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72-544: Nikephoros Phokas was born around 912. From his paternal side, he belonged to the Phokas family which had produced several distinguished generals, including Nikephoros' father Bardas Phokas , brother Leo Phokas , and grandfather Nikephoros Phokas the Elder , who had all served as commanders of the field army ( domestikos tōn scholōn ). From his maternal side he belonged to the Maleinoi ,

144-632: A better end". During the last decades of the tenth century, the Phokades repeatedly tried to get their hands again on the throne, and almost succeeded when Nikephoros' nephew, Bardas Phokas the Younger , rebelled against the rule of Basil II. His death, possibly by cardiac arrest, put an end to the rebellion, and ultimately to the political prominence of the Phokades, although Bardas the Younger's own son, Nikephoros Phokas Barytrachelos , launched another abortive revolt in 1022 along with Nikephoros Xiphias . Phokas

216-403: A bevy of would-be suitors among Constantinople's courtiers, she made an alliance with Nikephoros Phokas , a celebrated military commander who had been proclaimed emperor by his army after the death of Romanos. In return for her hand, the childless Nikephoros gave his sacred pledge to protect her children and their interests. On August 14, supporters of Nikephoros took control of Constantinople over

288-473: A character in: Phokas (Byzantine family) Phokas ( Ancient Greek : Φωκᾶς , romanized :  Phōkâs ) or Phocas ( Latinized ), feminine form Phokaina or Phocaena ( Φώκαινα , Phṓkaina ), was the name of a Byzantine aristocratic clan from Cappadocia , which in the 9th and 10th centuries provided a series of high-ranking generals and an emperor , Nikephoros II Phokas ( r.   963–969). Its members and their clients monopolized

360-698: A decades-long decline in Byzantine-Bulgarian diplomacy and was a prelude to the wars fought between the Bulgarians and later Byzantine emperors, particularly Basil II . Nikephoros' first military failures came in Sicily . In 962 the son of the governor of Fatimid Sicily , Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Kalbi , captured and reduced the Byzantine city of Taormina . The last major Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, Rometta , appealed to

432-440: A fever which lasted several months, not showing evidence of poisoning. Astute and intelligent, Theophano had influence with her husband, Romanos, an influence resented and likely exaggerated by her rivals in the court. On March 15, 963, Emperor Romanos II died unexpectedly at the age of twenty-five. Again, Theophano was rumored to have poisoned him, although she had nothing to gain and everything to lose from this action and, indeed,

504-401: A local folktale, and that al-Athir, who was from a different time and place, was ignorant of the emperor's ancestors who were attested in Byzantine sources; such as his actual father, Bardas Phokas the Elder , who was neither a Muslim nor from Tarsos. The historian Jean-Claude Cheynet has speculated an Armenian or Georgian origin for the family (partly to account for the frequent presence of

576-601: A mediocre general, suffering a string of defeats at the hands of the Hamdanid emir Sayf al-Dawla . One of them , in 953, even left his son Constantine captive in the Hamdanid's hands. Finally, in 955, Bardas was replaced by his son Nikephoros. With the aid of Leo, who had already established himself through victories of his own, and his nephew John Tzimiskes , Nikephoros achieved a series of successes, recovering Crete and Cyprus and repeatedly defeating Sayf al-Dawla's forces. With

648-652: A period of over twenty years when the Phokades and their clients monopolized the Byzantine army's leadership. During this period, the Phokas clan was closely allied with the Maleinoi , a rich and powerful family from Charsianon , through the marriage of Bardas to a Maleinos lady. Other families that were closely aligned with and often related to them through marriage were the Adralestoi , Skleroi , Kourkouai , Parsakoutenoi , Balantai and Botaneiatai . Bardas himself, already in his mid-sixties when named commander-in-chief, proved

720-516: A powerful Anatolian Greek family which had settled in Cappadocia . Early in his life Nikephoros had married Stephano. She had died before he rose to fame, and after her death he took an oath of chastity. Nikephoros joined the army at an early age. He was appointed the military governor of the Anatolic Theme in 945 under Emperor Constantine VII . In 954 or 955 Nikephoros was promoted to Domestic of

