The rightful heir of the Komeninos dynasty
During the reign of King Komeninnos, a large number of silver and copper coins were minted. These coins are intricately engraved with Penda's crown on the front and St. Eugene's crown on the back.
On thirteenth-century coins, the Emperor and St. Eugene are depicted as fully grown, however from the reign of Alexes II, Basilius and St. Eugene are depicted sitting on horses, probably because of Eastern (such as Turkish) influences, but also Georgian and Armenian coins.
In addition, we know that there was only one golden imperial seal in the tyrant of Epirus, which originally united the aforementioned golden seals. Over time, the wax melted and it broke down into two parts, to which the monks attached it to the golden hole itself, a phenomenon that is especially evident on the left and right sides of the imperial images of Alexei III and Theodora.
A closer examination of the seal on the obverse reveals the image of Jesus**, while on the reverse is the image of Basilius in full growth, a portrait that stands out especially in the seals of the Byzantine emperors during the reigns of Comunenos and Palaiologos.
Thus, although we now have a rather limited number of **, the above example allows us to assert that the visual propaganda of the Trebizon Empire was as important as Byzantium.
This may have been because the Grand Comuninnos dynasty wanted to prove their right to the title of Basilis, although not the Romans who they officially renounced in 1282.
According to the ideology of the Byzantine Empire, the title of Basilius could only be held by rulers who lived permanently in Constantinople.
Interesting are the coats of arms of Alexis and Theodora, who hold in their hands Rabarum and the Imperial Sphere - the most important symbol of power in the Byzantine political and ideological coordination system.
One of the images that has disappeared is the fresco of the monastery, where it is almost impossible to distinguish three figures belonging to Emperor Alexes III and his sons: Manuel III, the future ruler of the Trebizon Empire, and the illegitimate son of the emperor.
The royal iconography of churches and monasteries, although primarily religious, also served a propaganda task, testifying to Basillius' relationship with God and confirming the legitimacy and recognition of imperial power by the highest authorities of the Middle Ages.
The image of the empire on the drawing was also an important form of visual propaganda, and now we know only two with imperial portraits. While only one survived in the original, the second was represented by later copies.
The first document is the Chrysostom given by Alexeius III in 1374 to the monastery of St. Dionysius at 17 Mount Athos. Both figures appear in the official robes of the Byzantine emperors with crowns, purple shoes, and other insignia of power as a contrast.
We can see that under the image of the Byzantine and Trebizond emperors, we can trace similar characteristics, which allow us to talk about the imitation of the Byzantine emperor of Basilius.
The second known is a later copy, now preserved in the monastery of Dionysius on Mount Athos, the original granted to the monastery of Sumera by Alexes in 1364.
On the goldstone, there are different images of the Trebizond Emperor Alexes III and his wife Theodora. It's a pity that the copy wasn't made accurately enough, so we couldn't see the badge of power in the hands of the royal couple.
Only a copy of the icon presented by Alexei to the monastery of Bacchus Athos has survived to this day, with the bivalve icons of the emperor and John the Baptist on one side and St. Eugene and his companions on the other: Canidius, Valerian and Aquila.
The figure of Alexei III is stylistically almost identical to his portrait on the Golden Hole of 1374 and, most likely, was made by the same artist at about the same time.
Perhaps out of the assertion of the right to the title of Basilius, the Grand Comuninos wanted to prove their legitimacy, although they officially renounced the "Basilius of the Romans" in 1282.
According to the ideology of the Byzantine Empire, the title of Basilius could only be held by rulers who lived permanently in Constantinople. In this story, Basilius is not just a title, but a status symbol.
In many works, try to read the predicate "great" of the common name of Emperor Trebizon. King Gougus was known for his bravery and greatness, he was a man of New Brasilia and excited, he was the most prestigious of Michel and Michael, but also those who were considered to be the sons of living beings, the sons of all beings, and even the sons of the gods and the second sons of the gods.
However, we can only understand this fact by speculation, because we have no reliable evidence to confirm this opinion. If we consult the documents of the Reich Chancellery, we can find several possible modifications to the title of the Reich, depending on the subject to which the document is addressed and when it was created.
Regarding the title of Emperor Trebizon by Muslim rulers, Constantine Lukites called him "the great Roman king."'Isaac, who came from the scepter of the Romans, received Komenenos in the fountain and was born".
Beginning with Alexei I Comuninos, almost all emperors, with the exception of John II Comuninnos and John VI Cantacuzenos, resided permanently in Brachne.
In recent studies, some researchers have supported pMagdalino's view, states that in the time of Komnenos, the imperial court was not moved to the Blachernae court, but was used as an additional ceremonial space along with the Grand Palace.
In Trebizond, the construction of Hagia Sophia may be similar to several religious sites in Constantinople, such as Hagia Sophia, the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Mausoleum of Constantine, and the Monastery of Pantocrato.
According to George Finlay and Henry Lynch, the portrait of Manuel I and the sarcophagus may have two locations, to the right of the southern entrance of the church or to the right of the western entrance.
Most modern researchers tend to favor the first view. The architectural inscription on the tower records its construction during the reign of Alexei IV in 6935 (1427) and in 1429 during the reign of John IV.
Alexei III was crowned in the church named after the saint on the 21st day of Eugene the Martyr, probably for symbolic blessings and support during his reign (Michael Panaretos, pp. 69, 13-14).
Similarly, Vasilissa's left hand may be holding an object that we can recognize as an imperial sphere, as in the earlier example of the lost fresco of the monastery of Dioskeplastus.
One of the surviving Chrystoms of Andronikos II was conferred on Monemvasia Metropolitan Nicholas in 1301, and the other, Chrysovulus, dating back to 1307, was granted to the Bishop of Canina of Albania.
Basillius' son-in-law, the Serbian ruler Stefan Uroš, asked Emperor Trebizon in 1311 to make a golden sovu. Of all the Taurus we know, Alexei III is usually depicted with his wife Theodora Cantakuzina, while Andronicus II appears with Jesus** or the Mother of God.
And this combination of coats of arms in the hands of Basilius is very rare, and it is characteristic of early Byzantine history. For example, the mosaic of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople depicts Emperor Alexander, who holds an akakia and a sphere in his hands.
In addition, there is a coin with the Empress (Theodore) on the obverse and the Madonna on the right (some coins of Manuel I), as well as specimens depicting eagles, monograms, and crosses.
To this day, we know that there are several main types of seals of David, brother of Emperor Alexei I of Trebizond: David the Prophet (from four different matrices) or St. Ilyutrius (seals from two identical matrices).
More information on this.