Χρονολόγηση July 3 - August 16, 963. Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Caesarea of Cappadocia IΔΡΥΜA ΜΕΙΖΟΝΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ. 1. Historical context

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1 Περίληψη : On July 3, 963 Nikephoros II Phokas, domestikos ton Scholon of the East, rebelled against the parakoimomenos Joseph Bringas, who had assumed power after the death of Romanos II, aiming to rule along with the two young emperors Basil and Constantine. The rebellion broke out in Caesarea of Cappadocia and ended on August 16, 963 with the formal proclamation of Nikephoros as emperor in Constantinople. Χρονολόγηση July 3 - August 16, 963 Γεωγραφικός Εντοπισμός Caesarea of Cappadocia 1. Historical context Following the death of Romanos II (March 15, 963), rightfully the rule should have been passed on to his two sons, Basil and Constantine, who had been associated to the throne by their father soon after their birth. The two emperors were underage (five and six years old respectively) and thus were in no position to fulfil their duties. The regency of their mother, Theophano, could obviously not fill in the power vacuum that resulted, as the period of time required for the coming of age of the first successor was too long. Furthermore, the empire was in the process of recovering lost lands and gaining ascendancy over its external enemies, mainly the Arabs, while the political scene was dominated by two powerful men, the parakoimomenos Joseph Bringas and the domestikos ton scholon of the East Nikephoros Phokas. The parakoimomenos, whom Romanos II had entrusted with the administration of the state s affairs, wished to preserve the status quo of the regency, as he believed that he had a chance of becoming sole ruler next to the two underage emperors and their mother. The presence of Nikephoros Phokas posed a threat to his plans. Nikephoros, descendant of the powerful aristocratic family of the Phokas from Asia Minor, and supreme commander of the army under Romanos II, had achieved important victories against the Arabs, like capturing Crete in 961, and successes in Syria in the following year. These wartime exploits had earned him great popularity among the people and the army. Above all, however, they made him the main expresser of the goals of the empire s external policy and of the military aristocracy of Asia Minor, which he represented Rebellion of Nikephoros Phokas 2.1. Events leading up to the rebellion The relations between Theophano and Joseph Bringas were under much strain; the main reason for this was the parakoimomenos clear intentions to take control of power, which would have meant pushing the empress on the side-line. On the contrary, she was quite fond of the domestikos of the East Nikephoros Phokas, who in some sources is said to have harboured amorous sentiments towards the empress. 2 According to the same sources, Theophano saw in the face of the popular and powerful noble a suitable guardian for her two young sons and a worthy husband for herself. 