Leo Phocas
Encyclopedia
Leo Phokas was an early 10th-century Byzantine
general of the noble Phokas clan
. As Domestic of the Schools
, he led a large-scale campaign against the Bulgarians
in 917, but was heavily defeated. He then plotted to seize the throne, but was outmaneuvered however by the admiral Romanos Lekapenos. After Lekapenos seized control of the Empire, Leo led an unsuccessful revolt, and was captured and blinded.
, an eminent Byzantine general who had distinguished himself in southern Italy. His brother, Bardas
, was also a senior general, as were Bardas' sons Nikephoros and Leo
. Nikephoros eventually became emperor in 963–969. Little is known about Leo's early life. During the late reign of Leo VI the Wise
(r. 886–912) he married the sister of Constantine the Paphlagonian, the emperor's powerful parakoimomenos
, and rose to the post of Domestic of the Schools
. Although personally brave and not without some measure of success against the Arabs in the East, his ability as a general was rather limited. Steven Runciman
attributed his rise more to his aristocratic origin and his familial connection with the parakoimomenos Constantine.
During the regency of Empress Zoe
in 913–919, he is recorded as being again Domestic of the Schools and holding the dignity of magistros. In 917, he was placed in charge of a large-scale expedition against the Bulgarians. The plan involved a two-pronged assault, one from the south by the main Byzantine army under Leo Phokas, and one from the north by the Pechenegs, who were to be ferried across the Danube
by the Byzantine navy
under Romanos Lekapenos. In the event however, the Pechenegs did not help the Byzantines, partly because Lekapenos quarrelled with their leader (or, as Runciman suggests, may have even been bribed by the Bulgarians) and partly because they had already begun plundering on their own, disregarding the Byzantine plan. Left unsupported by both the Pechenegs and the fleet, Phokas suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tsar Symeon
at the Battle of Acheloos. The imperial army was almost annihilated, and Phokas himself barely escaped. As Symeon marched south towards Constantinople
, he gathered a motley force and attempted to halt his advance, but was again defeated by Symeon in a surprise night attack at Katasyrtai
.
These military disasters weakened the regency of Zoe, and rumours began to circulate that Phokas, whose army lay encamped across the Bosporus
, and his brother-in-law Constantine the Paphlagonian were planning to seize the throne from the young Constantine VII
(r. 913–959). According to Runciman, Zoe herself may have planned to marry the general and solidify her own position. The emperor's tutor however, a certain Theodore, turned to Romanos Lekapenos; although he carried a great share of the blame for the failure of the Bulgarian campaign, Romanos remained a powerful factor as his fleet was intact and ready at hand. The parakoimomenos Constantine tried to neutralize this threat by disbanding the fleet, but he was arrested by Lekapenos when he arrived to supervise the discharge payment of the crews. With this stroke, Zoe lost all control of the situation. At Theodore's urging, the young emperor appointed the Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos
as regent. The Patriarch's first act was to dismiss Leo Phokas from his post as Domestic and replace him with John Garidas.
Leo tried to secure his position by forcing the Patriarch to appoint some of his relatives to command the Hetaireia
, the imperial bodyguard. The Patriarch at first agreed, but almost immediately dismissed them. At this point Leo turned to Lekapenos and offered him a marriage alliance. Lekapenos agreed and swore alliance with him, allowing Leo to return to his troops at Chrysopolis. Leo apparently believed that Lekapenos, in view of his lowly origins, could never possibly put forward a credible claim for the imperial throne. Events proved that he had severely miscalculated his new ally: on 25 March 919, Lekapenos managed to gain entrance to the imperial palace
, occupyied it and secured his appointment as magistros and commander of the Hetaireia. A few weeks later, he married his daughter Helena
to the young emperor and assumed the title of basileopator
, becoming the virtual ruler of the Empire.
Leo Phokas was then sent a letter, in the emperor's name, in which he was bidden not to react to these events. Inevitably, the outmaneuvered Leo rose in revolt, but failed to secure the loyalty of his troops: they began to desert to the imperial camp, especially after a letter from the young Constantine VII, which acclaimed Lekapenos as his protector and denounced Leo's rebellion, reached the rebel camp and was read aloud to them. Eventually, Leo was forced to flee, but was captured and blinded
by the emperor's agents in Bithynia
. Following the discovery of a plot by some of his friends a few months later, Phokas suffered a final humiliation, being paraded through the streets of Constantinople on a mule. His fate thereafter is unknown.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
general of the noble Phokas clan
Phokas (Byzantine family)
Phokas or Phocas , feminine form Phokaina , 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...
