Χρονολόγηση Spring of October of 989. Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Melitene of Mesopotamia IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ. 1. Historical context

Transcript

1 Περίληψη : Early in 987 the exiled doukas of Mesopotamia Bardas Skleros returned from the caliphate of Baghdad to the Byzantine lands and rebelled against Emperor Basil II. The rebellion broke out in the area of Melitene in the spring of 987, lasted approximately two years and spread over large areas of Asia Minor. It ended in October of 989, following an agreement between the rebel and the emperor. Χρονολόγηση Spring of October of 989 Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Melitene of Mesopotamia 1. Historical context Following his victory over Bardas Skleros during the rebellion of , Emperor Basil II ( ) remained in power, always under the guardianship of the parakoimomenosbasil Lekapenos, who was the real ruler of the state. The domestikos ton scholon tes Anatoles (= of the East) Bardas Phokas played a significant role in the administration; following his victory over Skleros (979), he remained supreme commander of the army and handled all military affairs. Following his defeat, Skleros had sought refuge in the court of Baghdad accompanied by 300 of his comrades. There the caliph Adud ad-daula, and then Samsam ad-daula and Saraf ad- Daulam, kept him under confinement for a considerable amount of time, until late in 986. The Byzantines had sent two embassies requesting Skleros be handed over, but no such agreement was made. Late in 985, in a surprise move Basil II had banished the parakoimomenos Basil Lakapenos and had taken the administration of the state into his own hands. At the same time he demoted Bardas Phokas from domestikos ton scholon tes Anatoles to doukas of Antioch, 1 seeking thus to curtail his power and influence among the troops. For this reason he personally led a campaign against the Bulgarians in the spring of 986. The defeat of the imperial forces by Samuel in August of 986 at Triaditsa (modern Sophia) was a major blow to his prestige. The dire situation in the interior of the empire, due to the military nobility s disgruntlement at Basil s attempts to limit their power, was compounded by Skleros return. Believing that the time was ripe for him to reassert his claims to the throne, Skleros made an agreement with Saraf ad-daulam (December 986 or January 987) and, having pledged the surrender of fortresses and the release of Arab prisoners inside the Byzantine dominion, he left Baghdad. 2. The rebellion of Bardas Skleros 2.1. The outbreak of the rebellion Bardas Skleros together with his brother Constantine, his son Romanos and 300 comrades, having secured during his departure from the caliphate the alliance of some Arab tribes, invaded in February of 987 the Byzantine lands. Initially he captured the city of Melitene, where he arrested its governor, patrikios Kulaib, and appropriated the treasury and seized military equipment. He then proclaimed himself emperor (spring of 987). Apart from his Arab helpers, he managed to secure the support of the Armenians, who had also been his allies during the revolt of , as well as that of the Kurdish emir of Amida, who reinforced him with a considerable number of troops. Basil, due to the unfavourable conditions that prevailed in the empire s interior, restored (between April and May of 987) Bardas Phokas