I.

However, I almost forgot this. For John, the descendant of the said Alexios, who after the fall of Constantinople was ruler [τυραννήσαντος] over the land of the Colchi and the Laz, after receiving written oaths from the emperor, went and stayed in the capital and was married to the emperor's daughter Eudokia. And after spending a short time with the emperor in the capital, he then went home with his wife to his own domain, whose capital is Trebizond. There, before the year was not yet over, he had a with Eudokia, Alexios the "Younger" Komnenos, who later succeeded to his domain as it will be said.

In that time, Basil, the son Alexios Komnenos, after many struggles, became established on the throne and Eudokia(1), the emperor's illegitimate daughter was sent to him as a wife.

8. That spring as well Basil, who was girded with authority over Trebizond, ended his life after a short illness. I believe that it was it was God’s wrath that took his life suddenly from him. Now, after living with Irene the daughter of the emperor for a short time in a lawful and just manner with the proper degree of concord and chastity, he then bestowed his marital loves on a courtesan [εἰς ἑταιρίδα τινὰ], who was also called Irene. And besides having unlawful intercourse with her, he also started to hate his lawful wife. As time went by, since he saw that the empress would not put up this out of place affair, but cried out to the heavens and earth and announced to everyone the fire of her heart [i.e. rage], he exiled her from his lordly residence [palace]. And he would he put her to a violent end, had not he feared the people who were causing a great deal of trouble and revolting against him because of this(2). In the hymns and processions on holidays though the names of Basil and Irene were kept, and so because of this Basil was able to sate his lust as well as the inquiry of his people pretending that...because of their like names. Because of this, suspicion grew that by the clandestine plots of Irene Basil happened to die. However, after he had died in this this way or the other way, his lawful wife Irene entered into the palace in full imperial authority and drove from there straightaway the like named woman, the wayward and illegitimate wife of Basil. And so by a common vote of the Trapezuntines she sent her into exile to Byzantium along with her children. (2.) Along with them, she also sent ambassadors to the emperor her father asking that her send her a man to marry her legitimately and to succeed to the throne of her empire. When they got to Byzantium, they heard that the emperor was staying near Thessalonike and so they decided to make the passage there. A year before already, the emperor had set off from Thrace to Macedonia wanting to march to Epirus against his rebelling Akarnanian and Aetolian vassals. However, his usual ailment of the spleen kept him in Thessalonike for a short time...On recovering he departed for Akarnania. There the Trapezuntine ambassadors caught up with him and announce to him the purpose of their embassy. (3.) Due to the delay in between and that a woman could not administrate the hegemony of the Trapezuntines well or properly, some people started to cause strife and stir up the people. Because of this, Irene the empress of the Trapezuntines was forced to send off in all haste triremes with other ambassadors including the arch-sacrificing priest of Trebizond [i.e. the metropolitan of Trebizond] to press her earlier request to the emperor of the Romans. On sailing to Byzantium and not finding the emperor there, they sent off a couple of riders after the emperor, who excelled above the other in birth and rank. When they got to Thessalonike, they did not find the emperor present there. He had already recovered a short time before, as it was said, and left to lay siege to the capital of the Akarnanians. Since it seemed he was going to remain in that country, they sent letters to the emperor informing him of the reason for their coming. (4.)When authority flatters the desiring of womanly appetite, all reigns are thrown off, and so the empress Irene was whispered to be having clandestine intercourse with the Trapezuntine grand domestic. This on reaching the ears of the many people, caused both the people and the nobles [μάλιστα τοὺς εὐγενείᾳ προὔχοντας] to revolt. Some of them sided with Tzanychites [Tzanichites according to Panaretos], who was among the greatest in wealth and honor, while the others sided with the grand domestic. In this way, the city of Trebizond was divided into two with kin strife to end the matter. At this time, they say great numbers of men on both sides were cut down and Tzanichites along with them (3).

