A 1340 palace conspiracy ended the reign of a controversial Byzantine emperor
The sudden death of Emperor Basil in 1340 triggered a wave of political chaos and suspicion, forever changing the course of the Empire of Trebizond through a suspected palace poisoning.
Emperor Basil's reign over Trebizond ended abruptly on April 6, 1340, amid rumors that his first wife, Irene Palaeologina, had poisoned him. His death sparked a violent civil war as rival factions fought for control of this wealthy Byzantine successor state on the Black Sea.
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