Irene Syrikaina ( el, Εἰρήνη Συρίκαινα) was the third Empress-consort of Manuel I of Trebizond. She may be the same Irene Syrikaina whom

Michael Panaretos Michael Panaretos ( el, ) (c. 1320 – c. 1390) was an official of the Trapezuntine empire and a Greek historian. His sole surviving work is a chronicle of the Trapezuntine empire of Alexios I Komnenos and his successors. This chronicle not only p ...

mentions was stoned to death in September 1332 in the purges that followed Basil Megas Komnenos's accession to the throne.

Name

The male form of her family name has been suggested being either "Syrikainos" or "Syrikos". The name may be related to the island

Syros Syros ( el, Σύρος ), also known as Siros or Syra, is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It is south-east of Athens. The area of the island is and it has 21,507 inhabitants (2011 census). The largest towns are Ermoupoli, A ...

or to the terms "Syrios", "Syrikos", "Syriakos", all

Greek language Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy (Calabria and Salento), southe ...

for Syrian. The geographic term Syria also applied to

Coele-Syria Coele-Syria (, also spelt Coele Syria, Coelesyria, Celesyria) alternatively Coelo-Syria or Coelosyria (; grc-gre, Κοίλη Συρία, ''Koílē Syría'', 'Hollow Syria'; lat, Cœlē Syria or ), was a region of Syria (region), Syria in cl ...

and Transjordan.

Empress

Irene is briefly mentioned in the chronicle of Michael Panaretos: "And the son of lord Manuel by the lady Irene Syrikaina, the lord George Komnenos, succeeded to the throne and reigned for fourteen years""The Chronicle of Michael Panaretos", translated by Scott Kennedy
This indicates that she was the mother of

George, Emperor of Trebizond George Megas Komnenos ( el, Γεώργιος Μέγας Κομνηνός, ''Geōrgios Mégas Komnēnos''; 1255 – after 1284) was Emperor of Trebizond from 1266 to 1280. He was the elder son of Emperor Manuel I and his third wife, Irene Syrikain ...

and

John II of Trebizond John II Megas Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης Μέγας Κομνηνός, ''Iōannēs Megas Komnēnos'') (c. 1262 – 16 August 1297) was Emperor of Trebizond from June 1280 to his death in 1297. He was the youngest son of Emperor Manuel I ...

, presumed to have been the youngest sons of Manuel. Michel Kuršanskis has argued that Irene married Manuel some time after 1253, the year Manuel sent envoys to King Louis IX of France, who was then at

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast ...

after his defeat at the Battle of Fariskur, seeking to marry a daughter of his house. This diplomatic visit would be best explained by Manuel's need for a wife, and when King Louis declined to offer him a daughter, Manuel subsequently married Irene.Michel Kuršanskis
"L'usurpation de Théodora Grande Comnène"
''Revue des études byzantines'', 33 (1975). pp. 198f Manuel had at least two daughters whose mother is not mentioned. They could be children by Irene or another of his wives. One of the daughters married

Demetre II of Georgia Demetrius II the Self-Sacrificer or the Devoted ( ka, დემეტრე II თავდადებული) (1259–12 March 1289) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia (country), Georgia in 1270–1289. Life Son of King David VI ...

, the other married one of his Didebul. Though mentioned in modern genealogies as a name, "Didebul" was actually a title. According to "The Bagrationi (Bagration) Dynasty" by Christopher Buyers, the Didebul were "non-hereditary noblemen of high rank, senior to aznaur, usually enjoyed by one in state service". Panaretos records that Manuel died in March, 1263. He was succeeded by Andronikos II of Trebizond, his only known son by

Anna Xylaloe Anna Xylaloe (Άννα) was the first Empress consort of Manuel I of Trebizond. Name "Xylaloe" is a Greek language term for agarwood, the resinous heartwood from '' Aquilaria'' trees, large evergreens native to Southeast Asia. Pedanius Dios ...

, his first wife. Based on a passage in the Georgian "Annals of Sebastian",

Anthony Bryer Anthony Applemore Mornington Bryer (31 October 1937 – 22 October 2016) FSA FRHistS was a British historian of the Byzantine Empire and founder of the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Birmingham. Bio ...

has argued that Irene Syrikaina played a role in the deposition of her son George (who became Emperor in 1266 on the death of his half brother Andronikos), and thus was still alive June 1280.Bryer, "The fate of George Komnenos", p. 343

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Syrikaina, Irene 13th-century births 13th-century deaths Empresses consort of Trebizond 13th-century Byzantine women Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown Executed Byzantine people People executed by stoning