Περίληψη : Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης. Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου after 556, place unknown. Κύρια Ιδιότητα military official IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ

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1 Περίληψη : Bouzes was born in the early 6 th century in Thrace. He pursued a career in the army and held a large number of ranks, while from 528 onwards he actively participated in war operations on the east front, where he served as commander-in-chief of the Byzantine troops. In he was imprisoned by order of Empress Theodora, while in 549 he activated in Pannonia. He later returned to the east front, where he excelled again. Bouzes died after 556. Τόπος και Χρόνος Γέννησης early 6 th century, Thrace Τόπος και Χρόνος Θανάτου after 556, place unknown Κύρια Ιδιότητα military official 1. Biography Bouzes was born in the early 6 th century in Thrace. The social position of his family remains unknown. His father s name was probably Bitalianos. Bouzes had two brothers called Koutzes and Benilos as well as a sister of unknown name. He made a career in the army and took actively place in the wars of Emperor Justinian I ( ) against the Persians on the east front. He certainly died after 556, but the place and time remain unknown. 2. Career 2.1. Early Activities on the Eastern Front ( ) There is no information about Bouzes early military career. He first appears in the sources in 528, when he was doux of Phoenice Secunda (Libanesia) (Dux Phoenices Libanensis). The Syrian city of Palmyra was his base, while his brother, Koutzes, another military commander in the region, was among his associates. In the same year, he was sent along with Koutzes to the fortress of Minduos, Mesopotamia, in order to help Belisarios against the Persians, but the Byzantine army was finally defeated. 1 In June 530, Bouzes was commanding a cavalry unit during the battle against the Persians at the stronghold of Dara, while in April 531 he was in Amid, Mesopotamia. In the autumn of the same year, he defended successfully Martyropolis, which was under Persian siege. In the following years, Bouzes was still serving on the east front, whose command was divided into two parts by Justinian, who maintained the magister militum per Orientem as commander of the regions south of the Euphrates and formed a new diocese under the magister militum per Armeniam, who commanded the northeastern part of the front. In 539 Bouzes replaced the magister militum per Armeniam Sittas, who had been murdered by Artabanes, the leader of the revolted Armenians, and immediately campaigned against the latter in order to suppress the rebellion. During these operations he ordered the murder of the Armenian sovereign John, Artabanes father. 2 At the same time, by imperial order he assumed command over the Byzantine army to the south and east of the Euphrates because the magister militum per Orientem Belisarios was commanding an expeditionary force in Italy. 3 In 540 Bouzes fled with his forces to Hierapolis of Syria in an attempt to avoid Sassanid attacks and therefore opened the way to the invaders, who finally captured Antioch. Shortly later he went to Edessa, where he managed to avert the redemption of the Byzantines captured by the Persian king in Antioch. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/3/2017 Σελίδα 1/5

