On the Trapezund Period in the History of Late Byzantine Crimea. A Continuation of Discussion

Introduction. This article focuses on a short period in the 13th century when part of Crimea was part of the Empire of Trebizond. In historiography, virtually all the main questions regarding its history remain controversial. Methods. The study is comprehensive. It analyzes data from written, archaeological, numismatic, and sphragistic sources relevant to the topic of the work. Analysis. The Trebizond period in Crimean history dates from 1204 to 1265. The peninsula’s mountainous and coastal regions were subjugated by the Empire of Trebizond, most likely in the summer and autumn of 1204, when it achieved significant territorial gains in the southern and northern Black Sea regions. The core of the Trebizond overseas province was always the region of southwestern Crimea, but until the 1220s and 1230s, it also included Sougdeia and the Bosporus. Throughout this period of dependence on Trebizond, the mountainous and coastal regions of Crimea were under the direct control of the imperial administration, which was reflected in the regular taxation of the local population, the subordination of Crimean dioceses to the jurisdiction of the Trebizond metropolitans, and, likely, the stationing of military contingents and naval units in the province’s most important cities and ports. Control of the maritime communications between Crimea and Southern Pontus was crucial for maintaining the empire’s presence on the peninsula. After the Seljuks captured the fortress of Sinop in 1265, Trebizond no longer had such opportunities. The withdrawal of the Trebizond administration after 1265 provoked a rapid Mongol military invasion of Gothia. These events mark the beginning of the Golden Horde period in the region’s history. Therefore, Emir Nogai’s campaign against the population of Cherson and Gothia in 1299 should be viewed as one episode in the ongoing struggle between various Mongol elites over the distribution of revenues and supreme power in the Crimean Ulus of the Golden Horde. Results. Despite the scant source data, there is no doubt about the existence of an overseas Trebizond enclave in Crimea from 1204 to 1265. The most important conclusion emerging from this study is that throughout the entire period of dependence, the Crimean territories were under the direct control of the imperial administration and the metropolis of Trebizond.