Irene Syrikaina

Irene Syrikaina was the third Empress consort of Manuel I of Trebizond.

Name

The male form of her family name has been suggested being either "Syrikainos" or "Syrikos". [ [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GEN-MEDIEVAL/2001-02/0982014099 Omega, "Thamar, the Queen of Georgia"] ] The name may be related to the island Syros or to the terms "Syrios", "Syrikos", "Syriakos", all Greek language for Syrian. The geographic term Syria also applied to Coele-Syria and Transjordan. [ [http://www.trismegistos.org/geo/detail.php?tm=2211&i=1 Dictionary entry:"Syria", section Ethnic names] ]

Empress

Irene is briefly mentioned in the chronicle of Michael Panaretos. "And the son of lord Manuel by the lady Irene Syrikaina, the lord George Komnenos, succeeded to the throne and reigned for fourteen years" [ [http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/972250 "The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos", translated by Scott Kennedy] ] Which indicates she was the mother of George, Emperor of Trebizond and John II of Trebizond, presumed to have been the youngest sons of Manuel. The marriage of Irene and Manuel likely occurred in the 1250s or early 1260s. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TREBIZOND.htm#AlexiosITrebizondB Listing of Alexios I and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

Manuel had at least two daughters whose mother is not mentioned. They could be children by Irene or another of his wives. One of the daughters married Demetre II of Georgia, the other married one of his Didebul. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TREBIZOND.htm#AlexiosITrebizondB Listing of Alexios I and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ] Though mentioned in modern genealogies as a name, "Didebul" was actually a title. According to "The Bagrationi (Bagration) Dynasty" by Christopher Buyers, the Didebul were "non-hereditary noblemen of high rank, senior to aznaur, usually enjoyed by one in state service". [ [http://4dw.net/royalark/Georgia/glossary.htm Christopher Buyers, "The Bagrationi (Bagration) Dynasty", Glossary section] ]

Panaretos records that Manuel died in March, 1263. He was succeeded by Andronikos II of Trebizond, only known son by Anna Xylaloe, his first wife. [ [http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/972250 "The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos", translated by Scott Kennedy] ]

References