Constantine Gabras orGavras (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Γαβρᾶς) was the governor ordoux (duke) of theByzantine province ofChaldia, centred on theBlack Sea port ofTrebizond and its mountainous hinterland, thePontic Alps, in northeastAnatolia, now part ofTurkey. Gabras ruled Chaldia as a semi-independent prince between 1126 and 1140.
The province of Chaldia effectively became an autonomous semi-hereditary domain of theGabrades as his father,Theodore Gabras, preceded him as governor. In the 1090s, his older brotherGregory had plotted against theByzantine emperorAlexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118) and had been imprisoned.[1]
After service asstrategos ofPhiladelphia,[2] Constantine becamedoux of Chaldia some time, probably quite shortly, before the death of Alexios I in 1118.[1] Constantine seems to have been less rash in his politics than his brother, though he managed to rule Trebizond more or less free of central authority between 1126 and 1140.Choniates refers to him as the "tyrant of Trebizond."[3] Extant examples show that he minted his own lower denomination coinage.[4] In 1140, EmperorJohn II Komnenos (r. 1118–1143) moved into Chaldia with the main Byzantine army in order to campaign against theDanishmend Turks. This display of force was enough to overawe Constantine Gabras and the region came under direct imperial control once more.[5]
Following their loss of power, the family of the Gabras had three options: to save their lands south of thePontic Alps and their influence by joining the court of theSeljuk Sultanate of Rum atKonya; to save some of their influence within the Byzantine sphere by joining their new masters at Constantinople; or to move to the Byzantine province most closely connected to their former lands and, from c. 1200, free of control from Constantinople -- thePerateia in theCrimea.[6] One member who joined the Seljuks of Rum becamevizier to the sultanKilij Arslan II (r. 1156–1192). A son of Constantine Gabras, also named Constantine, however, became a trusted minister ofManuel I Komnenos. He led an important, and successful, diplomatic mission to the Seljuk sultan Kilij Arslan II in 1162. No doubt his mission was helped by the family contacts he would have had at the Seljuk court.[3]