to his post as domestikos ton scholon tes Anatoles, aiming to use him against Skleros, as he had done during the latter s earlier rebellion ( ). Phokas, however, was still displeased over his earlier displacement. He came to an understanding with many persons belonging to the aristocracy of Asia Minor, and having collected a significant number of troops in the theme of Charsianon, under the pretence that he intended to face Skleros, he asked to enter negotiations with the rebel in the summer of 987. Skleros, realizing that he was in an unfavourable position, as Phokas controlled most of the empire s eastern troops, accepted the proposal and sent his brother Nikephoros to propose to Bardas Phokas an alliance and the partition of the empire. He probably wished to keep the largest part of the empire s eastern section for himself. 2 At the same time, though, he dispatched his son, Romanos Skleros, to Emperor Basil II: they had agreed that his son was to feign desertion in order to gain access Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 1/7

2 to the imperial camp in case the rebellion failed Suppression of the rebellion Bardas Phokas accepted Skleros' alliance proposal and ceded to him the regions of Antioch, Phoenike, Syrian Koile and Mesopotamia, where he was most popular and powerful. Thus, Skleros arrived to Cappadocia (probably early in September of 987) in order to join forces with Phokas and wage a combined campaign. Phokas, however, who had in the meantime proclaimed himself emperor in the estates of Maleinos in Cappadocia (August 15, 987), 3 in a surprise move arrested Skleros and his brother Constantine together with his followers, and confined them to the fortress of Tyropoios. 4 From there, Skleros was forced to follow the unfolding of the events for a considerable amount of time as an onlooker. On April 13, 989 Bardas Phokas was killed in Abydos, following his defeat by the troops of Basil II, and his army was disbanded. After this development the widow of Bardas Phokas released Skleros, who proclaimed himself emperor again, and attempted to rally the remnants of Phokas army, a part of which, under Phokas son Nikephoros, returned to Tyropoios. At the same time, he tried to gain the support of another son of Phokas, Leo, who was still governor of Antioch. He also sought to enter into a new alliance with the Arabs, as well as with the Iberian and the Armenian allies of Phokas. The emperor's conciliatory initiative, in which the emperor s brother Constantive VIII played a key role, resulted in Skleros renouncing his claims and accepting the office of kouropalates. The main reason behind the rebel s final submission (October 989) was, apart from his advanced age, the change in the political scene in the caliphate of Baghdad, 5 which no longer allowed him to rely on his Arab allies. 3. Consequences The outbreak of Bardas Skleros rebellion occurred in a critical for Basil II period, when the emperor was fighting to rid himself of his political guardians and take the administration of the empire into his own hands. Skleros return shortly after Basil s defeat by Samuel (August 986) on the one hand forced the emperor to neglect the Bulgarian front once more, while it also placed him in a difficult position vis-à-vis the powerful representatives of the military nobility and especially Bardas Phokas, who he had tried to sideline by curtailing their power and influence among