Περίληψη : an Eminent Member of the Aristocratic Family of the Doranitai from Trebizond

IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη Μετάφραση : Κούτρας Νικόλαος Για παραπομπή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη , "Theodore Doranites", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία URL:

Περίληψη : An eminent member of the aristocratic family of the Doranitai from Trebizond. His activity is closely connected with the internal conflict that tantalized the Empire of Trebizond in the 14th century. During the reign of Alexios III Grand Komnenos he was honoured with the offices of megas stratopedarches and protovestiarios. He is also known as ‘Pileles’. Άλλα Ονόματα Pileles Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης 1st half of the 14th c., Trebizond Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου July 1352, Keghrina castle Κύρια Ιδιότητα megas stratopedarches, protovestiarios

1. Biography

Theodore Doranites, born into the namesake aristocratic family of Trebizond, was brother of protovestiarios Constantine Doranites and had two children. He was born in the first half of the 14th century in Trebizond and was put to death in July 1352 at Keghrina. He was active during the period of Alexios III Grand Komnenos's (1349-1390) reign and was intimately involved in the internal conflict that tantalized the Empire of Trebizond during that period. He is also known as Pileles.

2. Political activity

Theodore Doranites first comes to the fore in June 1350. During that time Alexios III Grand Komnenos, unable to enforce his rule over the combating forces of the Trebizond nobility, which had caused civil conflict in the empire since the reign of Eirene Palaiologina (1340-1341), was each time forced to ally himself, depending on the circumstances, with one of the aristocratic families, sometimes ordering the arrest of members of one of the antagonist families. In the context of this policy, Theodore, who then held the office of megas stratopedarches, was arrested on the emperor’s order early in July of 1350;1 together with his brother, the protovestiarios Constantine Doranties, and other undesignated members of his family, he was incarcerated in a prison specially prepared for noblemen (archontes). He remained imprisoned for a short period of time, however, and was released on the 7th of September.

It appears that the relations between Alexios III and Theodore were later restored, for the emperor, after the occurence of the conspiracy of the protovestiarios Leon Kabasites, offered the rebel’s former office to Theodore (January 1351). In that same year, however, the protovestiarios Theodore Doranites (Pileles) appeared again to turn against Alexios III Komnenos. He captured the castle of Koulas (or Koulas i.e. the acropolis of Trebizond) and took hostage the megas doukas, Niketas Scholares. This new venture came to a bitter end, for Theodore lacked popular support.

3. Theodore Doranites’demise

The castle of Koulas was recaptured by the imperial forces and Theodore Doranites, his son, his son-in-law and Xenites’children, who had participated in the conspiracy, were arrested and led to the Keghrina castle. In July of the following year (1352) Theodore Doranites and the members of his family were put to death by strangulation.

Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/10/2021 Σελίδα 1/3 IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ Συγγραφή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη Μετάφραση : Κούτρας Νικόλαος Για παραπομπή : Βουγιουκλάκη Πηνελόπη , "Theodore Doranites", Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία URL:

1. This view is also maintained by Bryer, Α., “The Estates of the Empire of Trebizond. Evidence for their resources, products, agriculture, ownership and location”, Αρχείον Πόντου 35 (1979), pp. 370-477 [reprinted in Bryer, Α., The empire of Trebizond and the Pontos (VR, London 1980)]. F. Bredenkamp dates the arrest of the members of the Doranites family to June of 1351- see Bredenkamp, F., "The Doranites family of the 14th century Byzantine Empire of Trebizond", Βυζαντιακά 19 (1999), p. 246.

Βιβλιογραφία : Λυμπερόπουλος Β.Χ., Ο Βυζαντινός Πόντος. Η Αυτοκρατορία της Τραπεζούντας (1204-1261), ο χώρος, οι άνθρωποι, η οικονομία, Αθήνα 1999

Janssens E., Trébizonde en Colchide, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles 1969, Travaux de la Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres XL

Miller W., Trebizond. The Last Greek Empire of the Byzantine Era, 1204-1461, London 1926

Bredenkamp F., "The Doranites Family of the 14th Century Byzantine Empire of Trebizond", Βυζαντιακά, 19, 1999, 239-261

Bryer, A.A.M. (ed.), The Empire of Trebizond and the Pontos, London 1980, Variorum Reprints Collected Studies

Bryer A.A.M., "The Estates of the Empire of Trebizond. Evidence for their Resources, Products, Agriculture, Ownership and Location", Αρχείον Πόντου, 35, 1979, 370-477

Γεωργιάδης Θ., Εγκυκλοπαίδεια του Ποντιακού Ελληνισμού. Πόντος. Ιστορία, Λαογραφία και Πολιτισμός, Θεσσαλονίκη 1991

"Δωρανίτης Κωνσταντίνος", Trapp, E. – Beyer, H. – Leontiades, I. (eds), Prosopographisches Lexikon der Palaiologenzeit, Wien 1981, σελ. 84, αρ. 5887

Λάμπρος Σπυρίδων, "Aνέκδοτον χρυσόβουλλον Αλεξίου Γ΄ του Μεγάλου Κομνηνού, αυτοκράτορος της Τραπεζούντος", Νέος Ελληνομνήμων, 2, 1905, 196-198

Γλωσσάριo : archon Term that designates a governor in general. When it is not used in a technical sense, it denotes members of the aristocracy, high officers of the byzantine empire and it is even used for independent princes. megas doukas The commander of the Byzantine fleet (from 1092 onwards). In the Late Byzantine period, the title of the megas doukas was assigned to the highest officials of the imperial administration/army. megas stratopedarches Superior officer responsible for the provision of equipment and supplies for the military forces of the byzantine empire of Nicaea. protovestiarios (and protovestiarites) Honorific title given to high-ranking officials and future emperors during this period. The protovestiarios was originally responsible for the imperial wardrobe, but in the 9th-11th centuries the holders of the title could command an army or conduct negotiations with foreign states.

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Πηγές Λαμψίδης, O. (ed.) «Μιχαήλ του Παναρέτου περί των Μεγάλων Κομνηνών», Aρχείον Πόντου 22 (1958), pp. 1‑124.

Χρονολόγιο First half of the 14th c.: Theodore Doranites is born

Before June of 1350: Theodore Doranites receives the office of megas stratopedarches

Early June, 1350: On Emperor Alexios III Grand Komnenos’ order, Theodore Doranites is arrested and imprisoned

September 7, 1350: Theodore Doranites released from prison

January 1351: Theodore Doranites receives the office of protovestiarios

1351: Doranites and other noblemen capture the castle of Koulas and take Niketas Scholarios hostage

Before July of 1352: The forces of Alexios III Komnenos recover the castle of Koulas. The rebels are imprisoned in the castle of Keghrina

July 1352: Theodore and his family are put to death by strangulation at the castle of Keghrina

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