792-893: A relic with the image of Jesus to be later placed in the Church of the Virgin of the Pharos in Constantinople. He later sent a detachment to Barbalissos which returned with 300 prisoners, then he went to raid Wadi Butnan , Chalcis , Tizin and Artah , before laying siege to Antioch, but it was abandoned after eight days due to the lack of supplies. In 967 or 968, Nikephoros annexed the Armenian state of Taron by diplomacy, in addition to Arzen and Martyropolis . In October 968, Nikephoros conducted another expedition which started by besieging Antioch for thirteen days, then he went south raiding and sacking most of

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864-504: A riot and soon forcing Bringas to flee. On August 16, Nikephoros was proclaimed emperor and married the empress Theophano. Nikephoros II was not very successful in his western wars. Under his reign, relations with the Bulgarians worsened. It is likely that he bribed the Kievan Rus' to raid the Bulgarians in retaliation for them not blocking Magyar raids. This breach in relations triggered

936-481: A spouse, and the Orthodox Church only begrudgingly accepted remarriage. Polyeuctus banned Nikephoros from kissing the holy altar until the emperor performed a penance for having remarried. Further complications arose when Nikephoros was alleged to have been godfather to one or more of Theophano's children, which placed the couple within a prohibited spiritual relationship. Nikephoros organised a council which nullified

1008-498: A superior enemy invasion force along the eastern frontier; though it purports that the tactics were no longer needed since the danger of the Muslim states to the east had subsided. It is likely that this latter work, at least, was not composed by the Emperor but rather for him; translator and editor George T. Dennis suggests that it was perhaps written by his brother Leo Phokas, then Domestic of

1080-638: A wife for Otto's young son, the future emperor Otto II . Bishop Liutprand described Nikephoros as: Whereas Bishop Liutprand describes the emperor's hair as being bristly, Leo the Deacon says it was black with "tight curls" and "unusually long". John Julius Norwich says, about his murder and burial, "It was a honourable place; but Nikephoros Phocas, the White Death of the Saracens, hero of Syria and Crete, saintly and hideous, magnificent and insufferable, had deserved

1152-472: The Bosphorus in a storm, was smuggled into the palace and allowed into the imperial chambers where he woke and killed his uncle. John was good-looking and irrepressibly charming and the contemporary writers record that he and Theophano were lovers. They had come to an understanding on the conspiracy against the emperor. On the night of the assassination Theophano suspiciously left the imperial bedchamber, leaving

1224-567: The Hagia Sophia , while his brother Leo Phokas escaped the city in disguise. Bringas was able to garner some support within the city from a few high-ranking officers, namely Marianos Argyros , but he himself was not a skilled orator and was unable to obtain the support of other popular officials such as the Patriarch Polyeuctus and the general Basil Lekapenos . The people of Constantinople soon turned against his cause, killing Argyros in

1296-672: The Nika riots and its violent suppression within the stadium itself. The crowd within the Hippodrome panicked and began a stampede to retreat from the stadium, resulting in numerous deaths. Nikephoros was the author of extant treatises on military tactics, most famously the Praecepta Militaria , which contains valuable information on the art of war in his time, and the less-known On Skirmishing ( Medieval Greek : Περὶ Παραδρομῆς Πολέμου ), which concerned guerrilla-like tactics for defense against

1368-670: The Peloponnesian region of Lakonia , possibly in the city of Sparta , in 941. Theophano was originally named Anastasia , or more familiarly Anastaso and was the daughter of a poor tavern-keeper called Craterus. Theophano was renowned for her great beauty and heir apparent Romanos fell in love with her around the year 956 and married her against the wishes of his father, Emperor Constantine VII . Theophano's humble origins made her unpopular among Byzantine elites and when her father-in-law Constantine VII died, rumors were spread alleging that she had poisoned him. Constantine died in 959 of

1440-553: The 13th century in the Empire of Nicaea : Theodotos Phokas, the uncle of Theodore I Laskaris ( r.  1205–1222 ), became megas doux (commander-in-chief of the navy), a certain Michael Phokas was stratopedarches (military commander) in 1234, and another family member was metropolitan bishop of Philadelphia . It is probable that the family became extinct in the 11th century and later appearances of personalities with