the troops. The need to face Skleros resulted in the emperor s temporary renouncement of his policy of curtailing the nobility s strength, which left him vulnerable and allowed Bardas Phokas the opportunity to launch his own rebellion. The suppression of Bardas Skleros rebellion in October of 989 signals the end of a period during which the powerful representatives of the military nobility of Asia Minor dominate the political scene, playing a key role in the administration of the state and challenging the rightful authority of the Macedonian dynasty rulers and especially of Basil II. With the submission of Skleros and the death of Phokas, Basil manages to finally subdue the two great aristocratic families, the Skleroi and the Phokas, who thanks to their links with the imperial throne had been the main source of challenges to Basil s rule. Henceforth, the administration of the empire comes exclusively under the purview of the emperor, who now remains the sole and indisputable political and military leader. 1. This piece of information is drawn by the Arab historian Yahya b. Sa'id. See Forsyth, J., The Byzantine-Arab Chronicle ( ) of Yahya b. Sa'idAl-Antaki (Ann Arbor 1977), p Seibt, W., Die Skleroi: Eine prosopographisch-sigillographische Studie (Byzantina Vindobonensia 9, Wien 1976), p The Arab historian Yahya b. Sa'id dates the proclamation of Phokas as emperor to September 14, 987, following Skleros arrest. See Forsyth, J., The Byzantine-Arab Chronicle ( ) of Yahya b. Sa'id Al-Antaki (Ann Arbor 1977), p This is the name of the fortress in the Chronicle of John Skylitzes. For more information on its appellation, see Seibt, W., Die Skleroi: Eine prosopographisch-sigillographische Studie (Wien 1976), pp The death of Caliph Saraf ad-daulam inaugurated a period of renewed civil conflict within the caliphate. Seibt, W., Die Skleroi: Eine prosopographisch-sigillographische Studie (Wien 1976), p. 55. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 2/7

3 Βιβλιογραφία : Treadgold W.T., A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Stanford 1997 Ιωάννης Σκυλίτζης, Σύνοψις Ιστοριών, Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Skylitzae Synopsis Historiarum, Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973 Ostrogorsky G., Ιστορία του Βυζαντινού Κράτους, 1-3, Αθήνα 1989, Παναγόπουλος, I. (μτφρ.) Ζακυθηνός Δ., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία , Αθήνα 1972 Μιχαήλ Ψελλός, Χρονογραφία, Renauld, É. (ed.), Michael Psellos, Chronographie ou histoire d un siècle de Byzance ( ), Ι-ΙΙ, Paris (ανατ. 1967) Adontz N., Études arméno-byzantines, Lisbon 1965 Ιωάννης Ζωναράς, Επιτομή Ιστοριών, Büttner-Wobst, T. (ed.), Ioannis Zonarae epitomae historiarum libri XVIII 1-3, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Bonn Honigmann E., Die Ostgrenze des byzantinischen Reiches von 363 bis 1071, Bruxelles 1935 Jenkins R.J.H., Byzantium: The Imperial Centuries (AD ), London 1966 Cheynet J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance ( ), Paris 1990, Byzantina Sorbonensia 9 Seibt W., Die Skleroi: eine prosopographish-sigillographische Studie, Wien 1976, Byzantina Vindobonensia 9 Μπουρδάρα Κ., Καθοσίωσις και Τυραννίς κατά τους Μέσους Βυζαντινούς χρόνους Ι: Μακεδονική δυναστεία , Αθήνα 1981 Kamer S., Emperors and Aristocrats in Byzantium , Ann Arbor 1983 Forsyth J., The Byzantine-Arab Chronicle ( ) of Yahya b. Sa id Al-Antaki, Ann Arbor 1977 Canard M., "Deux documents arabes sur Bardas Skléros", Atti del V Congresso internazionale di Studi bizantini, Roma 1939, Schlumberger G., L'épopée byzantine à la fin du Xe siècle 2. Basile II, le Tueur de Bulgares, Paris 1900 Δικτυογραφία : Διπλωματικές συνέπειες της στάσης του Βάρδα Σκληρού. Γλωσσάριo : caliph The supreme religious and political authority of Muslims, considered successor of Muhammad (Arabic: khalifa = deputy). He was the head of the Caliphate, the religious state of the Arabs. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 3/7

4 domestikos ton scholon Commander of the regiment of scholae. The first officer with this title appears in 767/8. In the 10th C the domesticos became very powerful among the army of the themata; in mid-10th C the office was divided in two, domestikoi ton scholon of the East and those of the West, commanders in chief of the eastern and the western provinces army respectively. doukas (lat. dux) Antiquity: Roman military commander who, in some provinces, combined military and civil functions. Buzantium: a higher military officer. From the second half of the 10th c. the title indicates the military comander of a larger district. After the 12th c., doukes were called the governors of small themes. emir (from Arabic amir) Emir meaning "commander" or "general", later also "prince". Also a high title of nobility or office in some Turkic historical states. kouropalates A high-ranking dignity, which from Justinian I was conferred on members of the imperial family and on foreign princes. During the 11th c. it was conferred on several generals, not belonging to the imperial family. parakoimomenos Τhe guardian of the imperial private chambers. This high office was given usually to eunuchs that were persons of confidence, since they could not ascend to the throne. From the 9th and up to the 11th century, this office assumed a great importance and there were παρακοιμώμενοι that played important roles in the course of the empire, such as Joseph Bringa. patrikios (from lat. patricius) Higher title of honour, placed, according to the "Tactika" of the 9th and the 10th centuries, between anthypatos and protospatharios. It was given to the most important governors and generals. Gradually, however, it fell into disuse and from the 12th century did not exist any more. Πηγές Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), ; ; Renauld, Ε. (ed.), Michel Psellos, Chronographie ou histoire d'un siecle de Byzance ( ) 1 (Paris 1926), pp ; Παραθέματα The second rebellion of Bardas Skleros ( ) recounted by the Byzantine scholar Michael Psellos Εἶτα γίνεταί τι τοιοῦτον πόλεμός τις ἀλλόφυλος καταλαμβάνει τὸν Βαβυλώνιον, ᾧ προσπεφυγότες οἱ περὶ τὸν Σκληρόν, ὥσπερ δήπου ὁ λόγος ἐγνώρισε, ἀντιστρόφους εὕροντο τὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ ὁ πόλεμος βαρὺς καὶ δεινὸς καὶ πολλῶν δεόμενος τῶν ἀντιστησομένων χειρῶν καὶ δυνάμεων καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ εἶχεν οὗτος τῷ οἰκείῳ μόνῳ στρατοπέδῳ θαρρεῖν, ἐπὶ τοὺς φυγάδας τίθεται τὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ λύει μὲν εὐθὺς τῶν δεσμῶν, ἐξάγει δὲ τῆς φρουρᾶς, ὁπλίζει τε καρτερῶς, καὶ κατ εὐθὺ τῆς ἐναντίας ἵστησι φάλαγγος. Οἱ δὲ, ἅτε γενναῖοι ἄνδρες καὶ μάχιμοι, καὶ τάξεις εἰδότες ὁπλιτικάς, ἑκατέρωθεν διαστάντες, εἶτα δὴ ἀθρόον ἐξιππασάμενοι καὶ τὸ ἐνυάλιον ἀλαλάξαντες, τοὺς μὲν αὐτοῦ κτείνουσι, τοὺς δὲ τρέψαντες εἰς φυγήν, εἶτ ἄχρι τοῦ χάρακος