Trapezus in the context of "Kingdom of Pontus"

Byzantine Anatolia refers to the peninsula of Anatolia (located in present-day Turkey) during the rule of the Byzantine Empire. Anatolia was of vital importance to the empire following the Muslim invasion of Syria and Egypt during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in the years 634–645 AD. Over the next two hundred and fifty years, the region suffered constant raids by Arab Muslim forces raiding mainly from the cities of Antioch, Tarsus, and Aleppo near the Anatolian borders. However, the Byzantine Empire maintained control over the Anatolian peninsula until the High Middle Ages (years 1080s), when imperial authority in the area began to collapse.

The Byzantine Empire re-established control over parts of Anatolia during the First Crusade, and following the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, Anatolia became the heartland of the successor states of the Empire of Nicaea and Empire of Trebizond. Following the retaking of Constantinople in 1261, the region gradually passed out of Byzantine control and into the hands of the Ottoman Turks as the empire gradually crumbled. The last Byzantine fortress of Philadelphia fell in 1399, and the last Byzantine presence in the area at Trapezus ended in 1461 with the fall of Trebizond.

Sophaenetus (Ancient Greek: Σοφαίνετος, romanized: Sophainetos) was one of the leaders of the Ten Thousand, an army of Greek mercenaries in the service of Cyrus the Younger, in 401–400 BC. A native of Stymphalus, he was an older man when he recruited and led one thousand hoplites to join Cyrus. He led the army back to the Black Sea and from Trapezus to Cerasus by ship. At Cotyora, he was fined 10 minae for mishandling funds.

The main source for Sophaenetus' career is the Anabasis of Xenophon. Writing in the fifth century AD, Stephanus of Byzantium cites on four occasions a certain Anabasis Kyrou written by Sophaenetus. This is generally presumed to be the same person as mentioned by Xenophon. Stephanus cites him for the names of several places in Asia Minor. The Anabasis Kyrou is not attested outside of Stephanus. The lack of any reference to the work for several centuries after it would have been written is a difficult to explain and its authenticity has been questioned. Some modern scholars regard it as a late forgery, composed after the time of Plutarch. Panico Stylianou suggests that it may be a case of mistaken identity. Pieces of advice attributed to Sophaenetus entered the military handbooks and were misunderstood to refer to a book written by him.

Cerasus or Kerasous (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς) was a town of ancient Pontus, on the Black Sea coast, a little to the west of Trapezus. The Ten Thousand, in their retreat, came to Trapezus, and leaving Trapezus, "they arrive on the third day at Cerasus, an Hellenic city on the sea, a colony of the Sinopeis, in Colchis." The Anonymous geographer of Ravenna places Cerasus 60 stadia east of Coralla, and 90 west of Hieron Oros, and on a river of the same name. The name, and possibly the population, of the town were translated to Pharnacia in the Hellenistic era.

Its site is tentatively located near Gelida Kale in Asiatic Turkey.