1512-471: The Anatolian magnates, specifically names the Phokades and the closely allied Maleinoi as targets of the emperor's legislation. The Phokades, however, retained a measure of influence in their native Cappadocia: there, in 1022, Bardas Phokas's son Nikephoros , surnamed Barytrachelos ( Βαρυτράχηλος , "wry-neck"), in alliance with Nikephoros Xiphias , was proclaimed emperor. He was soon murdered by Xiphias and

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1584-532: The Arabs until the collapse of the Hamdanids, except for the period from 960 to 961, when the army turned its focus to the reconquest of Crete . From the ascension of Emperor Romanos II in 959, Nikephoros and his younger brother Leo Phokas were placed in charge of the eastern and western field armies respectively. In 960, 27,000 oarsmen and marines were assembled to man a fleet of 308 ships carrying 50,000 troops. At

1656-542: The Byzantine Empire to conduct raids, a strategy which left Aleppo dangerously undefended. Nikephoros soon took Syrian Hierapolis . In December, an army split between Nikephoros and John I Tzimiskes marched towards Aleppo , quickly routing an opposing force led by Naja al-Kasaki . Al-Dawla's force caught up with the Byzantines, but he too was routed, and Nikephoros and Tzimiskes entered Aleppo on 24 December. The loss of

1728-501: The Byzantines and the Arabs. In the summer of 965, the conquest of Cilicia began in earnest. Nikephorus and Tzimiskes seized Mopsuestia July 13, while Leo Phokas invested Tarsus and Nikephoros and Tzimiskes arrived soon after. Nikephoros won a pitched battle against the Tarsiots, routing their forces with his "ironclad horsemen", referencing the Byzantine cataphracts . Within a fortnight, on August 16, Tarsus surrendered. Nikephoros allowed

1800-647: The Byzantines was largely due to mutual cultural biases, but also to the fact that both empires claimed to be the successors of the Roman Empire . Conflicts in southern Italy were preceded by religious contests between the two empires and by the malicious writings of Liutprand of Cremona . Otto first invaded Byzantine Apulia in 968 and failed to take Bari . Early the next year, he once again moved against Byzantine Apulia and Calabria , but, unable to capture Cassano or Bovino , failed to make any progress. In May he returned north, leaving Pandulf Ironhead to take charge of

1872-509: The East, conquering Cilicia and northwestern Syria . Nikephoros's regime, however, quickly became unpopular, both due to his focus on military affairs to the detriment of the economy and for his religious policies. In December 969, he was murdered by a group of disaffected generals led by his nephew and one-time protégé John Tzimiskes, with the connivance of Empress Theophano . The Phokades were dismissed from their posts and titles and exiled by

1944-599: The Elder , already active as a general, fell in disgrace for a time, but by the time of Lekapenos's fall in 944, he was a patrikios and a high-ranking general. After the fall of the Lekapenoi clan, Constantine VII appointed Bardas as Domestic of the Schools, while his sons Nikephoros, Leo and Constantine were placed as strategoi (generals and military governors) of the themes of Anatolikon , Cappadocia and Seleukeia , respectively. These appointments heralded

2016-518: The Elder , became a distinguished general, scoring several victories against the Arabs, especially in southern Italy , and reaching the position of Domestic of the Schools . His son, Leo Phokas the Elder , was also Domestic of the Schools, but was defeated by the Bulgarian tsar Symeon ( r.  893–927 ), and later unsuccessfully opposed the rise of Romanos Lekapenos to the throne in 919, being captured and blinded . His brother, Bardas Phokas

2088-653: The Muslims, completing the Islamic conquest of Sicily. In 967, the Byzantines and the Fatimids hastily concluded a peace treaty to cease hostilities in Sicily. Both empires had grander issues to attend to: the Fatimids were preparing to invade Egypt , and tensions were flaring up on mainland Italy between the Byzantines and the German emperor Otto I . The constant tension between the Germans and

2160-447: The Phokas supporters deserted the revolt, which quickly broke apart. The last mention of a direct descendant of the Phokas family comes in 1026, when the patrikios Bardas, the grandson of the magistros Bardas, was accused of plotting against Emperor Constantine VIII ( r.  1025–1028 ) and blinded. These events signalled the end of the direct line of the great 10th-century generals, which almost certainly died out by