. As Domestic of the Schools
Domestic of the Schools
The Domestic of the Schools was a senior Byzantine military office, extant from the 8th century until at least the early 14th century. Originally simply the commander of the Scholai, the senior of the elite tagmata regiments, the Domestic quickly rose in prominence: by the mid-9th century, its...
, he led a large-scale campaign against the Bulgarians
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
in 917, but was heavily defeated. He then plotted to seize the throne, but was outmaneuvered however by the admiral Romanos Lekapenos. After Lekapenos seized control of the Empire, Leo led an unsuccessful revolt, and was captured and blinded.
Life
Leo was the son of Nikephoros Phokas the ElderNikephoros Phokas the Elder
Nikephoros Phokas the Elder was one of the great generals in the service of the Eastern Roman Emperor Basil I.Descended from the Phokas family, one of the large land-holding families of Anatolia, Nikephoros Phokas rose to the positions of patrikios and domestikos ton scholon. He succeeded in...
, an eminent Byzantine general who had distinguished himself in southern Italy. His brother, Bardas
Bardas Phokas the Elder
Bardas Phokas was a notable Byzantine general in the first half of the 10th century, and father of Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas and the kouropalates Leo Phokas the Younger....
, was also a senior general, as were Bardas' sons Nikephoros and Leo
Leo Phokas the Younger
Leo Phokas or Phocas was a prominent Byzantine general who scored a number of successes in the eastern frontier in the mid-10th century alongside his older brother, the Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas...
. Nikephoros eventually became emperor in 963–969. Little is known about Leo's early life. During the late reign of Leo VI the Wise
Leo VI the Wise
Leo VI, surnamed the Wise or the Philosopher , was Byzantine emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty , he was very well-read, leading to his surname...
(r. 886–912) he married the sister of Constantine the Paphlagonian, the emperor's powerful parakoimomenos
Parakoimomenos
The parakoimōmenos was a Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunuchs. Many of its holders, especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief ministers.-History and functions:...
, and rose to the post of Domestic of the Schools
Domestic of the Schools
The Domestic of the Schools was a senior Byzantine military office, extant from the 8th century until at least the early 14th century. Originally simply the commander of the Scholai, the senior of the elite tagmata regiments, the Domestic quickly rose in prominence: by the mid-9th century, its...
. Although personally brave and not without some measure of success against the Arabs in the East, his ability as a general was rather limited. Steven Runciman
Steven Runciman
The Hon. Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman CH — known as Steven Runciman — was a British historian known for his work on the Middle Ages...
attributed his rise more to his aristocratic origin and his familial connection with the parakoimomenos Constantine.
Zoe Zaoutzaina
Zoe Zaoutzaina was the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise. She was the daughter of Stylianos Zaoutzes, a high-ranking bureaucrat during the reign of her husband.-Royal mistress:...
in 913–919, he is recorded as being again Domestic of the Schools and holding the dignity of magistros. In 917, he was placed in charge of a large-scale expedition against the Bulgarians. The plan involved a two-pronged assault, one from the south by the main Byzantine army under Leo Phokas, and one from the north by the Pechenegs, who were to be ferried across the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
by the Byzantine navy
Byzantine navy
The Byzantine navy was the naval force of the East Roman or Byzantine Empire. Like the empire it served, it was a direct continuation from its imperial Roman predecessor, but played a far greater role in the defense and survival of the state then its earlier iterations...
under Romanos Lekapenos. In the event however, the Pechenegs did not help the Byzantines, partly because Lekapenos quarrelled with their leader (or, as Runciman suggests, may have even been bribed by the Bulgarians) and partly because they had already begun plundering on their own, disregarding the Byzantine plan. Left unsupported by both the Pechenegs and the fleet, Phokas suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tsar Symeon
Simeon I of Bulgaria
Simeon I the Great ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern Europe...
at the Battle of Acheloos. The imperial army was almost annihilated, and Phokas himself barely escaped. As Symeon marched south towards Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, he gathered a motley force and attempted to halt his advance, but was again defeated by Symeon in a surprise night attack at Katasyrtai
Battle of Katasyrtai
The battle of Katasyrtai occurred in the fall of 917, shortly after the striking Bulgarian triumph at Acheloos near the village of the same names close to the Byzantine capital Constantinople, . The result was a Bulgarian victory....