3 Bringas, for his part, having realized Phokas great appeal to the populace, resorted to every conceivable measure to keep him away from the capital following his success in Crete and his victories in Syria. Thus, the domestikos of the East did not return to Constantinople after the completion of his 962 campaigns, but remained with his troops, spending the winter in Asia Minor. He was informed of Romanos II s death while he was with his army at Tzamandos. Empress Theophano secretly sent him a letter with which she invited him to Constantinople, aiming to use him as a counterweight to the parakoimomenos influence. Phokas, although aware of the dangers his visit to the capital might hold, where Bringas was particularly powerful and in control of the situation, reached Constantinople in April of 963, where he was received with great enthusiasm by the people and was honoured with a triumph for his military exploits. Bringas, seeing that this was the opportune moment to neutralize his opponent, attempted to organize a conspiracy against him. Phokas realized the danger he was in, and requested the support of Patriarch Polyeuktos, who convened the senate, in which Bringas participated as well. Phokas, after being forced to affirm his loyalty to the two underage emperors by oath, was proclaimed anew supreme commander of the army. In this way, in June 963 the domestikos ton Scholon managed to depart from Constantinople for Cappadocia not only unharmed, but Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 1/6

2 reinforced; in Cappadocia he begun collecting troops Outbreak and success of the rebellion Following his abortive attempt to weave a conspiracy against Phokas in Constantinople, Bringas wished to organize a new plot against him. He addressed a letter to John Tzimiskes, strategos of the theme of Anatolikon, a relative and confidant of Phokas and second in command in the army, suggesting that he should arrest his superior. In return he offered him the office of domestikos ton scholon of the East, essentially the supreme command of the army, i.e. the position Phokas held until then. This scheme too, however, amounted to nothing, as John Tzimiskes revealed to Phokas the contents of the parakoimomenos letter. The domestikos, with the incitement of his close associates, was proclaimed emperor by the army on July 3, 963 at Caesarea and headed for the capital. While his army was approaching Chrysopolis, Bringas was organizing his resistance in Constantinople, relying on the western tagmata, and attempted to curtail the populace s reactions caused by their discontent towards him. The father of the rebellious commander, Bardas Phokas, sought refuge in the church of Hagia Sophia, while Leo, Nikephoros brother, was apprehended but managed to escape and found his way to the rebel camp. On August 9, 963 and while Nikephoros Phokas had camped on the coast of Asia Minor opposite Constantinople, a personal enemy of Bringas, the former parakoimomenosbasil, an illegitimate member of the Lekapenos family, 4 organized an uprising in the capital, sending his men to destroy the houses of Bringas and his supporters. With the support of the people and the Senate, Basil Lekapenos placed the fleet under his control and sent ships to transport Phokas and his army to the area of Hebdomon. On August 14, 963 the rebel invaded Constantinople, while the defeated Bringas sought refuge in Hagia Sophia; he was arrested and originally exiled to Paphlagonia and then to a monastery at Pythia, where he died two years later. On August 16, 963 Nikephoros Phokas was crowned emperor in Hagia Sophia by Patriarch Polyeuktos. 