Empire of Trebizond

1204 - 1266

The Empire of Trebizond was one of the Byzantine Greek rump states established after the occupation of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade (1204). Based in the city of the same name on the northeast coast of Anatolia, it existed until 1273, when it was annexed by the Empire of Nicaea.

Formation

The Fourth Crusade saw a Western European crusader army besiege and capture Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and establish the Latin Empire. Though the Latin Empire would claim the entire empire, they were only able to control the area around the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Other areas of the Roman Empire coalesced into three states; Nicaea, Epirus, and Trebizond. The Empire of Trebizond controlled the city of Trebizond and territory stretching east and west along the Black Sea coast.

Fall

In 1266, the Empire was attacked by a combined land-sea force of the Empire of Nicaea. Trebizond would fall in July and the entire state was annexed by Nicaea. The Emperor of Trebizond would be compensated with a large estate near the city of Nicaea. OTL

The Empire of Trebizond was not conquered by the Nicaeans and existed until 1461, when it fell to the Ottomans. It was the last major piece of the Eastern Roman Empire to be conquered and with the deposition of its ruler, David Megas Komnenos, marked the final end of the Roman imperial tradition initiated by Augustus 1,488 years previously. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Trebizond