.
These military disasters weakened the regency of Zoe, and rumours began to circulate that Phokas, whose army lay encamped across the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
, and his brother-in-law Constantine the Paphlagonian were planning to seize the throne from the young Constantine VII
Constantine VII
Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" was the fourth Emperor of the Macedonian dynasty of the Byzantine Empire, reigning from 913 to 959...
(r. 913–959). According to Runciman, Zoe herself may have planned to marry the general and solidify her own position. The emperor's tutor however, a certain Theodore, turned to Romanos Lekapenos; although he carried a great share of the blame for the failure of the Bulgarian campaign, Romanos remained a powerful factor as his fleet was intact and ready at hand. The parakoimomenos Constantine tried to neutralize this threat by disbanding the fleet, but he was arrested by Lekapenos when he arrived to supervise the discharge payment of the crews. With this stroke, Zoe lost all control of the situation. At Theodore's urging, the young emperor appointed the Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos
Nicholas Mystikos
Nicholas I Mystikos or Nicholas I Mysticus was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from March 901 to February 906 and from May 912 to his death in 925. His feast day in the Orthodox Church is May 16.Nicholas was born in the Italian Peninsula and had become a friend of the Patriarch Photios...
as regent. The Patriarch's first act was to dismiss Leo Phokas from his post as Domestic and replace him with John Garidas.
Leo tried to secure his position by forcing the Patriarch to appoint some of his relatives to command the Hetaireia
Hetaireia
The Hetaireia or Hetaeria was a term used to describe a corps of bodyguards of the Byzantine Empire. Its name means "the Company", echoing the ancient Macedonian Companion cavalry. The imperial Hetaireia, composed chiefly of foreigners, formed part of the Byzantine imperial guard alongside the...
, the imperial bodyguard. The Patriarch at first agreed, but almost immediately dismissed them. At this point Leo turned to Lekapenos and offered him a marriage alliance. Lekapenos agreed and swore alliance with him, allowing Leo to return to his troops at Chrysopolis. Leo apparently believed that Lekapenos, in view of his lowly origins, could never possibly put forward a credible claim for the imperial throne. Events proved that he had severely miscalculated his new ally: on 25 March 919, Lekapenos managed to gain entrance to the imperial palace
Great Palace of Constantinople
The Great Palace of Constantinople — also known as the Sacred Palace — was the large Imperial Byzantine palace complex located in the south-eastern end of the peninsula now known as "Old Istanbul", modern Turkey...
, occupyied it and secured his appointment as magistros and commander of the Hetaireia. A few weeks later, he married his daughter Helena
Helena Lekapene
Helena Lekapene was the Empress consort of Constantine VII. She was a daughter of Romanos I and his wife Theodora.-Background:...
to the young emperor and assumed the title of basileopator
Basileopator
Basileopatōr was one of the highest secular titles of the Byzantine Empire. It was an exceptional post , and conferred only twice in the Empire's history...
, becoming the virtual ruler of the Empire.
Leo Phokas was then sent a letter, in the emperor's name, in which he was bidden not to react to these events. Inevitably, the outmaneuvered Leo rose in revolt, but failed to secure the loyalty of his troops: they began to desert to the imperial camp, especially after a letter from the young Constantine VII, which acclaimed Lekapenos as his protector and denounced Leo's rebellion, reached the rebel camp and was read aloud to them. Eventually, Leo was forced to flee, but was captured and blinded
Political mutilation in Byzantine culture
Mutilation in the Byzantine Empire was a common method of punishment for criminals of the era but it also had a role in the Empire's political life. The mutilation of political rivals by the Emperor was deemed an effective way of sidelining from the line of succession a person who was seen as a...
by the emperor's agents in Bithynia
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
. Following the discovery of a plot by some of his friends a few months later, Phokas suffered a final humiliation, being paraded through the streets of Constantinople on a mule. His fate thereafter is unknown.