ἐξελάσαντες, ἄρδην ἅπαντας ἀνῃρήκασιν ἀναζευγνύντες δὲ, ὥσπερ ἐκ ταὐτοῦ συνθήματος τῆς ψυχῆς, πρὸς φυγὴν ἐτρέψαντο ἑαυτούς ἐδεδοίκεσαν γὰρ αὖθις τὸν βάρβαρον, ὡς οὐ δεξιῶς τούτοις προσενεχθησόμενον, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἐν πέδαις καθείρξοντα. Κοινῇ γοῦν ἀνὰ κράτος φεύγοντες, ἐπειδὴ πλεῖστον τῆς Ἀσσυρίων ἀπεληλύθεισαν γῆς, καὶ ἡ φυγὴ καταφανὴς τῷ βαρβάρῳ ἐγένετο, τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσι τότε τοῦ συνηθροισμένου στρατεύματος τὴν ἐπιδίωξιν αὐτῶν ἐγκελεύεται καὶ πολύ τι πλῆθος κατὰ νώτου τούτοις συνεισπεσόντες, ἔγνωσαν ὅσῳ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς τῶν Ρωμαίων ὑστεροῦσι χειρός οἱ γάρ τοι φυγάδες ἀθρόον τοὺς χαλινοὺς στρέψαντες, καὶ ἐλάττους πρὸς πολλαπλασίους ἀγωνιζόμενοι, βραχυτέρους ἑαυτῶν τοὺς καταλελειμμένους πρὸς τὴν φυγὴν πεποιήκασιν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Σκληρὸς τυραννεύειν τε αὖθις ᾤετο καὶ τὰς ὅλας καθέξειν δυνάμεις, ἀνακεχωρηκότος τε τοῦ Φωκᾶ ἤδη καὶ πάσης τῆς βασιλείου διασκεδασθείσης δυνάμεως ἐπεὶ δὲ πρὸς τοῖς Ρωμαϊκοῖς ὁρίοις γενόμενος, τὸν Φωκᾶν ἐμεμαθήκει βασιλειῶντα, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οἷός τε ἦν καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ μάχεσθαι, τὸν μὲν καὶ αὖθις ὑβρίσας, τῷ δὲ μετὰ τοῦ ἐλάττονος προσεληλυθὼς σχήματος, ἐκεῖνον μὲν τῶν πρωτείων ἠξίωσε, αὐτὸς δὲ μετ ἐκεῖνον ὡμολόγησε τάττεσθαι εἶτα δὴ διχῇ διελόμενοι τὰς δυνάμεις, μακρῷ τὴν τυραννίδα εὐσθενεστέραν εἰργάσαντο. Οἳ μὲν οὖν τάξεσι καὶ παρεμβολαῖς ἐπεποίθεσαν, καὶ μέχρι τῆς Προποντίδος καὶ τῶν παραλίων ἐν ταύτῃ χωρίων κατεληλύθεσαν, ἐπ ἀσφαλοῦς τοὺς χάρακας θέμενοι, καὶ μονονοὺ ὑπεράλλεσθαι καὶ αὐτὴν ἐπιχειροῦντες τὴν θάλασσαν. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 4/7

5 Renauld, E. (ed.), Michel Psellos, Chronographie ou histoire d un siècle de Byzance ( ) 1 (Paris 1926), pp The chronicler John Skylitzes's account of the break-out of Bardas Skleros's rebellion καὶ ὁ μὲν Σκληρὸς ἑνὶ τῶν εἰρημένων τρόπων τὴν Ρωμαίων καταλαμβάνει γῆν, εὑρὼν Βάρδαν τὸν Φωκᾶν ὡς βασιλέα ἀνευφημούμενον, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμοίως παρὰ τῶν συνόντων ἀνευφημούμενος. Οὕτω δὲ τὰ πράγματα διακείμενα εὑρηκὼς διάφορος ἦν καὶ ποικίλος ταῖς γνώμαις. ἑαυτὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀσθενέστατον ἔκρινε εἰς τὸ καθ ἑαυτὸν μόνον συνέχειν καὶ διακρατεῖν τὴν ἀποστασίαν. προσχωρῆσαι δὲ τῷ Φωκᾷ ἢ τῷ βασιλεῖ λίαν ἀγεννὲς ᾠήθη καὶ ἄνανδρον. πολλὰ γοῦν γνωματεύσας μετὰ τῶν συνόντων, τέλος τὸ μὲν μόνος ἀνευφημεῖσθαι ὡς βασιλεὺς παράβολον καὶ ἀλυσιτελὲς διὰ τὸ ἀδύνατον ἐλογίζετο, ἑνὶ δὲ προσφοιτῆσαι τῶν δυναστῶν καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονῆσαι κατεγίνωσκε διὰ τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον. ἔγνω οὖν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν καὶ ἄμφω προσκτήσασθαι τὰς ἀρχάς, ἵν ἐξ ἀποτυχίας τὴν ἑτέραν ἔχῃ βοηθὸν καὶ συλλήπτορα. γράμματα μὲν οὖν αὐτὸς ἐκπέμπει πρὸς τὸν Φωκᾶν, κοινοπραγίαν ἐξαιτῶν καὶ τῆς βασιλείας διανομήν, εἰ καταγωνίσασθαι δυνηθεῖεν τὸν βασιλέα. λάθρᾳ δὲ Ρωμανὸν τὸν υἱὸν ἐκπέμπει πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ὡς τάχα αὐτομολήσαντα, λίαν ἐντρεχῶς λογισάμενός τε καὶ κρίνας, ἵν εἰ μὲν ὁ Φωκᾶς ὑπέρσχῃ, αὐτὸς εἴη σωτὴρ τοῦ παιδός, εἰ δ ἐπικρατέστερα τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑπάρξει, αὐτὸς δι ἐκείνου παραιτηθεὶς τοῦ κινδύνου ῥυσθείη. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ρωμανὸς δόκησιν φυγῆς παρασχὼν ἄπεισι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ὃν οὗτος φιλοφρόνως ἄγαν δεξάμενος καὶ περιχαρῶς μάγιστρόν τε εὐθέως ἐτίμησε καὶ συμβούλῳ διὰ παντὸς ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἐχρῆτο. Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), Bardas Skleros prisoner of Bardas Phokas Βάρδας δὲ ὁ Φωκᾶς, ὡς τὴν τοῦ Σκληροῦ ἐπάνοδον προσαγγελθεῖσαν ἐπύθετο, γράμματά τε ἐκπέμπει αὐτὰ ἐκεῖνα δηλοῦντα τὰ ἐκείνῳ πρὸς τρόπου, καὶ ὅρκοις ἐπιστοῦτο τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, «εἰ τῶν ἠλπισμένων τύχοιμεν», λέγων, «σὺ μὲν ἄρξεις Ἀντιοχείας καὶ Φοινίκης καὶ Κοίλης Συρίας καὶ Παλαιστίνης καὶ Μεσοποταμίας, ἐγὼ δὲ ἄρχων ἔσομαι τῆς βασιλίδος αὐτῆς καὶ τῶν ὑπολοίπων ἐθνῶν». δεξάμενος δὲ περιχαρῶς ὁ Σκληρὸς τοὺς λόγους, καὶ τοῖς ὅρκοις θαρρήσας, ἄπεισιν ἐν Καππαδοκίᾳ πρὸς τὸν Φωκᾶν, ὡς τάχα πληρώσων τὴν κοινοπραγίαν. ἐκεῖνος δὲ τοῦτον ἔνδον τῆς σαγήνης λαβὼν ἀπαμφιέννυσί τε τὰ τῆς βασιλείας παράσημα καὶ ἐς τὸ φρούριον τὸν Τυροποιὸν ἐκπέμπει, φρουρὰν οὐκ ἀγεννῆ περιστήσας αὐτῷ. Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), The suppression of Bardas Skleros's rebellion in the chronicle of John Skylitzes Ἄρτι δὲ τοῦ Φωκᾶ ἀποθανόντος κατὰ τὸν Ἀπρίλλιον μῆνα τῆς δευτέρας ἰνδικτιῶνος, τοῦ ἑξακισχιλιοστοῦ τετρακοσιοστοῦ ἐνενηκοστοῦ ἑβδόμου ἔτους, καὶ τῆς κατ αὐτὸν ἀποστασίας διαλυθείσης, ἀδείας λαβόμενος ὁ Σκληρὸς πάλιν ἀνελάμβανεν ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὴν προτέραν ἐσωμάσκει ἀποστασίαν. ὅπερ πυθόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς γράμμασι παρῄνει κόρον λαβεῖν τῆς τῶν Χριστιανῶν χύσεως αἱμάτων, ἄνθρωπον καὶ αὐτὸν ὄντα καὶ θάνατον προσδεχόμενον καὶ κρίσιν, καὶ ὀψέ ποτε μεταμαθεῖν τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ δεδομένον ἐπιγνῶναι ἄρχοντα μὴ πλανώμενον τῷ πραττομένῳ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ στοιχείῳ. ἐλέγετο γὰρ λόγος δημώδης ὑπό τινων τῶν τὰ μετέωρα ἐστοχασμένων «βῆτα βῆτα διώξει, καὶ βῆτα βασιλεύσει.» ὑφ οὗ αὐτός τε καὶ ὁ Φωκᾶς ἐξηπατημένοι ταῖς ἀποστασίαις ἐπεβάλλοντο. τούτοις δὲ τοῖς γράμμασι μαλαχθεὶς ἐκεῖνος καὶ πίστεις λαβών, ὡς οὐδὲν ὑποστήσεται φλαῦρον, κατατίθεται τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ σπένδεται, κουροπαλάτης τιμηθείς. οὐ μέντοι γε καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν βασιλέα θεάσασθαι ἠξιώθη. κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀορασίᾳ πληγεὶς τὴν ὁρατικὴν ἀπέβαλεν αἴσθησιν καὶ τυφλὸς εἰσήχθη πρὸς βασιλέα. ὃν χειραγωγούμενον ἐκεῖνος θεασάμενός φησι πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας «ὃν εφοβούμην καὶ ἔτρεμον, χειραγωγούμενος ἔρχεται.» Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), Michael Psellos recounts the suppression of Bardas Skleros's rebellion Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐς ὕστερον ἔμελλε κατεργάσασθαι τὸ γοῦν παρὸν ὁ Σκληρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνεῖργε τῆς κατὰ τῶν βαρβάρων στρατείας, ἐφ ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀσχολῶν. Ἀναιρεθέντος γὰρ τοῦ Φωκᾶ, τὸ μὲν ἄλλο μέρος τῆς παρατάξεως, ὅσον ἐκείνῳ καὶ πρὸ τῆς συμμίξεως ὑπέστρωτο τοῦ Σκληροῦ, τὰς ἐπ ἐκείνῳ ἐλπίδας ἀπολωλεκότες διέστησάν τε ἀπ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸν συνασπισμὸν πάντα διαλελύκασιν ὁ δέ γε Σκληρὸς καὶ ὅσοι σὺν ἐκείνῳ φυγάδες τε ἐγένοντο καὶ αὖθις ἀνέζευξαν, ἐφ ἑαυτῶν διαταξάμενοι Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 5/7