2 In 541 Bouzes was among the chief commanders of the Byzantine army gathered at Dara under Belisarios and possibly participated actively in the capture of the Persian fortress of Sisaurana, near Nisibis (modern Nusaybin). The next year, under the pressure of the Persian army, he had once again to flee to Hierapolis Captivity and Operations in Pannonia ( , 549) Towards the end of 542, Bouzes and Belisarios were accused during a discussion held among military commanders of refusing to recognise Empress Theodora as Justinian s successor in case the emperor died of the pestilence afflicting the capital in that period. Theodora reacted instantly and ordered that Bouzes be recalled to Constantinople, where he remained captured under squalid conditions in a special room in the women s chambers of the palace for 28 months. 5 When he was released (early 545), his eyesight had already been impaired and was suffering from a serious disease. As a matter of fact, due to the health problems caused by his long captivity, Bouzes is not reported to have taken part in military operations in the following years. It was in the spring of 549 that he led 1000 horsemen to the region of Pannonia (modern Hungary) in order to help the Byzantine allies Lombards, who were disputing with the Gepids. The dispute was finally settled after negotiations and Bouzes returned to Constantinople The Last Operations in Lazica ( ) In 554 Bouzes returned as military commander to Lazica of the east front. 6 Towards the late 555 he participated in the battle at Onoguris, where the Byzantine army was defeated by the Sassanids. During the retreat, Bouzes maintained control over a bridge through which a large number of Byzantine soldiers passed and survived the Persian pursuit. 7 In early 556 Bouzes camped in Nesos Island, within about 18 km from the mouth of the Phasis River, in order to protect it from a Persian attack. He was later ordered to remain there and this is the last reference to him in written sources. 1. Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (ed.), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (ed.), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (ed.), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (ed.), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Προκόπιος, Ανέκδοτα, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (ed.), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 3 (Leipzig 1963), Αγαθίας Σχολαστικός, Ιστορίαι, Keydell, R. (ed.), Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 2, Berlin 1967), Αγαθίας, Σχολαστικός, Ιστορίαι, Keydell, R. (ed.), Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 2, Berlin 1967), Βιβλιογραφία : Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/3/2017 Σελίδα 2/5