2232-500: The Saracens to the positions of martyrs in the church – similar to the status of " Shahid " which the Emperor's Muslim foes bestowed on their own fallen soldiers. In the Christian context, this was a highly controversial and unpopular demand. In 967, he sparked a controversy in the capital by making a display of his military maneuvers in the Hippodrome similar in style to those displayed by the emperor Justinian centuries earlier preceding

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2304-594: The Schools , replacing his father, Bardas Phokas , who had suffered a series of defeats by the Hamdanids and by the Abbasids . The new position essentially placed Nikephoros in charge of the eastern Byzantine army. From 955, the Hamdanids in Aleppo entered a period of unbroken decline until their destruction in 1002. In June 957 Nikephoros managed to capture and destroy Adata. The Byzantines continued to push their advantage against

2376-550: The West. Nikephoros was a very devout man, and he helped his friend, the monk Athanasios , found the monastery of Great Lavra on Mount Athos . The plot to assassinate Nikephoros began when he dismissed Michael Bourtzes from his position following his disobedience in the siege of Antioch. Bourtzes was disgraced, and he would soon find an ally with whom to plot against Nikephoros. Towards the end of 965, Nikephoros had John Tzimiskes exiled to eastern Asia Minor for suspected disloyalty, but

2448-543: The brother of Bardas Skleros . Constantine was Tzimiskes's brother-in-law from his first marriage and a close ally of the new emperor. Their daughter, Theophano , was married in 972 to the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II ( r.  973–983 ). In 978, Bardas was recalled by Basil II to lead the imperial forces against the rebellion of Bardas Skleros. Named magistros and Domestic of the East, he managed to defeat Skleros. Bardas himself rebelled in 987, with

2520-419: The center of their activities. The personal name Phokas appears as early as the 5th–6th centuries CE; and there is also Emperor Phokas ( r.  602–610 ), but there is no evidence connecting these early Phokades to the family. The first-attested member of the family was a soldier, probably of humble origin, who was appointed tourmarches (divisional commander) in 872. His son, Nikephoros Phokas

2592-411: The city would prove to be both a strategic and moral disaster for the Hamdanids. It was probably on these campaigns that Nikephoros earned the sobriquet "The Pale Death of the Saracens". On 15 March 963, Emperor Romanos II died unexpectedly at the age of twenty-six of uncertain cause. Both contemporary sources and later historians seem to either believe that the young Emperor had exhausted his health with

2664-481: The countryside, Nikephoros entered Chandax on 6 March 961 and soon wrested control of the entire island from the Muslims. Upon returning to Constantinople , he was denied the usual honor of a triumph , but was permitted an ovation in the Hippodrome . Following the conquest of Crete, Nikephoros returned to the east and marched a large and well-equipped army into Cilicia . In February 962 he captured Anazarbos , while

2736-493: The doors unbolted. John now proposed to marry Theophano. However, the empress had by now been too damaged by gossip and rumors. Patriarch Polyeuctus refused to perform the coronation unless John punished those who had assisted him in the assassination, removed the "scarlet empress" from the court, and repealed all his predecessor's decrees that ran contrary to the interests of the church. John calculated that his legitimacy would be better enhanced by church approval than marriage to

2808-404: The emperor by the city's inhabitants. After facing down the rebellions of the large aristocratic families, Basil II undertook a series of measures to curb their power, wealth and influence. The Phokades in particular were kept away from military posts and suffered the confiscation of their extensive estates. Basil's edict of 996, directed against the often illegal accumulation of vast estates by

2880-424: The emperor decided to take it by hunger (so as not to damage to city) and left a detachment (a taxiarchy) of 1500 men in the fort of Pagrae , which lies on the road from Antioch to Alexandretta . The commander of the fort, the patrikios Michael Bourtzes , disobeyed the emperor's orders and took Antioch with a surprise attack, supported by the troops of the stratopedarch Petros, eunuch of the Phokas family. Bourtzes