6 καὶ ὥσπερ ἀπερρωγὸς μέρος εἰς ἰσοστάσιον τῷ Φωκᾷ τάξιν ἀποκληρωθέντες, ἀντ ἐκείνου τῷ βασιλεῖ αὖθις Βασιλείῳ γεγόνασιν. Οὗτος τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀνήρ, εἰ καὶ τῆς τοῦ Φωκᾶ χειρὸς καὶ δυνάμεως ἐλάττων ἐδόκει, ἀλλὰ τά γε εἰς στρατηγικωτάτην βουλὴν καὶ παράταξιν δεινότερος ἐκείνου καὶ ποικιλώτερος ἐγνωρίζετο διὸ ταύτην τὴν ἀποστασίαν εἰς αὖθις ὠδίνας τῷ αὐτοκράτορι, ἐς χεῖρας μὲν ἐλθεῖν ἐκείνῳ καὶ συμμῖξαι οὐκ ἐδοκίμασε, τὸν δὲ στρατὸν κρατύνων καὶ προσθήκαις ἐπαύξων, βαρύτερος ἐντεῦθεν ἐδόκει τῷ βασιλεῖ οὐ μέχρι δὲ τούτου κατεστρατήγει τὸν αὐτοκράτορα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ναῦς ἐπέχων, ὁπόσαι ἐς τὴν πομπείαν ἐτύγχανον ἱκαναὶ, ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ τὰς τῶν ὁδῶν ἀποτειχίζων ἐλευθερίας, τὰ μὲν ὅσα ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια ἤγετο δαψιλῶς ἀπεθησαύριζε τῷ στρατῷ, τὴν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλείων ἐκεῖσε διὰ τῶν δημοσίων ἵππων προσταττομένην ἢ ἄλλως διακυβερνωμένην κατάπραξιν, πᾶσιν ἀνεῖργε ἐπιτηρῶν ὄμμασι. Οὐ τοίνυν θέρους ἀρξαμένη ἡ τυραννὶς εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὀπώρας κατέληξεν, οὐδὲ κύκλος εἷς ἐνιαύσιος τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν περιέγραψεν, ἀλλ ἐπὶ πολλοῖς ἔτεσι τουτὶ διεκυμαίνετο τὸ κακόν οἱ γὰρ ἅπαξ ὑποστρώσαντες ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Σκληρῷ καὶ συμπληρώσαντες ἐκείνῳ τὴν φάλαγγα, οὐκ ἔτι διπλοῖς ἐμερίσθησαν λογισμοῖς, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τούτων οὐδεὶς λαθὼν ἀπηυτομόλησεν οὕτως αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀμετάθετον γνώμην συνήρμοσεν ὁ Σκληρὸς, εὐνοίαις τε ὑπαγόμενος καὶ εὐεργεσίαις δουλούμενος, καὶ συμβιβάζων ἀλλήλοις, ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς τε τούτοις σιτούμενος καὶ κοινοῦ μετέχων κρατῆρος, ἐξ ὀνόματός τε καλῶν ἕκαστον καὶ δι εὐφήμου γλώττης ποιούμενος. Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς πάσης ἐπ αὐτὸν ἥπτετο σκέψεώς τε καὶ πράξεως. Ὁ δὲ ῥᾷστα πάντα διέλυε, στρατηγικῶς ταῖς ἐκείνου βουλαῖς τε καὶ γνώμαις ἀντιπράττων καὶ ἀντιμηχανώμενος καὶ ἐπειδὴ πάσαις ἀνάλωτον τοῦτον εἶδε λαβαῖς ὁ Βασίλειος, πρεσβείαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεστάλκει σπείσασθαί τε πείθουσαν καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι πραγμάτων, τὰ πρῶτα μετά γε τοῦτον τῆς ἀρχῆς ἔχοντα. Ὁ δὲ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα οὐκ εὐμενῶς τοῖς πράγμασιν ἄγαν ὡμίλησεν, ἔπειτα πολλοὺς ἐλίξας καθ ἑαυτὸν λογισμοὺς καὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσι τὰ ἐνεστῶτα συγκρίνας, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα πρὸς ταῦτα εἰκάσας, πρὸς ἑαυτόν τε ἀπιδών, τῷ γήρᾳ καταπονούμενον, πείθεται τοῖς πεπρεσβευμένοις, καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἅπαν συλλήπτορας εἰς τὴν παραδοχὴν τῆς πρεσβείας συνειληφὼς σπένδεται Βασιλείῳ ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὥστε τὸ μὲν στέφος τῆς κεφαλῆς ἀποθέσθαι καὶ ἐπισήμου μεθέσθαι χρώματος, εὐθὺς δὲ μετ ἐκεῖνον ἑστάναι, καὶ τούς τε λοχαγωγοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὅσοι τῆς τυραννίδος αὐτῷ ἐκοινώνησαν τὰς αὐτὰς ἔχειν ἀρχὰς καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μέχρι παντὸς ἀπολαύειν ἀξιωμάτων, ὧν αὐτὸς τούτους ἠξίωσε, καὶ μήτε κτήσεων ἐστερῆσθαι ὧν τε εἶχον καὶ ὧν παρ αὐτοῦ προσειλήφασι, μήτε τινῶν ἄλλων τῶν προσκεκληρωμένων αὐτοῖς ἀπεστερῆσθαι. