Thracesian Theme

The Thracesian Theme (Greek: Θρᾳκήσιον θέμα, Thrakēsion thema), more properly known as the Theme of the Thracesians (Greek: θέμα Θρᾳκησίων, thema Thrakēsiōn, often simply Θρᾳκήσιοι, Thrakēsioi), was a Byzantine theme (a military-civilian province) in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey), comprising the ancient regions of Ionia, Lydia and parts of Phrygia and Caria.^[1]

History

As with the other themes, the exact date of foundation is unclear: earlier scholars believed that it was initially a tourma of the Anatolic Theme that was raised to a theme, but recent scholarship has shown it to have been one of the first four themes created. At any rate, the Thracesians are first securely attested in 711, although many scholars believe that the Thracesian army is to be identified with the Thracianus exercitus ("Thracian army") mentioned in a decree of 687.^[1][2][3] The name of the theme derives from the fact that the themes were formed in the 640s as military encampment areas for the remnants of the old field armies of the East Roman army, following the Muslim conquests: in the case of the Thracesians, the old field army of the magister militum per Thracias.^[4] This is further supported by the fact that units that are known to have been part of the latter in the 4th/5th centuries, the vexillatio palatina of the Equites Theodosiaci Iuniores and the auxilium palatinum of the Victores, are attested again as the theme's tourmai of the Theodosiakoi and Viktores in the 10th century. This provides the Thracesian theme with the distinction of fielding some of the oldest units of the Byzantine army.^[3][5]

The theme contained some 20 cities, with Ephesus (also known as "Theologos" at the time) the largest among them. Its capital, however, was most likely Chonae.^[1] One of the largest and most important themes, at the heyday of the thematic system in the 8th–9th centuries, its governing strategos commanded some 10,000 troops and had an annual salary of 40 pounds of gold.^[1] In 949, its senior-most officers were, in order of rank, the tourmarches of the Theodosiakoi, the tourmarches of the Viktores, the tourmarches of the seacoast (tēs paraliou), and a meriarches.^[3][6] The coast was also under the parallel authority of the strategos of the naval theme of Samos, who drew crews and ships from there.^[3]

Most of the theme was briefly conquered by the Seljuk Turks in the late 11th century, but most of its territory was recovered by John Doukas with the help of the First Crusade (1096–1099). John II Komnenos (r. 1118–1143) re-established it, albeit in a reduced size, under a doux with seat at Philadelphia. The southern portion of the old theme became part of the new theme of Mylasa and Melanoudion.^[7] The theme was one of the last Byzantine territories in Asia Minor to fall to the various Turkish beyliks. By the early 14th century, however, it had been restricted to the area around Smyrna, until that city also fell to the Beylik of Aydın in 1330.^[1]

References

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Further reading