2952-454: The empire was at war on multiple fronts, the heavy taxes needed to support the wars were widely unpopular particularly as they coincided with a few years of poor harvests which brought famine. When the emperor tried to relieve the suffering by limiting the wealth of the monasteries, he alienated the church. A widespread conspiracy developed to remove the emperor. On the night of 10 and 11 December 969, his nephew John I Tzimiskes (969–976) crossed

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3024-505: The excesses of his sexual life and his heavy drinking, or suspect that the Empress Theophano (c. 941–after 976), his wife, poisoned him. Theophano had already gained a reputation as an intelligent and ambitious woman. Unfavorable accounts of her by later historians would characterize her as a woman known for ruthlessness in achieving her goals. Romanos had already crowned as co-emperors his two sons Basil II and Constantine VIII . At

3096-540: The family declined in importance after the 11th century. The Byzantine official and historian Michael Attaleiates , writing in the second half of the 11th century, claimed to have come across the genealogical tree of the family in an old book, and presented its descent from Constantine the Great , and even further back from the ancient Roman families of Fabia and Scipiones ; according to Byzantinists Ivan Đurić , Athanasios Markopoulos, and Nathan Leidholm, this narrative

3168-463: The fortresses and cities along his path including Maarrat Misrin , Arra , Capharda , Larissa , Epiphania and Emesa in the Orontes valley until he reached the city of Tripoli , then he went to take Arca , Antarados , Maraclea , Gabala and received the submission of Laodicea . His aim was to cut off Antioch from its allies: the city was unsuccessfully blockaded two times in 966 and 968, and so

3240-467: The foundation of new monasteries . By his heavy imposts and the debasement of the Byzantine currency , along with the enforcement and implementation of taxes across the centralized regions of the empire, he forfeited his popularity with the people and gave rise to riots. Nikephoros also disagreed with the church on theological grounds. He wished the church to elevate those soldiers who died in battle against

3312-524: The high-command positions of the Byzantine army for much of the 10th century and led the successful Byzantine offensive against the Arabs in the East. As one of the leading families of the Anatolian military aristocracy, the Phokades were also involved in a series of rebellions that laid claim to power and challenged the emperors at Constantinople . Their power was eventually broken by Basil II (r. 976–1025), and

3384-409: The inhabitants to depart unharmed before the city was plundered by his army. With the fall of these two strongholds, Cilicia was in the hands of the Byzantines. In June 966, there was an exchange of prisoners between Sayf al-Dawla and the Byzantines, held at Samosata . In October 966, Nikephoros led an expedition to raid Amida , Dara and Nisibis , then he marched towards Hierapolis , where he took

3456-520: The major city of Tarsus ceased to recognize the Hamdanid Emir of Aleppo , Sayf al-Dawla . Nikephoros continued to ravage the Cilician countryside, defeating the governor of Tarsus, ibn al-Zayyat , in open battle; al-Zayyat later committed suicide on account of the loss. Thereafter, Nikephoros returned to the regional capital of Caesarea . Upon the beginning of the new campaigning season al-Dawla entered

3528-400: The mid-11th century. Nevertheless, the prestige attached to the family name remained considerable for a time after their end: the historian Michael Attaleiates praised Nikephoros III Botaneiates ( r.  1078–1081 ) for being related to the Phokades, "whose glory stretches over all the land and the sea". The Phokas name is rarely mentioned thereafter, until it experienced a revival during

3600-466: The mother of God. Following his death, the Phokas family broke into insurrection under Nikephoros' nephew Bardas Phokas , but their revolt was promptly subdued as Tzimiskes ascended the throne. The tension between East and West resulting from the policies pursued by Nikephoros may be glimpsed in the unflattering description of him and his court by Bishop Liutprand of Cremona in his Relatio de legatione Constantinopolitana . His description of Nikephoros

3672-425: The name "Bardas" among the family members), while various other scholars speculate a mixed Greek —or at least "deeply hellenized ," according to Peter Charanis —and Armenian origin. None of these hypotheses can be conclusively proven today. Whatever their ethnic origins, the Phokades appear to have settled in Cappadocia , where their estates were concentrated and which is clearly attested as their power base and