(2.) It has already been said by us before what fell out for the Trapezuntines during that time. After Alexios Komnenos, the son of the sister of Andronikos the Elder emperor of the Romans Palaiologos [died], Basil his son succeeded to the Trapezuntine throne and married the illegitimate daughter of the younger emperor Andronikos Palaiologos, Irene, and after living with her for a short time he died childless. She then took power and sent into exile the woman, with whom Basil had treacherously shared his marriage bed, along with her two infant sons. At the same time she sent an embassy to ask them to send her a second husband from amongst the Byzantines excelling in birth and repute, who would be selected by her the emperor her father and administer the Trapezuntine domain according to his volition. The emperor had not yet returned from [the land of] the Akarnanians when he was found by the ambassadors who had remained in the country to send men to inform to inform him of their arrival and the purpose of their coming. (3.) When some time had gone by and the emperor been staying in Byzantium not a short time he died and John Kantakouzenes, still the grand domestic, came in the administration of public affairs with the approval of the empress Anna, though he was not able to attend to the request right away and attended to other plans. Seeing the great aversion that the Trapezuntines had for this, since they almost have a law amongst themselves that they want to be ruled over as the subjects by no one of all the races except for those descended from the Komnenoi. Because of this and that he set no store in her request, he sent the brother of the previous emperor Alexios, Michael Komnenos, who was about fifty six years-old having already attained his prime, to rule them. (4.)The most powerful of all the senatorial class there in wealth and reputation, however, had different plans in mind. So that they might with freedom abuse, conduct, and bear things there as they wanted to, they pretended to be seeking out one of Basil's young infant sons for the pomp of monarchy. Because of this, on seeing Komnenos sail into the harbor of Trebizond since it seemed they would not be able to bring their plans to fruition at once, so that the people would not discover them and become an obstacle to them and because it had an ally in the force of two Latin boats that had just sailed in with Komnenos, they welcomed with appropriate honors and led him off to the palace there. When night fell, they locked him in the palace prison. As for the men attached to him, so that they would not seek refuge by flight in their triremes, some of them cut them down, while others they sent them off to a dungeon. The next day, they sent him off by sea to be guarded by a eunuch, who belonged to their senatorial faction and was entrusted at the time with management of the there thus named Limnia, which is nearly two hundred stades distant from the Trapezuntine capital(4). This thus effected, the management of affairs fell to two or three of them, who ruled abusively and treacherously causing the people to revile them and rise in revolt out of habit. (5.) Have fled that danger, some people from the Scholarioi(5) family came to Byzantium, as though from a typhoon and the rough sea in calm harbor, in order to get the means to revenge themselves on their pursuers. By beguiling the empress Anna with pledges and all sorts of promises, they persuaded her to give them for the Trapezuntine monarchy the son of Michael Komnenos who was at his prime at twenty at that time. Accordingly, they hired out three Latin triremes, loaded him in them, and laid anchor in the Trapezuntine harbor ten days later. When the revolutionaries with the city had fallen to arms before the people had revolted against them, and so with the Latin force all in arms outside the city, they forced open the city gates and without any exertion took in hand their opponents in no time and seized their property. (6.) The monarchy thus passed to the son of Komnenos and the Scholarioi concerned attained the highest of offices and took their vengeance on those who had gone against them before as adventurers(6). Of the accused, two of the first men in repute and office suffered capital punishment and were deprived of their property. As for those of the second and third rank they were sent into life long exile. (7.) However, before three years were out, the youthful monarch was expelled. He put no store in the counsel of his elder Scholarioi, instead he passed his time with people of his own age absorbed by night and day unscrupuously in luxury and drink, taking up company with flute-players and dancing girls so wasting the government's treasures in them. Since the Scholarioi became indignant with him, they summoned the father of their young monarch from Limnia (his jailer the eunuch had chanced to die there before) and enthroned him on the monarchial throne and sent the rebel off in chains to the prison of Byzantium. (8.) Michael Komnenos was thus vested with the monarchy, which his father of old had received from right of descent and when he died Alexios his brother had succeeded to, as we have already said, since between the two lads it happened to fall on him, and swore to them. The provisions of the contracts and the oaths that were made were that: the Scholaroi were to be responsible for his government and possess more power to rule than the other senators, the scheme of monarchy was to rest with him, and they were to be the arbiters and authors of everything that would be done, and have knowledge beforehand of and confirm his open and secret policies. (9.) However, as time went on, their presumptuousness caused the people to hate them at the faction that lost to return to power by acting as an ally of the people's hatred for them. Eris and strife soon descended between them and so both sides needed the imperial authority of Michael Komnenos. Because of this, he came to hold the scepters of authority in surety with no one standing in the way of his authority. Such was how these things came to pass.

(8.) Recognizing and fearing the presumptuousness of the Latins with the Scyths, the Trapezuntines, lest the Latins settled there with them do likewise, they decided to act suddenly and put the greater part of them to the sword. As for the ones who survived, they comported themselves much more humbly towards the Trapezuntines. And such was how this these came to pass.

1. Fallmerayer, in his Geschichte der Kaisertums von Trapezunt, has already established for us that this Eudokia is one in the same with Irene Palaiologina, who Basil actually married. It seems that Gregoras got her confused with Eudokia, John II Komnenos's wife.
2. Read what Panaretos says, “

   20. On Monday March 2, 6845 (1336), at the start of Lent, there was an eclipse of the sun from three to seven o'clock causing the people to cause trouble by gathering outside the citadel and throwing rocks at the emperor.

   21. On October 5, indiction 7, 6847 (1338), the lord John Komnenos, who later was named Alexios, was born the second son of the lord Basil. The emperor lord Basil was married to the empress, lady Irene from Trebizond, on July 8, 6847 (1339).

   22. The emperor lord Basil the Grand Komnenos died on Thursday August 6, indiction 8, 6848 (1340). He ruled for 7 years and 6 months.

3. See the rest of what Panaretos says:

   His son’s, the lord Alexios and the lord Kalojoannes, were sent to the City along with their mother. The widowed lady Irene Palaiologina then seized the throne. And straightaway the officials stirred up trouble and split into two factons. Tzanichites, lord Sebastos the grand stratopedarch along with the Scholarioi, the Meitzomatai, lord Constantine Doranites, the Kabazitai, Kamachenos, some of the people, and some of the palace guards held Saint Eugenios, while the Amytzarantai, some of the officials, and the archons of the imperial exchange along held the citadel with the empress.

   23. On Friday July 2, 6848 (1340), the grand duke, the eunuch John, came from Limnia with a great army and there was a fight in which they fired on the monastery with a siege engine. The monastery was set fire to and all of its beauties were burned to the ground. Tzanichites and the other nobles were imprisoned in Limnia and lost their lives there.

1. That is 22.9 miles or 36.9 kilometers.
2. According to Panaretos, the name was Scholaris.
3. As Attaleiates informs us in his own history when referring to the punishment to meted out for Romanos Diogenes was death.