Samonas
Encyclopedia
Samonas was an Arab-born eunuch
, who was captured by the Byzantines
and became one of the most influential officials of the Byzantine Empire
during the first decade of the 10th century.
Samonas was born in ca. 875 in Melitene, apparently the son of a distinguished family (his father served as ambassador to Byzantium in 908). Captured by the Byzantines, he was made a eunuch entered service in the household of Stylianos Zaoutzes
, the powerful chief minister and father-in-law of Emperor Leo VI the Wise
(r. 886–912). After the death of both Stylianos and his daughter, the Empress Zoe Zaoutzaina
, in 899, his relatives plotted to overthrow Leo in a bid to preserve their power and influence. Their conspiracy however was betrayed by Samonas to Leo: the members of the Zaoutzes clan were deprived of their titles and wealth and exiled, but Samonas was rewarded by receiving one third of their fortune and being taken into imperial service as koubikoularios.
Promoted rapidly after his entry into Leo's personal service, he was made a protospatharios
in 900. By 903 he had apparently become, in the words of Shaun Tougher, "Leo's trusted right-hand man". He seems to have been particularly involved in security and intelligence issues, a role stressed by several scholars who have dealt with his life. In 904 however, Samonas was involved in a bizarre episode: on the pretext of visiting a monastery, he escaped Constantinople
and made for the East, hoping apparently to reach his native lands. He was however prevented from crossing the Halys River
, and sought refuge in a holy site. There he was in the end captured by Constantine Doukas
, and brought to trial before the Senate
. Although he was not acquitted, the emperor's continued favour meant that he was only mildly punished by four months of house arrest.
As soon as he was released, Samonas' career resumed its upward path: named patrikios, the highest court rank open to a eunuch, he was made protovestiarios
. Another unusual mark of imperial favour occurred in 906, when Samonas was made godfather to Leo's son and heir, Constantine
. In 906–907, he played an important but shadowy role in the disgrace, defection and eventual deaths of the generals Andronikos Doukas
and Eustathios Argyros. At the same time, throughout the prolonged confrontation of Leo with the Patriarch of Constantinople
Nicholas Mystikos
over the emperor's tetragamy, Samonas was the chief supporter of Leo. As a token of gratitude, probably after the deposition of Mystikos in early 907, he was promoted to the supreme eunuch post of parakoimomenos
, which had lain vacant since the end of the reign of Michael III
(r. 842–867).
Samonas' own downfall would come soon after however, and be of his own making. In 907, in a bid to ingratiate himself with Leo's fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina
, he presented her with a gift in the person of his eunuch servant, Constantine the Paphlagonian. As the imperial couple took increasing liking to their new servant, however, Samonas began to fear for his own influence and position. He first claimed that Constantine and the empress were having an affair. Leo initially believed the accusations, and had Constantine banished to a monastery. Soon however, Leo began to miss his new favourite, and had him restored to his service in the palace. Samonas then resorted to another scheme: with his secretary, he produced a pamphlet, supposedly written by Constantine, which insulted the emperor, and arranged for Leo to read it. His machinations however were betrayed by one of his fellow conspirators, and Samonas was dismissed, tonsure
d and banished to the monastery of Martinakios (summer 908). Constantine succeeded him as imperial parakoimomenos.
.
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
, who was captured by the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and became one of the most influential officials of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
during the first decade of the 10th century.
Life
Stylianos Zaoutzes
Stylianos Zaoutzes was a high Byzantine official of Armenian origin. Rising to high rank under Byzantine emperor Basil I , he then rose further to prominence under Basil's successor Emperor Leo VI the Wise , who had a close friendship and possible an affair with Stylianos's daughter Zoe Zaoutzaina...
, the powerful chief minister and father-in-law of Emperor 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). After the death of both Stylianos and his daughter, the Empress Zoe Zaoutzaina
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 899, his relatives plotted to overthrow Leo in a bid to preserve their power and influence. Their conspiracy however was betrayed by Samonas to Leo: the members of the Zaoutzes clan were deprived of their titles and wealth and exiled, but Samonas was rewarded by receiving one third of their fortune and being taken into imperial service as koubikoularios.