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3744-462: The new regime. Bardas Phokas the Younger , the younger son of the kouropalates Leo and former doux (military commander) of Chaldia , escaped and rose up in revolt in 970, but was defeated, tonsured and exiled to Chios , while in 971 Leo and his eldest son the patrikios Nikephoros were blinded and their property confiscated. One member of the family had a different fate: Leo's daughter Sophia Phokaina had married Constantine Skleros,

3816-611: The newly crowned emperor Nikephoros for aid against the approaching Muslim armies. Nikephoros renounced his payments of tribute to the Fatimid caliphs , and sent a huge fleet, purportedly boasting a crew of around 40,000 men, under Patrikios Niketas and Manuel Phokas , to the island. The Byzantine forces, however, were swiftly routed in Rometta and at the Battle of the Straits , and Rometta soon fell to

3888-477: The news of his proclamation as emperor, Nikephoros sent a fleet to secure the Bosphorus Strait against his enemies. Around the same time, he appointed Tzimiskes as Domestic of the East, now taking on the formal roles of emperor. He then sent a letter to Constantinople requesting to be accepted as co-emperor. In response, Bringas locked down the city, forcing Nikephoros' father Bardas Phokas to seek sanctuary in

3960-459: The patrician Niketas Chalkoutzes recovered Cyprus . In the spring of 964, Nikephorus headed east. During the summer he captured Anazarbos and Adana before withdrawing. Later that year, Nikephoros attempted to quickly take Mopsuestia , but failed, returning to Caesarea. It was around this time that Niketas Chalkoutzes instigated a coup in Cyprus , which at the time was a shared condominium between

4032-523: The power of Nikephoros Phokas. The victorious general had been accepted as the actual commander of the army and maintained a strong connection to the aristocracy. Bringas was afraid that Nikephoros would attempt to claim the throne with the support of both the army and the aristocracy. This is exactly what he did. On July 2 in Caesarea, his armies, along with his highest-ranking officers, proclaimed Nikephoros emperor. From his position in Caesarea, and in advance of

4104-490: The recommendation of the influential minister Joseph Bringas , Nikephoros was entrusted to lead this expedition against the Muslim Emirate of Crete , and he led his fleet to the island and defeated a minor Arab force upon disembarking near Almyros. He soon began a nine-month siege of the fortress town of Chandax , where his forces suffered through the winter due to supply issues. Following a failed assault and many raids into

4176-436: The region of Laconia , who became Byzantine empress by marriage to emperors Romanos II and Nikephoros II . In 963, between the deaths of Romanos and her marriage to Nikephoros, she was regent for her sons, Basil II and Constantine VIII . Contemporary sources have depicted Theophano as scheming and adulterous, although modern scholars have called this into question. Theophano was born of Laconian Greek origin in

4248-600: The relevant rules, on the grounds that they had been pronounced by the discredited iconoclast emperor Constantine V Copronymus . Polyeuctus did not accept the council as legitimate, and declared Nikephoros excommunicated until the emperor sent Theophano away. In response, Bardas Phokas and another person testified that Nikephoros was not in fact godfather to any of Theophano's children, at which Polyeuctus relented and allowed Nikephoros to return to full communion and keep Theophano as his wife. Nikephoros' gruff military style proved counterproductive in diplomacy and at court. Soon

4320-455: The resistance of Joseph Bringas , a eunuch palace official and former counselor of Romanos. Nikephoros was crowned on 16 August in the Hagia Sophia , and soon after married Empress Theophano, bolstering his legitimacy. The marriage provoked some clerical opposition, aggravated by the tremendous enmity the arch-conservative Patriarch Polyeuctus felt towards the young upstart empress. Both Theophano and Nikephoros had previously been bereaved of

4392-500: The siege. Pandulf was defeated and taken prisoner by the Byzantine general Eugenios, who went on to besiege Capua and enter Salerno . The two empires would continue to skirmish with each other until after the reign of Nikephoros, but neither side was able to make permanent or significant gains. From 964 to 965, Nikephoros led an army of 40,000 men which conquered Cilicia and conducted raids in Upper Mesopotamia and Syria , while

