in which the Venetian Republic would provide between 40 and 100 galleys at six months' notice in exchange for favorable trading concessions. Because each Venetian galley

1953-406: The expedition and ordered Isaac to be blinded and imprisoned in Constantinople. In 1203, after eight years of captivity, Isaac II was raised from the dungeon to the throne once more after the arrival of the Fourth Crusade and the flight of Alexios III from the capital. Both his mind and body had been enfeebled by his blindness and confinement, and his son Alexios IV Angelos was associated on

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2016-450: The family to have been entirely of Greek origin. Manuel Erotikos Komnenos was the father of Isaac I Komnenos ( r.  1057–1059 ), and grandfather, through Isaac's younger brother John Komnenos , of Alexios I Komnenos ( r.  1081–1118 ). Isaac I Komnenos , a stratopedarch of the East under Michael VI , founded the Komnenos dynasty of Byzantine emperors . In 1057 Isaac led

2079-576: The family, also named Isaac Komnenos , established a separate "empire" on Cyprus in 1184, which lasted until 1191, when the island was taken from him by Richard I of England during the Third Crusade . His daughter, called the Damsel of Cyprus , married Thierry of Flanders during the Fourth Crusade and tried to claim the island. When the Byzantine Empire was restored in 1261 at Constantinople, it

2142-560: The final piece of the Viking trilogy . Isaac II Angelos Isaac II Angelos or Angelus ( Ancient Greek : Ἰσαάκιος Κομνηνός Ἄγγελος , romanized :  Isaákios Komnēnós Ángelos ; September 1156 – January 1204) was Byzantine Emperor from 1185 to 1195, and co-Emperor with his son Alexios IV Angelos from 1203 to 1204. In a 1185 revolt against the Emperor Andronikos Komnenos , Isaac seized power and rose to

2205-402: The future Patriarch John Xiphilinos, of forsaking Christ to follow Plato." Even stronger doubts arose concerning Psellos' student, John Italos , who succeeded Psellos as Chief of the Philosophers. Italos was publicly accused of teaching such "Hellenizing" ideas as metempsychosis and the eternity of the world . Italos faced such accusations twice, and both times he confessed and recanted. It

2268-457: The future success of the Angelos family by marrying into it: Theodora's grandsons became the emperors Isaac II Angelos (reigned 1185–1195 and 1203–1204) and Alexios III Angelos (reigned 1195–1203). Under Alexios I and his successors the Empire was fairly prosperous and stable. Alexios moved the imperial palace to the Blachernae section of Constantinople . Much of Anatolia was recovered from

2331-666: The gloss of Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's poem " The Rime of the Ancient Mariner ", there is a reference to "the Platonic Constantinopolitan, Michael Psellus" as an authority on "the invisible inhabitants of this planet, neither departed souls nor angels". The British poet Christopher Middleton includes a poem about Psellus in his 1986 collection, Two Horse Wagon Going By , "Mezzomephistophelean Scholion". Psellos appears also in Tim Severin 's novel Viking: King's Man ,

2394-402: The name in that context. It is now believed that the inclusion of the name Psellos in this chronicle was the mistake of an ignorant copyist at a later time, and that no "Michael Psellos the elder" existed. The term "Pseudo-Psellos" is also used in modern scholarship to describe the authorship of several later works that are believed to have been falsely ascribed to Psellos in Byzantine times. In

2457-491: The orthodoxy of his faith among some of his contemporaries, and at one point he was forced to make a public profession of faith in his defense. He also prided himself on being a master of rhetoric, combining the wisdom of the philosopher and the persuasiveness of the rhetorician. This made him the model of a political leader and advisor. Among modern commentators, Psellos' penchant for long autobiographical digressions in his works has earned him accusations of vanity and ambition. At

2520-522: The previous Doukas dynasty: Alexios I married Irene Doukaina , the grandniece of Constantine X Doukas, who had succeeded Isaac I in 1059. Thereafter the combined clan was often referred to as Komnenodoukai ([Κομνηνοδούκαι] Error: {{Transliteration}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) ) and several individuals used both surnames together. Several families descended from this wider clan, such as Palaiologos , Angelos , Vatatzes and Laskaris . Alexios and Irene's youngest daughter Theodora ensured

2583-399: The realm, such as the important Scleros and Argyros families. Descendants of those emperors lived abroad, having married into the royal families of Georgia , Russia , France , Persia , Italy , Germany , Poland , Bulgaria , Hungary and Serbia ; this made it easier for the Komnenos family to ascend to the throne. Upon their rise to the throne, the Komnenoi became intermarried with