3 Θεοφάνης, Χρονογραφία, de Boor, C. (ed.), Theophanis Chronographia, Leipzig 1883 The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire 3:1, Cambridge 1992 Kaegi W.E., Byzantine Military Unrest An Interpretation, Amsterdam 1981 Αγαθίας Σχολαστικός, Ιστορίαι, Keydell, R. (ed.), Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 2, Berlin 1967 Θεοφάνης Ομολογητής, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, Mango, C. Scott, R. (eds), Byzantine and Near Eastern History, A.D , Oxford 1997 Adontz N., Armenia in the Period of Justinian, London 1970 Ιωάννης Μαλάλας, Χρονογραφία, Dindorf, L. (ed.), Ioannis Malalae Chronographia, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn 1831 Cameron A., Procopius and the Sixth Century, London 1985 Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia, 1-2, Leipzig Προκόπιος, Ανέκδοτα, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 3, Leipzig 1963 Ψευδο-Ζαχαρίας Ρήτωρ, Εκκλησιαστική Ιστορία, E. W. Brooks, Historia Ecclesiastica 1-4, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (Scriptores Syri) 3/5-6, Paris Πηγές Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), 1, 13, 5, 2, 3, 28 31, 6, 1 2. Προκόπιος, Ανέκδοτα, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 3 (Leipzig 1963), Αγαθίας Σχολαστικός, Ιστορίαι, Keydell, R. (ed.), Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 2, Berlin 1967), Παραθέματα The first reference to Bouzes as magister militum per Orientem (528): Ταῦτα ἐπεὶ βασιλεὺς ἤκουσεν (οὐ γὰρ οἷός τε ἦν Βελισάριος Πέρσας ἐνθένδε τῷ παρόντι στρατῷ ἀποκρούεσθαι), ἄλλην τε στρατιὰν ἐπήγγελλεν αὐτόσε ἰέναι καὶ Κούτζην τε καὶ Βούζην, οἳ τῶν ἐν Λιβάνῳ στρατιωτῶν ἦρχον τότε. τούτω δὲ ἀδελφὼ μὲν ἐκ Θρᾴκης ἤστην, νέω δὲ ἄμφω καὶ οὐ ξὺν τῷ ἀσφαλεῖ τοῖς πολεμίοις εἰς χεῖρας ἰόντε. Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Bouzes suppresses the Armenian rebellion (539): Τελευτήσαντος δὲ Σίττα Βούζην βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀρμενίους ἐκέλευσεν ἰέναι ὃς ἐπεὶ ἄγχιστά που ἐγένετο, ἔπεμψε πρὸς αὐτοὺς βασιλεῖ τε καταλλάξειν Ἀρμενίους ὑποσχόμενος ἅπαντας καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐς λόγους οἱ ἐλθεῖν ἀξιῶν τῶν Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/3/2017 Σελίδα 3/5

4 δοκίμων τινάς. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι οὔτε πιστεύειν τῷ Βούζῃ εἶχον οὔτε τοὺς λόγους ἐνδέχεσθαι τοὺς αὐτοῦ ἤθελον. ἦν δέ τις αὐτῷ μάλιστα φίλος ἀνὴρ Ἀρσακίδης, Ἰωάννης ὄνομα, Ἀρταβάνου πατὴρ, ὃς δὴ τῷ Βούζῃ τότε ἅτε φίλῳ θαρσήσας ξύν τε Βασσάκῃ τῷ κηδεστῇ καὶ ἄλλοις ὀλίγοις τισι παρ αὐτὸν ἦλθεν οἳ δὴ ἐν χωρίῳ γενόμενοί τε καὶ αὐλισθέντες, ἔνθα τῷ Βούζῃ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἐντυχεῖν ἔμελλον, ᾔσθοντο ἐς κύκλωσιν πρὸς τοῦ Ρωμαίων στρατοῦ ἥκοντες. πολλὰ μὲν οὖν τὸν Ἰωάννην Βασσάκης ὁ γαμβρὸς ἐλιπάρει δρασμοῦ ἔχεσθαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτὸν πείθειν οὐκ εἶχε, μόνον ἐνταῦθα καταλιπὼν ξὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι λαθὼν τοὺς Ρωμαίους, ὁδῷ τῇ αὐτῇ ὀπίσω αὖθις ἀπήλαυνε. Βούζης τε τὸν Ἰωάννην μόνον εὑρὼν ἔκτεινε, καὶ ἀπ αὐτοῦ οὔτε τινὰ ἐλπίδα ἐς Ρωμαίους Ἀρμένιοι ξυμβάσεως πέρι τὸ λοιπὸν ἔχοντες οὔτε βασιλέα τῷ πολέμῳ ὑπεραίρειν οἷοί τε ὄντες παρὰ τὸν Περσῶν βασιλέα ἦλθον, Βασσάκου σφίσιν ἡγουμένου, δραστηρίου ἀνδρός. Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), The historian Prokopios refers to Bouzes command: Ἐτύγχανε δὲ ὀλίγῳ ἔμπροσθεν βασιλεὺς ἀρχὴν τῆς ἕω τὴν στρατηγίδα διελὼν δίχα, καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄχρι ἐς ποταμὸν Εὐφράτην ἐς τὸ Βελισαρίου απολιπὼν ὄνομα, ὃς ξύμπασαν τὴν ἀρχὴν τὰ πρότερα εἶχε, τὰ δὲ ἐνθένδε μέχρι τῶν Περσικῶν ὁρίων τῷ Βούζῃ ἐπιτρέψας, ὃν δὴ ἁπάσης ἐπιμέλεσθαι τῆς ἑῴας ἀρχῆς, ἕως Βελισάριος ἐξ Ἰταλίας ἐπανήκοι, ἐκέλευε. διὸ δὴ ὁ Βούζης ἅπαντα τὸν στρατὸν ἑπόμενον ἔχων τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἱεραπόλεως ἔμενεν. Προκόπιος, Υπέρ των πολέμων, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 1 (Leipzig 1962), Bouzes is captured by Theodora under squalid conditions, as described by Prokopios: Πέτρος τε γὰρ ὁ στρατηγὸς καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὅνπερ ἐπίκλησιν Φαγᾶν ἐκάλουν, Βελισαρίου τε καὶ Βούζου ἐκεῖνα λεγόντων ἰσχυρίζοντο ἀκηκοέναι ἅπερ μοι ἀρτίως δεδήλωται. ταῦτά γε ἡ βασιλὶς Θεοδώρα ἐπικαλέσασα ἐφ ἑαυτῇ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις εἰρῆσθαι μεστὴ ἐγεγόνει. ἅπαντας οὖν εὐθὺς μετακαλέσασα ἐς Βυζάντιον, ζήτησίν τε τοῦ λόγου τούτου ποιησαμένη, τὸν Βούζην μετεπέμψατο εἰς τὴν γυναικωνῖτιν ἐξαπιναίως, ὥς τι αὐτῷ κοινολογησομένη τῶν ἄγαν σπουδαίων. ἦν δέ τι οἴκημα ἐν Παλατίῳ κατάγειον, ἀσφαλές τε καὶ λαβυρινθῶδες καὶ οἷον Ταρτάρῳ εἰκάζεσθαι, ἵνα δὴ τοὺς προσκεκρουκότας ὡς τὰ πολλὰ καθείρξασα ἐτήρει. καὶ ὁ Βούζης οὖν εἰς τὸ βάραθρον τοῦτο ἐμβέβληται, ἐνταῦθά τε ἀνὴρ ἐξ ὑπάτων γενόμενος ἄγνωστος ἀεὶ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ ἔμεινεν. οὔτε γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐν σκότῳ καθήμενος διαγινώσκειν οἷός τε ἐγεγόνει πότερον ἡμέρα ἢ νύκτωρ εἴη οὔτε ἄλλῳ τῳ ἐντυχεῖν εἶχεν. ἄνθρωπος γὰρ, ὅσπερ οἱ ἐς ἡμέραν ἑκάστην τὰ σιτία ἐρρίπτει, ὥσπερ τι θηρίον θηρίῳ ἄφωνος ἀφώνῳ ὡμίλει. καὶ πᾶσι μὲν τετελευτηκέναι εὐθὺς ἔδοξε, λόγον μέντοι ἢ μνήμην ποιεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ τινα <ἐτόλμα> οὐδείς. ἐνιαυτοῖν δὲ δυοῖν ὕστερον πρὸς μησὶ τέσσαρσιν οἰκτισαμένη τὸν ἄνδρα ἀφῆκε. καὶ ὃς ὥσπερ ἀναβεβιωκὼς ἅπασιν ὤφθη. ξυνέβη τε τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐνθένδε ἀεὶ ἀμβλυώττειν τε καὶ τὸ ἄλλο σῶμα νοσώδει εἶναι. Προκόπιος, Ανέκδοτα, Haury, J. Wirth, G. (eds), Procopii Caesariensis opera omnia 3 (Leipzig 1963), Bouzes is praised by the historian Agathias: Τοιγάρτοι στράτευμα μέγιστόν τε καὶ ἀλκιμώτατον ἐνταῦθα ἔταξε καὶ στρατηγοὺς ἐπέστησε τοὺς ἀρίστους. Βέσσας τε γὰρ καὶ Μαρτῖνος καὶ Βούζης ἡγεῖτο, ἄνδρες ἐν τοῖς μάλιστα γεγενημένοι καὶ πολέμους συχνοὺς ἀγωνισάμενοι. Αγαθίας Σχολαστικός, Ιστορίαι, Keydell, R. (ed.), Agathiae Myrinaei Historiarum libri quinque (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 2, Berlin 1967), Χρονολόγιο early 6 th c.: Bouzes is born in Thrace. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/3/2017 Σελίδα 4/5

5 528: He becomes doux of Phoenice Secunda (Libanesia) and is dispatched to help Belisarios. June 530: Bouzes leads the Byzantine cavalry during the battle at the fortress of Dara. 531: He participates in operations in Amid and Martyropolis, where he repels a Persian attack. 539: He replaces Sittas as magister militum per Armeniam and suppresses the Armenian rebellion. 540: Bouzes temporarily assumes the general command of the east front and unsuccessfully tries to repel a massive Persian invasion. 541: Participation in the conquest of Sisaurana. late 542: He is recalled to Constantinople and is captured by order of Empress Theodora. early 545: Bouzes is released suffering from health problems. 549: Participation in operations in Pannonia : Participation in operations in Lazika. after 556: Bouzes dies. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 2/3/2017 Σελίδα 5/5