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4464-430: The sudden death of Romanos II in 963, the popular and powerful Nikephoros seized the throne, becoming senior emperor and guardian over the young sons of Romanos, Basil II and Constantine VIII . His father Bardas was named Caesar , and his brother Leo received the high court rank of kouropalates and the office of logothetes tou dromou (postal minister). As emperor, Nikephoros continued his campaigns in

4536-508: The support of many of the major aristocratic families, in an uprising that lasted until his death in 989 at the Battle of Abydos. Skleros, who had returned from his Arab exile and had been captured by Bardas Phokas, tried to assume the leadership of the revolt, allying himself with Bardas's sons Leo and Nikephoros, but soon submitted to the emperor. Leo tried to hold out in Antioch but was surrendered to

4608-625: The surname "Phokas" do not appear to belong to the same family. Most likely, the closest descendants of the imperial house of the Phokades are the ones from the Phokas-Kallergis family; found in Crete, the Ionian Islands, and the Mani Peninsula. Theophano (born Anastaso) Theophano ( Greek : Θεοφανώ , romanized :  Theophanō ; c. 941 – after 978) was a Greek woman from

4680-404: The time that Romanos died, however, Basil was five years old and Constantine only three years old, so Theophano was named regent . Theophano, however, was not allowed to rule alone. Joseph Bringas , the eunuch palace official who had become Romanos' chief councilor, maintained his position. According to contemporary sources he intended to keep authority in his own hands. He also tried to reduce

4752-582: The unpopular empress and acceded to the patriarch's demands. Theophano was sent into exile to the island of Prinkipo (sometimes known as Prote ). Following the death of Tzimiskes in January 976, Theophano's teenage sons Basil and Constantine took sole power. One of the emperors' first acts was to recall their mother from exile. She is last attested in the year 978, appealing to the retired Georgian general T'or'nik of Tao to broker an alliance with his former overlord Davit III of Tao to support her sons against

4824-484: Was clouded by the ill-treatment he received while on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople. Nikephoros, a man of war, was not apt at diplomacy. To add insult to injury, Pope John XIII sent a letter to Nikephoros while Liutprand was in Constantinople calling Otto I Emperor of Rome and even more insultingly referring to Nikephoros merely as Emperor of the Greeks. Liutprand failed in his goal of procuring an Imperial princess as

4896-401: Was disgraced for his insubordination, and later joined the plot that killed Phokas. Nikephoros' popularity was largely based on his conquests. Due to the resources he allocated to his army, Nikephoros was compelled to exercise a rigid economic policy in other departments. He retrenched court largess and curtailed the immunities of the clergy, and while he had an ascetic disposition, he forbade

4968-500: Was recalled on the pleading of Nikephoros' wife, Theophano. According to Joannes Zonaras and John Skylitzes , Nikephoros had a loveless relationship with Theophano. He was leading an ascetic life, whereas she was secretly having an affair with Tzimiskes. Theophano and Tzimiskes plotted to overthrow the emperor. On the night of the deed, she left Nikephoros' bedchamber door unlocked, and he was assassinated in his apartment by Tzimiskes and his entourage on 11 December 969. He died praying to

5040-421: Was still in bed only 48 hours after giving birth to Anna Porphyrogenita when the emperor died. Their sons, Basil II and Constantine VIII , five and three years old, respectively, were the heirs and Theophano was named regent. However, hereditary ascension was a matter of tradition, not law. Theophano realized that, to secure her position and the future of her children, she would need a protector. Passing over

5112-514: Was the author of a military manual, the Praecepta Militaria . On 19 November 2004, the Hellenic Navy named its tenth Kortenaer -class frigate in his honour as Nikiforos Fokas F-466 (formerly HNLMS Bloys Van Treslong F-824). Also, in the Rethymno regional unit in Crete, a municipality ( Nikiforos Fokas ) is named after him, as are many streets throughout Greece. Nikephoros II appears as

5184-437: Was very likely made-up with the purpose of glorifying the recently crowned Emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates , who claimed descent from the Phokades. The Arab historian Ibn al-Athir , writing in the first half of the 13th century, presented Nikephoros II Phokas as the son of a Muslim from Tarsos , named Ibn al-Fuqas; this is rejected by modern historians. Đurić, in particular, wrote that this story could be based on

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