3. Consequences The success of Nikephoros Phokas movement was particularly important, as it affected political developments in the empire for the next thirty years. His victory over Bringas led into his immediate seizure of power, as the guardian of the two young emperors Basil and Constantine, and his marriage to Empress Theophano, aimed at connecting him to the Macedonian dynasty and legitimizing his presence on the throne. For the two scions of the dynasty this development heralded the beginning of a period during which they would remain under the guardianship of representatives of the military aristocracy of Asia Minor. Upon their coming of age and their ascent to the throne they would have to face powerful nobles asserting their rights to power. With Nikephoros Phokas ascent to the throne, the Phokas family reaches its apogee and becomes established in the years to come as the chief agent of power in the empire. His confidante, John Tzimiskes was rewarded with the title of magistros and the office of domestikos ton scholon of the East. This significantly bolstered his influence, allowing the opportunity to acquire a secure foothold in the army, which he later used to succeed Phokas (969). Basil Lakapenos was also significantly strengthened by the movement of 963; he returned to the fore, receiving from Phokas the office of parakoimomenos and taking on important powers in the handling of the political affairs. From this position he strongly influenced political developments, becoming in fact the chief administrator of the empire until his removal by Basil II in 985. The army, finally, emerged as the main regulator of politics during this period. From now on and until Basil II s death ( ), control of the army becomes a sine qua non for anyone wishing to assume and maintain control of power. The rise of the military nobility to power, however, expressed by the figures of Nikephoros II Phokas and later John I Tzimiskes, notwithstanding the benefits it held for the empire s military struggles in the eastern and Balkan fronts, significantly strengthened the military families of Asia Minor, which later attempted to overthrow the Macedonian dynasty in a series bloody civil wars. 1. Treadgold W.T., A History of the Byzantine State and Society (Stanford 1997), pp Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin-New York 1973), Nikephoros Phokas had not attempted to exploit the popularity afforded to him by his military successes to climb to the throne, which possibly Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 2/6

3 reassured Theophano of his respect to the legitimate claims of Romanos II's sons to the throne, see Cheynet J.-C, Pouvoir et contestations a Byzance ( ), (Paris 1990), p Basil Lakapenos had been parakoimomenos during the reign of Constantine VII Porphirogennetos, but following the ascent of Romanos II to the throne had been pushed aside and replaced by Joseph Bringas. Consequently, he had his own personal agenda, and all the more reason to side with Nikephoros Phokas. See Brokkaar, W. G., "Basil Lakapenus - Byzantium in the Tenth Century", Byzantina Neerlandica 3 (1972), pp ; cf. Cheynet J.-C, Pouvoir et contestations a Byzance ( ) (Paris 1990), p 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 Ζακυθηνός Δ., Βυζαντινή Ιστορία , Αθήνα 1972 Οικονομίδης Ν., "Η ενοποίηση του ευρασιατικού χώρου ", Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους 8, Αθήνα 1979, Λέων Διάκονος, Ιστορία, Hase, C.B. (ed.), Leonis Diaconi Caloensis Historiae libri decem et liber de velitatione bellica Nicephori Augusti, Corpus Scriptorum Historiae Byzantinae, Βοnn 1828 Cheynet J.