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἄμφω συνεληλυθέτην, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξεληλύθει τῆς Πόλεως ἔν τινι τῶν λαμπροτάτων χωρίων ὑποδεξόμενός τε τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς ποιησόμενος ὁ μὲν οὖν ὑπὸ βασιλικῇ καθῆστο σκηνῇ, τὸν δὲ Σκληρὸν πόρρωθεν εἰσῆγον οἱ δορυφοροῦντες ἅμα καὶ εἰς ὁμιλίαν τοῦ βασιλέως προσάγοντες, οὐχ ἱππότην, ἀλλὰ βάδην μετακομίζοντες ὁ δὲ, ἅτε δὴ εὐμεγέθης, ἤδη δὲ καὶ γεγηρακὼς, προσῄει χειραγωγούμενος ἑκατέρωθεν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς πόρρωθεν τὸν ἄνδρα ἰδὼν, τοῖς ἀγχοῦ ἐφεστῶσι τοῦτο δὴ τὸ δημῶδες καὶ κοινὸν ἀνεφθέγξατο «Ἰδοὺ ὃν ἐδεδοίκειν, οὗτος χειραγωγούμενος ἱκέτης μου πρόσεισιν». Ὁ μὲν οὖν Σκληρὸς, εἴτε σπουδάσας, εἴτε ἄλλως καταφρονήσας, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα παράσημα τοῦ κράτους ἀπέθετο, οὐ μέντοιγε καὶ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ φοινικοβαφοῦς πεδίλου ἐγύμνωσεν, ἀλλ ὥσπερ μέρος τῆς τυρρανίδος ἑαυτῷ ἐπαφεὶς προσῄει τῷ βασιλεῖ ὁ δέ γε Βασίλειος, καὶ πόρρωθεν ἰδὼν, ἐδυσχέρανε καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔβυσε, μὴ ἂν ἄλλως τοῦτον ἐθέλων ἰδεῖν, εἰ μὴ πάντη ἰδιωτεύσοι τῷ σχήματι αὐτοῦ γοῦν που πρὸς τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως σκηνῇ ἀπελίττεται καὶ τὸ ἐρυθρὸν πέδιλον ὁ Σκληρὸς, καὶ οὕτως ὑπέδυ τὴν στέγην. Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς εὐθὺς ἐξανέστη ἰδών καὶ ἐφιλησάτην ἄμφω ἀλλήλω, εἶτα δὴ καὶ διαλόγων πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἡψάσθην, ὁ μὲν τῆς τυρρανίδος ἀπολογούμενος, καὶ αἰτίας τιθεὶς δι ἃς ἐβουλεύσατό τε τὴν ἀποστασίαν καὶ ἔδρασε ὁ δὲ ὁμαλῶς τὴν ἀπολογίαν δεχόμενος, καὶ ἐς δαιμονίαν τύχην ἀναφέρων τὸ πεπραγμένον. Ὡς δὲ καὶ κοινοῦ μετεῖχον κρατῆρος, ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν δεδομένην κύλικα τῷ Σκληρῷ τοῖς οἰκείοις προσαγαγὼν χείλεσι καὶ πιὼν ὅσον δὴ μέτριον, αὖθις ἀντιδίδωσι τῷ ἀνδρὶ, ὑποψίας ἀπάγων καὶ τὸ τῶν σπονδῶν παραδεικνὺς ὅσιον. Εἶτα δὴ καὶ οἷον στρατηγικὸν ἄνδρα ἠρωτήκει περὶ τοῦ κράτους καὶ ὅπως ἂν αὐτῷ ἀστασίαστος ἡ ἀρχὴ τηρηθείη ὁ δὲ ἄρα οὐ στρατηγικὴν βουλὴν, ἀλλὰ πανοῦργον εἰσηγεῖται γνώμην, καθαιρεῖν μὲν τὰς ὑπερόγκους ἀρχὰς, καὶ μηδένα τῶν ἐν στρατείαις ἐᾶν πολλῶν εὐπορεῖν, κατατρύχειν τε ἀδίκοις εἰσπράξεσιν, ἵνα τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀσχολοῖντο οἴκοις, γυναῖκά τε εἰς τὰ βασίλεια μὴ εἰσαγαγεῖν καὶ μηδενὶ πρόχειρον εἶναι, μήτε τῶν ἐν ψυχῇ βουλευμάτων πολλοὺς ἔχειν εἰδήμονας. Renauld, E. (ed.), Michel Psellos, Chronographie ou histoire d un siècle de Byzance ( ) 1 (Paris 1926), pp Χρονολόγιο December of 986-January of 987: Bardas Skleros leaves Baghdad February of 987: Bardas Skleros invades the region of Melitene Spring of 987: Bardas Skleros proclaims himself emperor at Melitene Summer of 987: Bardas Skleros enters in an alliance with Bardas Phokas. Romanos Skleros defects to the imperial camp Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 6/7

7 August 15, 987: Phokas is proclaimed emperor in the Charsianon theme Early September of 987: Bardas Skleros is arrested by Phokas and is confined to the fortress of Tyropoios April 13, 989: Bardas Phokas is defeated by the imperial forces close to Abydus Spring of 989: Bardas Skleros is released by the widow of Bardas Phokas. The rebellion continues October of 989: Bardas Skleros submits and surrenders to Emperor Basil II Δημιουργήθηκε στις 24/7/2017 Σελίδα 7/7