Eustathios Argyros (general under Leo VI)

Not to be confused with his namesake contemporary, the admiral Eustathios Argyros.
Eustathios Argyros
Died c. 910
Allegiance Byzantine Empire
Rank strategos of various themes, Drungary of the Watch
Relations Pothos Argyros, Leo Argyros (sons)

Eustathios Argyros (Greek: Εὐστάθιος Ἀργυρός; died c. 910) was a Byzantine aristocrat and one of the most prominent generals under Emperor Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912).

Life

Eustahtios Argyros was a scion of the noble Argyros family.[1] Nothing is known of his life or prior to the turn of the 10th century, although he may have served as early as the late reign of Michael III (ruled 842–867), when a man of the same name is recorded as protostrator of the Caesar Bardas.[2][3] The Byzantine historians praise Eustathios Argyros as an intelligent, valiant, prudent and just man, and account him, along with Andronikos Doukas as the best of Leo VI's generals.[1][4]

After a succession of unknown military commands, Eustathios had by the early 900s reached, according to Theophanes Continuatus, the rank of patrikios and deputy military governor (hypostrategos) of the Anatolic Theme. From this position, he scored a number of successes against the Arabs in the east, until he fell into disgrace and was exiled.[1][5] Although no details or reasons are offered for his exile, this has been interpreted as a reference to the failed rebellion and flight of Andronikos Doukas to the Arabs in 906–907. Eustathios was rehabilitated soon after, probably in 908, when Andronikos Doukas' son Constantine escaped from his Arab exile and returned to Constantinople, where he was pardoned by Leo.[1][6]

Eustathios was now appointed as strategos of the important border theme of Charsianon.[1] There he received the return to imperial service of a number of Armenian lords, Melias, the three brothers Baasakios, Krigorikios and Pazounes, and Ismael, who were established as march-wardens along the Empire's eastern border.[7] Of them, Melias in particular would go on to become the founder of the theme of Lykandos and one of the main Byzantine leaders in the wars against the Arabs over the next 30 years.[8]

His tenure was short, however, since ca. 909 he was promoted to the rank of magistros and the post of Drungary of the Watch, i.e. commander of the imperial bodyguard, and replaced as strategos of Charsianon by Constantine Doukas.[7] About a year later, he fell again under Leo's suspicion—again the reason is unknown—and was ordered to return to his family's estates at Charsianon. On the way, he died after taking poison by one of his servants, and was buried on the summit of Mount Aran.[1][7] While historian Romilly James Heald Jenkins has suggested that this was done through an agent of the powerful and scheming court eunuch Samonas, it more likely was suicide.[9] His two sons, Pothos and Leo, who served in the palace as manglabites (personal bodyguards of the emperor), arranged to have their father's body transferred for burial to their ancestral monastery of Saint Elizabeth in the Charsianon district.[1][7]

Family

Both of Eustathios' sons would go on to hold senior military commands, including the post of Domestic of the Schools (commander-in-chief).[7][10] Leo Argyros married a daughter(Agatha Lekapene) of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944), and was probably the grandfather or great-grandfather of Emperor Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–1034).[11]

Identity

Some modern scholars like R. J. H Jenkins (The 'Flight' of Samonas), R. H. Dolley (The Lord High Admiral Eustathios Argyros and the betrayal of Taormina to the African Arabs in 902) and Ekkehard Eickhoff (Seekrieg und Seepolitik zwischen Islam und Abendland) consider Eustathios Argyros to have been identical with the contemporary admiral Eustathios. This is rejected by other scholars like J. F. Vannier (Familles byzantines: les Argyroi (IXe–XIIe siècles)) and R. Guilland (Recherches sur les institutions byzantines). Furthermore, the admiral is given the surname "Argyros" in some modern works that distinguish him from the general, while others reject the surname entirely. According to the Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit, "a definitive decision can no longer be made", and the main argument for the two being different persons is the incompatibility of their careers: like the admiral, Eustathios Argyros experienced a tumultuous career with disgrace and rehabilitation after 904, which would scarcely be possible if he had been twice demoted already.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Guilland 1967, pp. 570–571.
  2. ↑ Tougher 1997, p. 210.
  3. ↑ PmbZ, Eustathios Argyros (#21828).
  4. ↑ Tougher 1997, pp. 207–208.
  5. ↑ Tougher 1997, pp. 210–211.
  6. ↑ Tougher 1997, pp. 209–210, 211.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Tougher 1997, p. 211.
  8. ↑ Guilland 1957, pp. 206–207.
  9. ↑ Tougher 1997, pp. 213, 218.
  10. ↑ Guilland 1967, pp. 441–442.
  11. ↑ Guilland 1957, p. 189.
  12. ↑ PmbZ, Eustathios (#21836); Eustathios Argyros (#21828).

Sources