-C., Pouvoir et contestations à Byzance ( ), Paris 1990, Byzantina Sorbonensia 9 Ostrogorsky G., Ιστορία του Βυζαντινού Κράτους, Αθήνα 1981, Παναγόπουλος, Ι. (μτφρ.) Brokkaar W. G., "Basil Lakapenus - Byzantium in the Tenth Century", Studia byzantina et neohellenica Neerlandica, 3, 1972, Δικτυογραφία : Leo the Deacon Historiae Libri X, ed. C. B. Hase (Bonn, 1828), [Book 2]: The Death of Romanos II Γλωσσάριo : 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. magistros Higher office that Philotheos in his Kletorologion places above the anthypatos. This title lost its importance from the 10th century and gradually disappeared - most probably in the middle of the 12th century. 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. strategos ("general") During the Roman period his duties were mainly political. Οffice of the Byzantine state s provincial administration. At first the title was given to the Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 3/6

4 military and political administrator of the themes, namely of the big geographic and administrative unities of the Byzantine empire. Gradually the title lost its power and, already in the 11th century, strategoi were turned to simple commanders of military units, responsible for the defence of a region. tagmata (pl.) Military units stationed in Constantinople and its outskirts during the Middle Byzantine period. The most important tagmata were that of the Scholae, the Excubitors (these originated from respective units of the Early Byzantine period and were organized into an imperial guard and a central strike force by Constantine V), the Vigilia (established by Irene the Athenian) and the Hikanatoi (established by Nicephorus I). Πηγές Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), pp. 256, Hase, C. B. (ed.), Leonis Oiaconi Caloensis Historiae libri decent (Bonn 1828), pp ; Παραθέματα The outbreak of Nikephoros Phokas's rebellion (963) Ὁ δὲ Βρίγγας, ὃν εἴπομεν τρόπον, ἀπατηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Νικηφόρου, καὶ τοῦτον ἐάσας οἴκαδε ἀπελθεῖν, μετεμέλετο, καὶ ἐν δεινῷ ἐποιεῖτο, ὅτιπερ ἐντὸς ἀρκύων ἔχων τὸ θήραμα ἔλαθε τοῦτο φρενοβλαβῶς προηκάμενος. ἐμερίμνα γοῦν πῶς καὶ ποίᾳ μηχανῇ τῆς ἀπὸ τούτων ἀπολυθείη φροντίδος. ἔδοξεν οὖν αὐτῷ λυσιτελέστατον εἶναι πρὸς Ἰωάννην μάγιστρον γράψαι τὸν Τζιμισκήν, ἄνδρα θυμοειδῆ καὶ δραστήριον ὄντα, καὶ μετὰ τὸν Φωκᾶν ἐν τοῖς Ρωμαίων ἐπισημότατον στρατηγοῖς, στρατηγὸν τηνικαῦτα τῶν Ἀνατολικῶν ὑπάρχοντα, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν μάγιστρον Ρωμανὸν τὸν Κουρκούαν, φανερώτατον καὶ ἐπίσημον καὶ αὐτὸν στρατηλάτην ὄντα τῆς ἀνατολῆς, γράμματα πέμψαι, καὶ φιλοτιμιῶν ὑποσχέσεσι καὶ δωρεῶν καὶ τιμῶν διεγεῖραι τούτους πρὸς καθαίρεσιν τοῦ Φωκᾶ. ἐγένοντο δὲ τὰ γράμματα, καὶ ὁ νοῦς τῶν γεγραμμένων ὑπῆρχεν οὗτος. εἰ διαναστάντες καθαιρήσουσι τὸν Φωκᾶν καὶ μοναχὸν ἀποκείρουσιν, ἢ τρόπον ἄλλον ἐκ μέσου ποιήσουσι, τὴν μὲν τοῦ δομεστίκου τῶν σχολῶν τῆς ἀνατολῆς μεγίστην ἀρχὴν λήψεται ὁ Ἰωάννης, τὴν δὲ τοῦ δομεστίκου τῆς δύσεως ὁ Ρωμανός. κομισθέντων οὖν τῶν γραμμάτων τοῖς δηλωθεῖσιν ἀνδράσιν, ἐπείπερ σχετικῶς ἐκεῖνοι εἶχον πρὸς τὸν Φωκᾶν, ὑποαναγινώσκουσί τε αὐτῷ εὐθέως τὰ γράμματα, καὶ διαναστῆναι πρὸς ἀλκὴν καὶ γενναῖόν τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐννοήσασθαι παρεκάλουν. ὀκνοῦντα δὲ καὶ ἀναδυόμενον καὶ αὐτοχείρως ἠπείλουν διαχειρίσασθαι. διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸν τοῦ θανάτου ἀποδειλιάσας κίνδυνον τὴν πρόκλησιν ὑπεδέξατο. καὶ δευτέρᾳ τοῦ Ἰουλίου μηνός, τῆς αὐτῆς ἕκτης ἰνδικτιῶνος, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἕῳ στρατευμάτων ἁπάντων παρακεκινημένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Τζιμισκῆ Ρωμαίων ἀναγορεύεται βασιλεύς. Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), p Leo Deacon's account of the rebellion of Nikephoros Phokas εὐθὺς οὖν εἰς τὴν τῶν Καισαρέων ἐκκλησίαν νέων, ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐπανέστρεφε, καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην τῷ τοῦ Μαγίστρου τιμήσας ἀξιώματι, Δομέστικον τῆς Ἀνατολῆς ἀνηγόρευσεν, ἐντάλματά τε καὶ διατάγματα πανταχοῦ τῆς Ρωμαϊκῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐξέπεμπε, καὶ στρατηγοὺς προχειρισάμενος ἐπὶ τὸν Εὔξεινον, καὶ τὰ παράκτια πάντα, καὶ Ἄβυδον ἔστελλεν, ἀπτέρῳ τάχει ἀπιέναι τούτοις ἐγκελευσάμενος τοῦτο τάχα, ὡς ἔοικε, προμηθούμενος, πρὸ τοῦ διαπτῆναι τὴν φήμην τῆς ἀναῤῥήσεως, τῆς ὑγρᾶς τοὺς πορθμοὺς καὶ τοὺς πόρους προκατασχεῖν. οὕτω γὰρ ᾤετο κατὰ νοῦν αὑτῷ χωρήσειν τὰ πράγματα, καὶ μὴ ἐπινεμεσήσειν τὴν τύχην αὑτῷ, ἐπιμειδιᾶσαι δὲ μᾶλλον ἱλαρόν τι καὶ ἥμερον, εἴ γε προτερήσοι τὴν τῶν ἐπικαιροτάτων χωρίων κατάληψιν. ταῦτα ὁ Νικηφόρος διαπραξάμενος, καὶ εἰς ἀῤῥαγῆ συνασπισμὸν καταπυκνώσας τὰς φάλαγγας, καὶ ὁπλισμοῖς αὐτὰς εὐερκέσιν ἀσφαλισάμενος, τῆς Καισαρείας ἀπάρας ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλεύουσαν ἴετο ἐπιστολήν τε χαράξας καὶ Φιλοθέῳ τῷ Εὐχαΐτων ἐπισκόπῳ ἐγχειρίσας, πρός τε τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἐπειλημμένον οἰάκων Πολύευκτον ἔστειλε, καὶ Ἰωσηφ τὸν τῶν τυραννείων κατάρχοντα, καὶ τὴν σύγκλητον. ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ δὲ ταυτί πως διαπήγγελλεν ἡ γραφή δέξασθαί τε αὐτὸν αὐτοκράτορα, περιφρουρήσοντα καὶ εἰς αὔξησιν ηλικίας σωμασκήσοντα τοὺς τοῦ ἄνακτος Ρωμανοῦ παῖδας καὶ προσέτι τὰ μέγιστα τὴν πολιτείαν ὀνήσοντα, καὶ τῆς Ρωμαϊκῆς ἀρχῆς τὴν ἐπικράτειαν αὐξήσοντα τοῖς κατὰ πολέμους ἀνδραγαθήμασιν. εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο βουληθεῖεν, αὐτοῖς μεταμελήσειν τῆς ἀβελτερίας μετέπειτα, ὁπηνίκα σιδήρῳ καὶ σφαγαῖς τὰ πράγματα διακρίνοιντο καὶ καιρὸς οὐ μέτεστι δικαιολογίας τοῖς αἱρετισαμένοις τῶν βελτιόνων τὰ χείριστα. Hase, C. B. (ed.), Leonis Diaconi Caloensis Historiae libri decem (Bonn 1828), pp Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 4/6

5 The prevalence of Nikephoros Phokas Κατελθόντος οὖν ἐν Χρυσοπόλει μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ στρατοῦ Νικηφόρου τοῦ Φωκᾶ μετ εὐφημιῶν, ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ Βρίγγας βασιλέα τινὰ προβαλέσθαι, διὰ τούτου οἰόμενος τὸν τόνον ἐκλῦσαι τῆς ὁρμῆς τοῦ στρατοῦ. τέως δὲ τῆς ἀναρρήσεως, ὡς εἴπομεν, γενομένης τοῦ Φωκᾶ, Βάρδας μὲν ὁ τούτου πατήρ (ἔτυχε γὰρ ἐνδημῶν τῇ βασιλίδι) ἱκέτης εἰσέρχεται πρὸς τὴν μεγάλην ἐκκλησίαν, Λέων δὲ ὁ ἐκείνου ἀδελφός, καίπερ φυλαττόμενος ἀκριβῶς, λαθὼν ἀπέδρα καὶ τῷ οἰκείῳ ἡνώθη ὁμαίμονι. οὗ γενομένου παρείθη τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ἐν πάσῃ ἀμηχανίᾳ κατέστη ὁ Βρίγγας. ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἀνεπιτήδειος ἐν καιροῖς δυσκόλοις ὄχλον κολακεῦσαι καὶ καταδημαγωγῆσαι πλῆθος. δέον γὰρ προσηνέσι λόγοις καὶ θωπευτικοῖς τὴν τοῦ πλήθους καταμαλάξαι ὁρμήν, ὁ δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐξετράχυνε καὶ ἠγρίωσε. πάντων γὰρ ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ συντρεχόντων ἐκκλησίᾳ, αὐτὸς τὸ πλῆθος ἐκδειματῶν λόγους ἐπαφῆκεν ὑπερηφάνους τε καὶ τραχεῖς, «ἐγώ», φήσας, «καταπαύσω ὑμῶν τὴν ἱταμότητα καὶ ἀναισχυντίαν. ποιήσω γὰρ τὸν τοῦ νομίσματος ὠνουμένους σῖτον ἀποφέρεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ.» οὔπω παρῆλθεν ὁλόκληρος ἡμέρα, ἀφ οὗ τοῦτο εἴρηκε (κυριακὴ γὰρ ἦν, ἐννάτην ἄγοντος τοῦ Αὐγούστου μηνός), καὶ τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας Βασίλειος ὁ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ βασιλέως παρακοιμώμενος, δυσμενὴς καὶ ἔχθιστος ὢν τῷ Ἰωσήφ, τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ φίλοις καὶ συγγενέσι τοὺς οἰκείους μίξας θεράποντας κατὰ πολλὰ μέρη τῆς πόλεως πέπομφεν εἰς τοὺς οἴκους τῶν ἀντιπραττόντων αὐτῷ. καὶ ἀπὸ πρώτης ὥρας τῆς δευτέρας ἡμέρας μέχρις ἕκτης κατέστρεψαν καὶ ἐξηδάφισαν οἰκίας πλείστας τῶν πολιτῶν, ὧν ἐπισημοτέρα ἦν ἡ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῶν ἀντιβαίνειν δοκούντων ἐμφανῶν καὶ πολιτικῶν ἀνδρῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῶν ἄλλων εὐτελεστέρων, ὧν οὐκ ἀριθμητὸν τὸ πλῆθος, οἰκίαι κατεσκάφησαν. ᾧ γάρ ποτε διαφορὰ μετά τινος ἦν, πλῆθος ἀτάκτων μεθ ἑαυτοῦ ἐπαγόμενος, μηδενὸς κωλύοντος, τοῦτον ἠφάνιζε. πολλοὶ δ ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀταξίᾳ καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἐφονεύθησαν. ταῦτα δε ποιοῦντες ἐν τε ταῖς πλατείαις τῆς πόλεως λεωφόροις ἔν τε ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ἔν τε ταῖς στενωποῖς Νικηφόρον ἀνευφήμουν καλλίνικον. τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ἐξάγει μὲν τῆς μεγάλης ἐκκλησίας κίνδυνον ἐκδεχόμενον, Ἰωσήφ τε τὸν παρακοιμώμενον, τὸν προ τοῦ μεγάλα φυσῶντα καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον, εἰς αὐτὴν ἀντεισάγει ἱκέτην ἐλεεινὸν καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν ἀμφίβολον ἔχοντα. οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν παρακοιμώμενον Βασίλειον τριήρεις καταρτίσαντες καὶ τὸν βασιλικὸν εἰληφότες δρόμωνα μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ στόλου περαιοῦνται ἐν Χρυσοπόλει, καὶ τὸν Νικηφόρον ἐκεῖθεν ἀναλαβόμενοι ἄγουσιν εἰς τὸ Ἕβδομον, αὐτόθεν τε αὐτοί τε καὶ πᾶς ὁ δῆμος τῆς πόλεως μετ εὐφημιῶν καὶ κρότων καὶ σαλπίγγων καὶ κυμβάλων δημοσίας γενομένης προόδου διὰ τῆς Χρυσῆς πόρτης εἰσάγουσιν εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα. Thurn, I. (ed.), Ioannis Scylitzae Synopsis Historiarum (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae 5, Berlin New York 1973), pp Leo Deacon describes the coronation of Nikephoros Phokas Ὁ δὲ Νικηφόρος, ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν ἑαυτῷ τέλος ἐχώρει τὰ πράγματα, τὸ ἰδιωτικὸν περιελὼν καὶ ἀποσφενδονήσας χιτώνιον, τὴν αὐτοκρατορικὴν καὶ βασίλειον ἐφεστρίδα ἐμπορπησάμενος, εἰς τὸ βασιλικώτερον ἑαυτὸν μετεσεκεύασεν ἵππου τε ἀγερώχου τῶν λευκῶν ἐπιβάς, φαλάροις κεκοσμημένου βασιλικοῖς καὶ τάπησιν ἁλουργοῖς, διὰ τῆς χρυσῆς πύλης εἰσήλαυνεν, ὑπὸ παντὸς τοῦ δήμου καὶ τῶν ἐν τέλει κροτούμενός τε καὶ γεραιρόμενος. ἑκκαιδεκάτην ὁ Αὔγουστος ἤλαυνε μήν, ἐπὶ τῆς ἕκτης ἰνδίκτου, ἐν τῷ στυο ἔτει, ὅτε ταῦτα ἐπράττετο. ἄρτι δὲ, ἐπεὶ πρὸς τὸν τοῦ θείου περίπυστον σηκὸν εἰσεφοίτησε, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ τῶν ἱερέων πληρώματος ἀξιοχρέους τιμὰς ὑπεδέξατο, πρὸς τοῦ τὴν πατριαρχίαν ἰθύνοντος Πολυεύκτου τῷ βασιλικῷ διαδήματι στέφεται, ἓν καὶ πεντηκοστὸν ἔτος τῆς ἡλικίας ἐλαύνων. Hase, C. B. (ed.), Leonis Diaconi Caloensis Historiae libri decem (Bonn 1828), pp Χρονολόγιο April 963: Nikephoros Phokas returns from Asia Minor to Constantinople June 963: Nikephoros Phokas departs for Cappadocia July 3, 963 Nikephoros Phokas is proclaimed emperor by his troops at Caesarea July 963: Phokas, leading the army, marches on Constantinople August 9, 963: An insurrection breaks out in Constantinople, incited by Basil Lakapenos August 9-15, 963: Phokas enters Constantinople; Joseph Bringas is arrested and exiled Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 5/6

6 August 16, 963: Coronation of Nikephoros Phokas in Haghia Sophia Δημιουργήθηκε στις 7/10/2017 Σελίδα 6/6