1206 Defeat of David on the Sangarius, by Theodore (I) Lascaris. Alexius badly beaten at Amisus by the sultan of Iconium or Rum in league with Theodore. David makes treaty with the emperor Henry of Romania, in the interest of his possessions.
1214 Theodore I attempts to reunite David’s territory to the empire of Nicæa. Death of David in defence of Sinope, besieged and captured by the Turks. Pontus assailed by the Turks. Colchis by the Georgians.
1216 Alexius compelled to declare himself a vassal of the sultan of Iconium.
1222 Death of Alexius. His son-in-law, Andronicus (I) Ghidus, succeeds, Joannes the eldest son being passed over.
1224 Treaty with Ala ad-Din, sultan of Iconium. Hayton, Turkish governor of Sinope, seizes a Trebizontine ship. Andronicus attacks Sinope; Ala ad-Din breaks treaty and attacks Trebizond. Andronicus drives him off and by a treaty frees himself from vassalage.
1226 Andronicus acknowledges himself vassal of Gela ad-Din, shah of Khwarizm.
1230 On defeat of Gela ad-Din by the Mongols, Andronicus renews vassalage to Iconium. The Iberian provinces of Trebizond unite with the new Iberian kingdom where King David still retains his independence against the Turks.
1235 Death of Andronicus. His brother-in-law, Joannes (I) Auxuchus, succeeds.
1238 Death of Joannes. His brother, Manuel (I) the Great Captain, succeeds. There is little information about the events of his reign, but he was a vassal of the Seljuks; and, after their defeat, in 1244, at Kusadac of the Mongol khan, Octar.
1263 Andronicus II succeeds his father.
1266 George succeeds his brother. The power of the Mongols and Seljuks in Asia Minor declines, and George frees himself from them. He attempts to conquer more territory but in 1280 is deserted by his nobles on an expedition and captured by the Turkomans. Joannes III succeeds. He is invited by a party in Constantinople, disgusted at Michael VIII’s union with the Latin church, to place himself at the head of the orthodox Christians and of the Greek Empire; but Joannes fears to do this.
1281 Michael sends George Acropolita, the historian, on a mission to Joannes to induce him to lay aside title of emperor of the Romans or accept matrimonial alliance with his family. It is unsuccessful. An insurrection at Trebizond deprives Joannes of his power, but he soon recovers it.
1282 Joannes agrees to marry Michael’s daughter Eudocia. The ceremony is performed at Constantinople, and Joannes gives up title “emperor of the Romans,” taking that of “emperor of all the East, Iberia, and Peratea.” David of Iberia makes an unsuccessful attack on Trebizond. George released by Turkomans, but fails in an attempt to regain throne.
1285 Joannes’ sister, Theodora, assembles an army and mounts throne, but Joannes soon recovers it and drives her from it. Pope Nicholas IV invites Joannes to assist in crusade to recover Ptolemais, but affairs at home prevent his doing so.
1297 Death of Joannes. His son Alexius II succeeds at age of fifteen. He soon frees himself from his guardian, Andronicus II of Constantinople.
1302 Alexius repels a Turkoman invasion in a great battle near Kerasunt.
1310 After many trade disputes with the Genoese establishments on the Black Sea, Genoa demands a favourable treaty with Alexius, which he refuses. The enraged Genoese burn a portion of Trebizond, but fear of the Venetians compels them to agree to trading on the old terms.
1314 Sinopian pirates set fire to Trebizond and much damage is done.
1330 Death of Alexius. His eldest son, Andronicus III, succeeds. A period of anarchy and civil war begins. Andronicus supposed to have put two brothers to death. Another brother and an uncle flee to Constantinople.
1332 Death of Andronicus. Accession of his young son, Manuel II, with everyone in power attempting to gain the direction of affairs. Taking advantage of the condition of affairs the Turkomans invade the empire, which is in great danger, and Basil, the fugitive son of Alexius II, is invited to become emperor. Manuel deposed. Basil proves a profligate monarch, and marries his mistress in spite of the fact that he has a wife. The power becomes decentralised.
1340 Death of Basil. His lawful wife, Irene Palæologina, daughter of the Byzantine emperor, is placed on the throne by her adherents. Civil war breaks out.
1341 Anna Anachoulu, daughter of Alexius II, is placed by the Comnenian party on the throne. Irene deposed. Michael, second son of Joannes II, claims throne. He is imprisoned, but a party forms around his son, Joannes.
1342 Joannes III gains throne from Anna. She is strangled.
1344 Disgusted with Joannes’ conduct the young nobles release his father, Michael, from prison and make him emperor. Michael confines Joannes in a monastery, and afterwards sends him to Hadrianopolis. He tries to improve the condition of affairs and decrease the power of the nobles, but is not strong enough for the task.
1347 The Great Plague (Black Death) rages in Trebizond. The Turkomans ravage the empire up to the walls of the capital.
1348 Turks capture Kerasunt. Genoese men of war attack Trebizond. The Greeks massacre the Franks for revenge.
1349 Michael makes peace with Genoese, ceding them fortress of Leontokastron. Civil riots break out. Michael dethroned and Alexius III, son of Basil, and his mistress, Irene of Trebizond, are brought from Constantinople to occupy the throne. The rebellions of the aristocracy continue.
1355 The rebels headed by the grand duke Nicetas appear with a fleet before Trebizond. Alexius drives them off. He begins to consolidate his power, but the Turkomans gradually seize territory from the empire until there is only a narrow strip of sea-coast left.
1380 Alexius quarrels with Megollo Lescari, a Genoese merchant, who fits out galleys to ravage the Black Sea. Alexius submits and confirms trade privileges of the Genoese.
1390 Death of Alexius. His son Manuel III succeeds.
1400 Manuel sends troops to the army of Timur, but does not himself take part in the battle of Angora (1402).
1405 After Timur’s death Manuel delivers empire from tribute to the Mongols.
1417 Death of Manuel. His son Alexius IV succeeds. After the retreat of the Mongols the empire is overrun by the two great Turkoman hordes of the Black and White Sheep. Kara Yusuf, chief of the Black Horde, compels Alexis to send a daughter to marry his son, and exacts tribute.
1420 Death of Kara Yusuf—the emperor ceases to pay tribute to the Black Horde.
1426 Rebellion of Alexius’ son Calo-Joannes, who has been raised to imperial dignity. The nobles rescue the emperor. Alexius confers rights of heir apparent and imperial dignity on his second son Alexander, who dies soon afterwards.
1442 First attack of Ottoman Turks on Trebizond is repulsed.
1446 Second rebellion of Calo-Joannes. He murders Alexius and succeeds as Joannes IV. He is hated for his crimes.
1449 The sheikh of Ertebil fails in an attempt to capture Trebizond. Joannes forms plan to expel Ottomans from Asia Minor and Muhammed II forced to invade the empire. Joannes compelled to become vassal of Muhammed and pay tribute.
1458 Death of Joannes as he is forming a great league against the Ottomans. A four-year-old son is set aside in favour of his brother David who continues Joannes’ work on the league.
1461 Siege and capture of Trebizond by Muhammed II. End of the empire of Trebizond. David retires to Mavronaros which he receives in exchange for his empire, and a few years later is put to death at Constantinople for refusing to join the Moslem faith.