Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuriesBarbaro, Giosofat
History
Travels to Tana and Persia : $b A narrative of Italian travels in Persia, in the 15th and 16th centuries
Barbaro, Giosofat
Iran -- Description and travel; Voyages and travels
Assambei,[346] the most powerful King of Tauris and Persia, had several
women as his wives; and, among others, one named Despinacaton, who was
the daughter of an Emperor of Trebizond, named Caloianni, who feared the
might of the Ottoman, Mahomet II, and hoped in this way to strengthen
himself, with the assistance of Assambei, in case of need, so gave her to
him as his wife, with the condition that she might hold to the Christian
faith, employing chaplains to perform the sacred offices. By this lady
Assambei had one male and three female children. The first of these
daughters, named Marta, was married to Sachaidar,[347] father of Ismail
Sophi. The other two remained with their mother, who, after a certain
time, determined to lead a solitary life apart from her husband, who
consented and gave her a large income, assigning as a residence a city
named Iscartibiert,[348] on the frontiers of the land of Diarbet.[349]
This lady remained in this place a long time, and with her her two
daughters, leading a Christian life, and after her death was buried in
the city of Amit,[350] in the church of San Giorgio, where her tomb is
to be seen even to this day. The son, Jacob or Juibic, remained with
his father, Assambei, and, when about twenty years of age, the very
night on which his father died, was strangled by three other brothers by
another mother. His sisters, named the one Eliel and the other Eziel,
hearing of their brother’s death, decided to fly; and, after packing up
their goods, went to Aleppo, and thence to Damascus; where they have
been often seen by our countrymen, one of them being still alive. Now,
to return to Caloianni, who thought, by giving his daughter as wife to
Assambei, that he would strengthen his country against the enemy and
remain in possession of Trebizond, I will mention that the Turk quickly
came down upon him with his army, before he could obtain succour. The
unhappy monarch,[351] not finding help on any side, was constrained to
give himself up to the enemy. Thence he was taken to Constantinople and
treated honourably enough, but died before a year was over, in 1462.[352]
CHAP. II.
Pirahomat makes war on Abrain, his brother, in order to take
from him the kingdom of Caramania, and obtains his end by the
aid of the Grand Turk, against whom he afterwards rebels, and
flies to Persia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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