Gregory Taronites (Greek: Γρηγόριος Ταρωνίτης) was a Byzantine governor of the theme of Chaldia (modern north-eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey) who rebelled against Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in 1103/4 and governed his province as a virtually independent ruler until his defeat in battle in 1106/7.
[4] However, this identification is problematic;[3] as Basile Skoulatos argues, Anna Komnene, whose Alexiad is the main source on the period and about the two men's lives, would scarcely have confused them, especially as both were her relatives.
[5] From a series of letters by Archbishop Theophylact of Ohrid, it appears that Gregory Taronites originally held some civilian office in the Balkans, before being entrusted with a mission to the Pontus ca.
Alexios at first tried to convince him to submit peacefully, offering a full pardon, but Gregory replied with poems insulting the emperor, his family and the senior military and civilian leadership.
[1] In his letters, Theophylact of Ohrid, with apparent sincerity, lavished praise on Gregory and his military and administrative ability, and hoped for him to restore the Empire's lost glory.