of their own race, “Laksaris, who had been crowned Emperor in 1206, and the Sljuks remained to menace the new-born Trapezuntine Empire as allies. Kai Khusru, who had become sultan in the same spring which witnessed its birth, besieged Trebizond in punishment for the disobedience of Alexios to his commands in 1205 or 1206; while David provoked Laskarais by sending his young general Synadenos to occupy Nicomedia, recently evacuated by the Latins” (Miller 16).
Until becoming more established and pretty much threat free in 1214 Trabzon would endure further threats and attacks. Herakleia would fall and much of the neighboring lands to the Nicene Empire. The Sultan Kai Kwaus I captured Sinope as part of his objective of opening a trade route to the Black Sea and David would be murdered in the same conquest. These battles severely altered the borders of the Trabzon Empire on both its Western and Eastern frontiers. Yet, Alexius did gain possession of Perateia, a transmarine province. The Trabzon Empire may have been aided some ways by the loss of Sinope because there was no longer any direct contact with their Nicaea rivals. These battles would also alter the political and cultural landscape of the Trabzon Empire, “Trapezuntine foreign policy was not limited to relations with Georgia and Iconium. The capital was considered impregnable, for art had supplemented nature in its defense. It possessed a mild climate, a fruitful soil in which flourished the olive and the vine, an excellent supply of water-the first requisite for Orientals-and abundant wood” (Miller 19).
While Trabzon would become the envy of all Asia for its natural riches and culture, Alexius would not enjoy the delights of his independent rule for much longer. He died in 1222 and since Trabzon rule was not hereditary oriented at this point, his son lost out to his son-in-law, Andronikos Gidon. During the next century Trabzon would know great prosperity be...