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2646-487: The reign of Michael's father Constantine, and as he had played an important role in helping Michael gain power against his adversary and stepfather Romanos, Psellos probably entertained hopes of an even more influential position as a teacher and advisor under him. Michael seems to have been less inclined towards protecting Psellos and after the mid-1070s there is no more information about any role played by Psellos at court. As his autobiographic accounts cease at this point, there

2709-576: The revival of Byzantine classical studies , which would later influence the Italian Renaissance , as well as by interpreting Homeric literature and Platonic philosophy as precursors and integral components of Christian doctrine . His texts combined theology , philosophy, and psychology. Among his most famous works are his Commentary on Plato’s Teachings on the Origin of the Soul , and the Chronographia ,

2772-426: The same time, his political career and the contents of his Chronographia have led commentators to characterize him as obsequious and opportunistic, because of his ostensibly uncritical stance towards some of the emperors and because of the many shifts in his political loyalty over the course of his life . However, other commentators argue that there is a powerful ironic undercurrent running through his work, especially

2835-504: The son of this one, Andronicus Paleologus Comnenoducas is known as gambrox ( γαμβρός ) of Isaac II. Isaac's wife was possibly daughter of Andronikos I Komnenos, Byzantine Emperor (died 1185). A potential foreign origin is also given to her due to having the same name as her daughter, contrary to long-standing Greek custom. Their third child was born in 1182 or 1183 and she was dead or divorced by 1185, when Isaac remarried. Their children were: By his second wife, Margaret of Hungary (who took

2898-415: The stronghold of the family in the 11th century. The family thereby quickly became associated with the powerful and prestigious military aristocracy ( dynatoi ) of Asia Minor , so that despite coming from Thrace it came to be considered "eastern". Aside from deriving legitimacy as rulers from familial links to the prominent Doukai (emperors Constantine X and Michael VII in particular), they also had

2961-475: The throne as the effective monarch. Heavily beholden to the crusaders, Alexios IV was unable to meet his obligations and his vacillation caused him to lose the support of both his crusader allies and his subjects. At the end of January 1204 the influential court official Alexios Doukas Mourtzouphlos took advantage of riots in the capital to imprison Alexios IV and seize the throne as Alexios V. At this point Isaac II died, allegedly of shock, while Alexios IV

3024-477: Was a Byzantine Greek monk, savant, writer, philosopher, imperial courtier, historian and music theorist. He was born in 1017 or 1018, and is believed to have died in 1078, although it has also been maintained that he remained alive until 1096. He served as a high ranking courtier and advisor to several Byzantine emperors and was instrumental in the re-positioning of power of those emperors. Psellos has made lasting contributions to Byzantine culture by advocating for

3087-550: Was a member of the extended imperial clan of the Komnenoi . Niketas Choniates described Isaac's physical appearance: "He had a ruddy complexion and red hair, was of average height and robust in body". During the brief reign of Andronikos I Komnenos , Isaac was involved (alongside his father and brothers) in the revolt of Nicaea and Prousa . Atypically, the Emperor did not punish him for this disloyalty, and Isaac remained at Constantinople . On 11 September 1185, while Andronikos

3150-550: Was absent from the capital, his lieutenant Stephen Hagiochristophorites moved to arrest Isaac. Isaac killed Hagiochristophorites and took refuge in the church of Hagia Sophia . Andronikos was a capable ruler in some ways but was hated for his cruelty and his efforts to keep the aristocracy obedient. Isaac appealed to the populace, and a tumult arose that spread rapidly over the whole city. When Andronikos returned he found that he had lost popular support, and that Isaac had been proclaimed emperor. Andronikos attempted to flee by boat but

3213-465: Was active in politics, especially the reign of Constantine IX, giving the whole work almost the character of a political memoir. It is believed to have been written in two parts. The first covers the emperors up to Isaac I Komnenos . The second, which has a much more strongly apologetic tone, is in large parts an encomium on Psellus' protectors, the emperors of the Doukas dynasty. Byzantinist historian Judith Herrin said: "This book by Michael Psellus

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3276-453: Was apprehended. Isaac handed him over to the people of the city, and he was killed on 12 September 1185. Isaac II Angelos strengthened his position as emperor with dynastic marriages in 1185 and 1186. Isaac's sister Theodora was married to the Italian marquis Conrad of Montferrat . In January 1186, Isaac himself married Margaret of Hungary (renamed Maria), daughter of King Béla III . Hungary

