Karbeas (Greek: Καρβέας) was a Paulician leader, founder and ruler of the Paulician principality of Tephrike from ca. 843 until his death in 863.
He was initially a protomandator (senior staff officer) at the service of Theodotos Melissenos, the Byzantine strategos of the Anatolic theme.[1][2] During the first decades of the 9th century, the Paulicians were established as a numerous and warlike community but seen as heretics by the Byzantine state and consequently suffered on-and-off persecution. Under the leadership of their spiritual and military head, Sergius-Tychicus, they staged a number of revolts against Byzantium from their various strongholds throughout Anatolia, collaborating with the Arabs on occasion.[3] As a result, the Byzantine empress-regent Theodora launched an empire-wide pogrom against the Paulicians in 843, where allegedly up to 100,000 Paulicians perished. With some 5,000 followers, Karbeas fled to the Arab emirate of Melitene.[1][4] With the aid of the emir of Melitene Omar al-Aqta, Karbeas established an independent Paulician state centered around Tephrike on the Upper Euphrates, which also included the newly-founded cities of Amara and Argaous. From there he participated regularly in the raids (razzias) by the Arab emirates into Byzantine Anatolia.[4][5] According to the Patriarch Photius, Karbeas was only the military leader of the Paulician community, and no successor to Sergius as the spiritual head was appointed.[6] He died in 863, either of natural causes or at the hands of the Byzantines in the Battle of Lalakaon,[1][7] and was succeeded by his nephew, Chrysocheir.[8]
Karbeas has been suggested as the inspiration behind Karoes, the Muslim uncle of the father of Digenes Akritas, the eponymous hero of the most famous of the Acritic songs.[1][9]