Theodora Kantakouzene

Theodora Kantakouzene was the Empress consort of Alexios III of Trebizond.

Family

Theodora is considered a daughter of Nikephoros Kantakouzenos, "sebastocrator". According to the chronicle of their kinsman John VI Kantakouzenos, Nikephoros was imprisoned by orders of Alexios Apokavkos in 1341. Apokavkos was among the main advisors of Anna of Savoy in the civil war against John VI. Nikephoros was later released and recorded being the governor of Adrianople in the 1350s. The identity of her mother is unknown. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM%2012611453.htm#TheodoraKantadied1400 Profile of Theodora Kantakouzene in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

The available Latin translations of the chronicle mention Nikephoros as a [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/patruelis 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. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM%2012611453.htm#Kantadied1294MTheodoraAP Profile of Michael Kantakouzenos and his family in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

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 c. 1340. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM%2012611453.htm#TheodoraKantadied1400 Profile of Theodora Kantakouzene in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

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 Despina Palaiologina. However they are not mentioned as illegitimates in available sources. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TREBIZOND.htm#AlexiosIIITrebizondB Profile of Alexios III and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ] :

*Anna of Trebizond (5 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. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/GEORGIA.htm#BagratVdied1395B Profile of Bagrat V and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]
*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. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TURKS.htm#TadjeddinPashaSinopedied1386 Profile of Tadjeddin and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ] 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 stepchildred by Constantine included Helena Dragaš. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SERBIA.htm#KonstantinDragasdied1394 Profile of Constantine Dragaš and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]
*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 assassiunated on 14 March, 1376. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TREBIZOND.htm#AlexiosIIITrebizondB Profile of Alexios III and his children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

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. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM%2012611453.htm#TheodoraKantadied1400 Profile of Theodora Kantakouzene in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

References