Marriage Issues
Soon after the marriage, however, Basil took a mistress, also named Irene, and in 1339 divorced Irene Palaiologina with the connivance of the local clergy. Her cause was backed by Patriarch John XIV of Constantinople and she probably still retained some position of influence in Trebizond. On April 6, 1340, she probably poisoned Basil and seized the throne for herself by what reads in Gregoras' text as a palace coup. Her position was tenuous, because of the means by which she gained the throne and because of her own origins - she was not a member of the ruling Komnenian dynasty. To shore up this position, she sent off her dead husband's second wife and sons to Constantinople where they could be watched over by her father.
In spite of her precipitous actions, Irene found the cares of government beyond her and appealed to her father to send her a husband from amongst the Byzantine nobles, who would rule the Empire and help fight off her mounting enemies. However Andronikos III died on June 15, 1341 before he could answer his daughter's request, but it mattered little since she soon fell in love with her Grand Domestikos and split her court into factions by her favor of this man.
Read more about this topic: Irene Palaiologina Of Trebizond
Famous quotes containing the words marriage and/or issues:
“the mother lies down on her marriage bed
and eats up her heart like two eggs.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“To make life more bearable and pleasant for everybody, choose the issues that are significant enough to fight over, and ignore or use distraction for those you can let slide that day. Picking your battles will eliminate a number of conflicts, and yet will still leave you feeling in control.”
—Lawrence Balter (20th century)