Promoted rapidly after his entry into Leo's personal service, he was made a protospatharios
Protospatharios
Prōtospatharios was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period , awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.-History:...
in 900. By 903 he had apparently become, in the words of Shaun Tougher, "Leo's trusted right-hand man". He seems to have been particularly involved in security and intelligence issues, a role stressed by several scholars who have dealt with his life. In 904 however, Samonas was involved in a bizarre episode: on the pretext of visiting a monastery, he escaped 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:...
and made for the East, hoping apparently to reach his native lands. He was however prevented from crossing the Halys River
Halys River
The Kızılırmak , also known as the Halys River , is the longest river in Turkey. It is a source of hydroelectric power and is not used for navigation.- Geography :...
, and sought refuge in a holy site. There he was in the end captured by Constantine Doukas
Constantine Doukas (usurper)
Constantine Doukas was a prominent Byzantine general. In 904, he stopped the influential eunuch court official Samonas from defecting to the Arabs. In return, Samonas manipulated his father, Andronikos Doukas, into rebelling and fleeing to the Abbasid court in 906/907...
, and brought to trial before the Senate
Byzantine Senate
The Byzantine Senate or Eastern Roman Senate was the continuation of the Roman Senate, established in the 4th century by Constantine I. It survived for centuries but was increasingly irrelevant until its eventual disappearance in the 13th century....
. Although he was not acquitted, the emperor's continued favour meant that he was only mildly punished by four months of house arrest.
As soon as he was released, Samonas' career resumed its upward path: named patrikios, the highest court rank open to a eunuch, he was made protovestiarios
Protovestiarios
Protovestiarios was a high Byzantine court position, originally reserved for eunuchs.-History and functions:The title is first attested in 412, as the comes sacrae vestis, an official in charge of the Byzantine emperor's "sacred wardrobe" , coming under the praepositus sacri cubiculi...
. Another unusual mark of imperial favour occurred in 906, when Samonas was made godfather to Leo's son and heir, Constantine
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...
. In 906–907, he played an important but shadowy role in the disgrace, defection and eventual deaths of the generals Andronikos Doukas
Andronikos Doukas (general under Leo VI)
Andronikos Doukas or Doux was a Byzantine general and rebel in the reign of Emperor Leo VI the Wise . The first member of the illustrious Doukas line to achieve prominence as a successful general, his rivalry with the powerful eunuch Samonas led to his revolt and eventual defection to the Arabs in...
and Eustathios Argyros. At the same time, throughout the prolonged confrontation of Leo with the Patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
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...
over the emperor's tetragamy, Samonas was the chief supporter of Leo. As a token of gratitude, probably after the deposition of Mystikos in early 907, he was promoted to the supreme eunuch post of 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:...
, which had lain vacant since the end of the reign of Michael III
Michael III
Michael III , , Byzantine Emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian-Phrygian Dynasty...
(r. 842–867).
Samonas' own downfall would come soon after however, and be of his own making. In 907, in a bid to ingratiate himself with Leo's fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina
Zoe Karbonopsina
Zoe Karbonopsina, also Karvounopsina or Carbonopsina, i.e., "with the Coal-Black Eyes" , was fourth wife of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise and the mother of Constantine VII....
, he presented her with a gift in the person of his eunuch servant, Constantine the Paphlagonian. As the imperial couple took increasing liking to their new servant, however, Samonas began to fear for his own influence and position. He first claimed that Constantine and the empress were having an affair. Leo initially believed the accusations, and had Constantine banished to a monastery. Soon however, Leo began to miss his new favourite, and had him restored to his service in the palace. Samonas then resorted to another scheme: with his secretary, he produced a pamphlet, supposedly written by Constantine, which insulted the emperor, and arranged for Leo to read it. His machinations however were betrayed by one of his fellow conspirators, and Samonas was dismissed, tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
d and banished to the monastery of Martinakios (summer 908). Constantine succeeded him as imperial parakoimomenos.
Assessment
If Stylianos Zaoutzes has traditionally been seen by historians as having dominated the first half of Leo's reign, Samonas is often marked as the dominant figure in the second half, namely the period from ca. 900 until his own downfall in 908. In both cases, however, the extent of the power and influence wielded by these officials over Leo appears to have been exaggerated. Shaun Tougher argued that the gradual rise and abrupt fall of Samonas illustrate that, far from conforming to his traditional image of a weak and easily dominated emperor, Leo remained in control: it was the emperor's conscious patronage and support that gave such men their great power, and when it was withdrawn, their authority vanished. His role as Leo's "security chief", a view adopted by a number of scholars (most prominently R.J.H. Jenkins) has also been questioned by Tougher, since it relies chiefly on circumstantial literary evidence from a later and distinctly hostile hagiographyHagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
.