Nicephorus Ii Phocas
Nicephorus II Phocas ( 912 969 ) is a great general of the Byzantine empire that came to the throne and became an emperor challenged. He reigned from 963 to 969.
Summary |
Origins
Nicephorus (name that means bringing victory) belongs to the family Phocas , a native of Cappadocia , who gave Byzantium several other generals. He was born about 912 and joined the army quite young. His grandfather , also named Nicephorus was shown in Italy and Sicily where he had driven the Moors from North Africa by Basil I.. Under Leo VI , he fought the Bulgarians , one of his son and uncle Nicephorus Phocas, Leo , had been a servant of scholes, commander in chief in the war against the Bulgarians and had even attempted to usurp the throne from Constantine VII. Leon had been stopped by Roman Lecapenus. Another of his uncles on the maternal side, was St. Michael Malenos , Abbot Mount Kymin in Bithynia. The father of Nicephorus Phocas Bardas, had fought the Saracens and became a genuine folk hero. He also helped to recover Constantine VII forsaken its power to Lecapenus.
Nicephorus has two brothers. The first, Constantine, strategist of Seleucia , was taken prisoner by Hamdanids in 949 and died poisoned in a dungeon under 6 years later Kedrenos. The second, curopalate strategist and Cappadocia Leo Phocas, his place as commander on the eastern border.
Early military exploits
Under Constantine VII , it becomes strategist Anatolia in 946 The expedition to Crete Since its conquest by the Saracens in 824 , the Crete became the rear base of pirates plundering the Byzantine periphery land. Their shipments are bloody and ruthless as that of 904 on Thessaloniki told by Jean Caminiats. From 825 , the Byzantines attempt to retake the island, but all attempts were failures. In all, five attempts are made before 960; the last commissioned by Constantine Gongyle at the end of the reign of Constantine VII is a disaster. Pirates ruined Byzantine trade ports, as Joseph Bringas , the Parakoimomenos, head of the Senate and real holder of power in imperial Roman II , decides on a new expedition. He put his head in the best general of the Empire: Nicephorus Phocas. Bringas must overcome opposition from the Senate who sees, not without reason, in Nicephorus a possible usurper of the imperial throne as it is popular. The time is favorable to action on Crete, the Muslims are so disorganized and entangled in wars. Nicephorus led the expedition on Crete , ravaged Candia after a siege of ten months and eliminates the Saracen Island. After receiving honors rare triumph and be done with domestic scholes East (he replaced his brother Leon to the position), he returned to the East with an army strong and well equipped for winter 961 - 962. It takes in 962 to Anazarbe and Sis in Cilicia , then goes into Syria in the north and removes the emir Hamdanids Sayf al-Dawla the city of Aleppo ( December 23 962 ) which is mercilessly trashed. But can not capture the citadel he left town and returned to Cilicia. The theme of Seleucia is then reformed. After going to Constantinople collect the imperial crown 963 , Nicephorus led a second operation against the Hamdanids, prevailing at the time on northern Syria and Mosul , just as the Buyids of Baghdad take to reverse them. Nicephorus in a manifesto sent to the Baghdad court announces its intentions with clarity, resume Antioch and Damascus and return the Arabs in their homeland of Saudi. Finally he wants to take over Jerusalem. Manifest somehow prescient since posting the Crusades. There is no permanent conquests. It was during this campaign than he is given the nickname "the white death of the Saracens." On the death of Romanus II in suspicious circumstances, he returned to Constantinople to defend against the intrigues generated by the minister Joseph Bringas. With the help of Theophano , the young widow of the emperor, who wants to protect the lives of his children, and the patriarch, he was given command of the forces and Eastern is proclaimed Emperor by the Senate and then by the army on July 3 963 to Caesarea. After a popular uprising against Bringas Constantinople, Nicephorus Phocas made his entrance into the city and is crowned on August 16 alongside the son of Romanus II. On September 20 , he married Theophano despite the opposition of his son, the patriarch Polyeucte (he initiated proceedings for nullity of marriage later). During his reign he continued the military campaigns. From 964 to 965 , he finally conquered Tarsus , Massissa and Cilicia, while the patrician Nicetas Chalcoutzs takes Cyprus to Muslims ( 964 / 965 ). In 966 he