3339-666: Was cloudy enough for him to confuse Cicero with Caesar . This is cited as a prime example of how the Eastern Roman Empire had lost nearly all of its connections to its Roman roots by the High Middle Ages. Towards the end of Monomachos' reign, Psellos found himself under political pressure for some reason and decided to leave court, entering the Olympus monastery on Mount Olympus in Bithynia in 1054. After Monomachos' death he

3402-432: Was dominated by two figures: his maternal uncle Theodore Kastamonites , who became virtually a co-emperor and handled all civil government until his death in 1193; and his replacement, Constantine Mesopotamites , who acquired even more influence over the emperor. The oppressiveness of his taxes, increased to pay his armies and finance his marriage, resulted in a Vlach-Bulgarian uprising late in 1185. The rebellion led to

3465-464: Was forced to fulfill his engagements in 1190, when he released imprisoned German emissaries who were held in Constantinople, and exchanged hostages with Barbarossa, as a guarantee that the crusaders would not sack local settlements until they departed the Byzantine territory. In March 1190, Barbarossa left Adrianople to Gallipoli at the Hellespont to embark to Asia Minor. In 1191, Isaac II launched

3528-538: Was manned by 140 oarsmen, there were about 18,000 Venetians still in the Empire even after Manuel I 's arrests. The Emperor's attention was next demanded in the east, where several claimants to the throne successively rose and fell. In 1189 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa sought and obtained permission to lead his troops on the Third Crusade through the Byzantine Empire . But Isaac

3591-535: Was once thought that there was another Byzantine writer of the same name, Michael Psellos the Elder (now also called Pseudo-Psellos ), who lived on the island of Andros in the 9th century, and who was a pupil of Photius and teacher of emperor Leo VI the Wise . Michael Psellos was also called "the younger" by some authors. This belief was based on an entry in a medieval chronicle, the Σύνοψις Κεδρηνοῦ-Σκυλίτση , which mentions

3654-471: Was one of the Empire's largest and most powerful neighbours, and Margaret also had the benefit of high aristocratic descent, being related to the royal families of Kyiv , the Holy Roman Empire , Italy , Provence , and earlier Byzantine dynasties. Sometime after 1191, his niece Eudokia Angelina was married to Stefan , son of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of Serbia . Isaac inaugurated his reign with

3717-502: Was recalled to court by his successor, Empress Theodora (reigned 1055–1056). Throughout the following years, he remained active in politics, serving as a high-ranking political advisor to successive emperors. He played a decisive political role in the transition of power from Michael VI to Isaac I Komnenos in 1057; then from Isaac Komnenos to Constantine X Doukas (1059), then again from Romanos IV Diogenes to Michael VII Doukas (1071). As Psellos had served as Michael's teacher during

3780-687: Was ruled by a family closely related to the Komnenoi, the Palaiologoi . The Palaiologoi ruled until the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The last descendant of the dynasty is often considered to have been John Komnenos Molyvdos , a distinguished Ottoman Greek scholar and physician, who became metropolitan bishop of Side and Dristra , and died in 1719. In 1782, the Corsican Greek notable Demetrio Stefanopoli obtained letters patent from Louis XVI of France recognizing him as

3843-447: Was strangled. Several pretenders rose up and attempted to wrest the throne from Isaac during his reign. These included: Isaac has the reputation as one of the most unsuccessful rulers to occupy the Byzantine throne. Surrounded by a crowd of slaves, mistresses, and flatterers, he permitted his empire to be administered by unworthy favourites, while he squandered the money wrung from his provinces on costly buildings and expensive gifts to

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3906-506: Was suspicious that Barbarossa wished to conquer Byzantium: the reasons for this suspicious attitude were the diplomatic contact of Frederick with the Bulgarians and the Serbians, foes of the Byzantine Empire during this period, and also Barbarossa's previous feud with Manuel. The rumors of 1160s about a German invasion in the Byzantine Empire were still remembered in the Byzantine court during Isaac's reign. In retaliation Barbarossa's army occupied

3969-620: Was the grandson of Emperor Andronikos I. These emperors – the Grand Komnenoi ( Megaloi Komnenoi or Megalokomnenoi in Greek) as they were known – ruled in Trebizond for over 250 years, until 1461, when David Komnenos was defeated and executed by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II . Mehmed himself claimed descent from the Komnenos family via John Tzelepes Komnenos . The Trapezutine branch of

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