ravaged Mesopotamia up Nisibis and then plunges into Syria where he captured the fortified town of Arta between Aleppo and Antioch. In January 967 the death of Prince Hamdanids Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla Ali , succeeded by his son's inability Saad el-Dwala strengthens the position of Nicephorus. Nicephorus was less fortunate in the West. Having renounced the tribute from the caliph of Fatimid , it sends an expedition to Sicily ( 964 - 965 ), but suffered defeats on land and sea force him to leave the island. In 967 he made peace with the Saracens of Kairawan to better fight Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor who attacked the Byzantine possessions in Italy. Nicephorus must retreat. Because of his military campaigns and maintaining a strong army, Nicephorus must exercise a rigid fiscal policy. It reduces the largesse of the court and put an end to tax exemptions of the clergy. Although he considers himself as an ascetic , he forbade the founding of new monasteries. High taxes, depreciation of its currency, making Nicephorus very unpopular and 967 of a movement hostile crowd against him broke out in a procession: the Emperor towel then throwing stones . Nicephorus, too old, not attractive to a husband who cheats on him with Theophano Jean Tzimiskes. It was not long before hatching a conspiracy against him with the help of his nephew and Tzimiskes. The latter was under house arrest in his land of Armenia by Nicephorus - under the influence of his brother became curopalate. Tzimiskes, in addition to suffer the disgrace of losing command of his army is made public logothete Race (Head of posts). Theophano which Nicephorus was passionate, able to remove the disgrace. The conspirators decided therefore to take action and remove Nicephorus. The following are Theophano enter a detachment commanded by Tzimiks in the Imperial Palace Bucoleon on 11 December 969. This group consisted of eight to ten men as Michel Bourtzi disgraced strategist, Leon Pdiasomos, another patrician, Leo Abala , taxiarch, Theodore Black. They stab Nicephorus in his sleep. His head is cut off and displayed in public, his body was thrown into the snow. Soon after, his remains were buried quietly in the Holy Apostles in a sarcophagus on heroon of Constantine. Abala guilty and is designated as a scapegoat and is executed shortly after . There remains uncertainty about the motivations of Theophano. According to some columnists, it acted for a reason purely villainous; other columnists, as Manasses , the customs clearance of fully and talk about the threat posed Nicephorus and his brother on children Theophano. The latter fearing her son mutilated and exiled to a monastery would have appealed to Tzimiskes. The Byzantine chroniclers are clearly divided on Nicephorus. Some, like Leo the Deacon , it is very favorable, while other like Jean Skylitzes , Georgios Kedrenos or John Zonaras do not mince their words in the contempt they have for him. Thus Skylitzes-doubt strongly you it's apparent virtue and austerity. It tells the advent of Nicephorus: "On 20 September See also Campaign in the East
Reign
Accession to the Throne
Further conquests
In 968 he reduced most of the fortresses of Syria and Aleppo after a victory over Nicephorus seizes Ma'arrat al-Numan , Kafartab , Chayzar , which he burned down the mosque, then Hama and Homs which is delivered to flames. After the devastation of the valley of the Orontes, the Basileus approaching the Lebanese coast and takes Jabala , Arqa , Tortosa and receives the submission of Latakia (Laodicea). The expedition was a success and the emperor returned to Constantinople with a considerable booty, and probably tens of thousands of captives. He instructed his nephew Peter Phocas and strategist Michael Bourtzi blockade of Antioch. Following a surprise attack on Michael Bourtzi 29 October 969 the city is making the final on November 1, 969 with the intervention of Peter Phocas. The reconquest of Antioch by the Byzantines marks the culmination of Greek crusade. The city is for more than a century stronghold of the empire in the region. In December or January 969 970 Peter Phocas again takes the city of Aleppo (where a usurper Kargouya chased Saad el-Dwala) except the citadel and is content to get a promise of vassalage and meet all the Christian churches. Betrayal
Nicephorus Phocas seen by the Byzantine chroniclers
Related articles
External Links
Sources
References
Preceded by Nicephorus II Phocas Followed by Roman II 
Byzantine Emperor 963 - 969 John I Tzimiskes
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