Nikephoros Diogenes

Nikephoros Diogenes
Co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire^[1]
Reign	1070–1071
Born	1070
Died	unknown
Dynasty	Doukid dynasty
Father	Romanus IV
Mother	Eudokia Makrembolitissa

Nikephoros Diogenes (Greek: Νικηφόρος Διογένης), Latinized as Nicephorus Diogenes, was the son of Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and Eudokia Makrembolitissa. Crowned co-emperor during his father's reign, he later served as a general during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, scoring successes in the Byzantine campaigns against the Normans and Pechenegs, as well as governor of Crete.^[2]

Life

Nikephoros's father, Romanos IV Diogenes, died when he was still a boy. Although elevated to the rank of co-emperor on his birth, he was banished to a monastery along with his mother after the fall of Romanos.^[1] Alexios I Komnenos took in Nikephoros and his brother Leo and treated them well.^[3]

While campaigning against barbarian forces led by Bolcanus, Nikephoros Diogenes planned to kill the Emperor and usurp the throne. He placed his tent very close to the Emperor's and at night hid his sword and entered the tent, intending to kill him.^[1] However, while the Emperor was sleeping a maid was awake fanning away mosquitoes. Seeing the maid, Nikephoros panicked and fled back to his tent.^[3] Later, he tried again at the house of Constantine Doukas Porphyrogennetos in the Serres region of Macedonia. This time however he was caught trying to enter the bathhouse with his sword.^[1]

Following his arrest he revealed that Empress Maria of Alania knew of the plot, but had insisted that Alexios not be killed but merely overthrown. It was also revealed that Diogenes had many co-conspirators. To kill or maim all of them would have been too dangerous for Alexios, who feared that his troops would mutiny if sent out that order. Instead he circulated the rumor that Diogenes had been blinded, so as to strike fear in his fellow-plotters.^[3] The plan worked, but the rumor grew so strong that Alexios' men were convinced that they were actually ordered to blind Nikephoros Diogenes. So without the permission of the Emperor, who was very fond of the man, Nikephoros Diogenes was blinded.^[2]^[3]

Nikephoros Diogenes lived out his life under protection of the Emperor and studied history and other sciences, getting his servants to read aloud to him.^[3]

Notes

1 2 3 4 Canduci, pg. 272
1 2 Holmes 2005, p. 222
1 2 3 4 5 Anna Komnene translated by Elizabeth A. S. Dawes (2009). "Turkish War : Dalmatian Interlude (1092-4) : Conspiracy of Nicephorus Diogenes (1094)". Fordham University. Retrieved October 29, 2009.

Sources

(Primary Source) Anna Comnena, The Alexiad
Canduci, Alexander (2010), Triumph & Tragedy: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Immortal Emperors, Pier 9, ISBN 978-1-74196-598-8
Holmes, Catherine (2005). Basil II and the governance of Empire (976-1025) (2005 ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-927968-3.
Skoulatos, Basile (1980), Les personnages byzantins de I'Alexiade: Analyse prosopographique et synthese (in French), Louvain: Nauwelaerts

Roman and Byzantine emperors

Principate 27 BC – 235 AD	Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Galba Otho Vitellius Vespasian Titus Domitian Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Commodus Pertinax Didius Julianus (Pescennius Niger) Septimius Severus Caracalla with Geta Macrinus with Diadumenian Elagabalus Severus Alexander

Crisis 235–284	Maximinus Thrax Gordian I and Gordian II Pupienus and Balbinus Gordian III Philip the Arab Decius with Herennius Etruscus Hostilian Trebonianus Gallus with Volusianus Aemilianus Valerian Gallienus with Saloninus Claudius Gothicus Quintillus Aurelian Tacitus Florian Probus Carus Carinus and Numerian

Dominate 284–395	Diocletian (Whole empire) Diocletian (East) and Maximian (West) Galerius (East) and Constantius Chlorus (West) Galerius (East) and Severus (West) Galerius (East) and Licinius I (West) Licinius I (West) and Maximinus Daia (East) Licinius I (East) and Constantine the Great (West) Constantine the Great (Whole empire), with son Crispus as Caesar Constantine II Constans I Magnentius with Decentius as Caesar Constantius II with Vetranio Julian Jovian Valentinian the Great Valens Gratian Valentinian II Magnus Maximus Theodosius the Great

Western Empire 395–480	Honorius Constantius III Joannes as Western usurper in Ravenna Valentinian III Petronius Maximus Avitus Majorian then Libius Severus then Anthemius then Olybrius Glycerius Julius Nepos (de jure) Romulus Augustulus (Usurper)

Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 395–1204	Arcadius Theodosius II Pulcheria Marcian Leo I the Thracian Leo II Zeno (first reign) Basiliscus with son Marcus as co-emperor Zeno (second reign) Anastasius I Dicorus Justin I Justinian the Great Justin II Tiberius II Constantine Maurice with son Theodosius as co-emperor Phocas Heraclius Constantine III Heraklonas Constans II Constantine IV with brothers Heraclius and Tiberius and then Justinian II as co-emperors Justinian II (first reign) Leontios Tiberios III Justinian II (second reign) Philippikos Anastasios II Theodosius III Leo III the Isaurian Constantine V Artabasdos Leo IV the Khazar Constantine VI Irene Nikephoros I Staurakios Michael I Rangabe Leo V the Armenian with Symbatios-Constantine as junior emperor Michael II the Amorian Theophilos Michael III Basil I the Macedonian Leo VI the Wise Alexander Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Romanos I Lekapenos with sons Christopher, Stephen and Constantine as junior co-emperors Romanos II Nikephoros II Phokas John I Tzimiskes Basil II Constantine VIII Zoe (first reign) and Romanos III Argyros Zoe (first reign) and Michael IV the Paphlagonian Michael V Kalaphates Zoe (second reign) with Theodora Zoe (second reign) and Constantine IX Monomachos Constantine IX Monomachos (sole emperor) Theodora Michael VI Bringas Isaac I Komnenos Constantine X Doukas Romanos IV Diogenes Michael VII Doukas Nikephoros III Botaneiates Alexios I Komnenos John II Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Alexios II Komnenos Andronikos I Komnenos Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Alexios IV Angelos Nicholas Kanabos as usurper chosen by the Senate Alexios V Doukas

Empire of Nicaea 1204–1261	Constantine Laskaris Theodore I Laskaris John III Doukas Vatatzes Theodore II Laskaris John IV Laskaris

Eastern/ Byzantine Empire 1261–1453	Michael VIII Palaiologos Andronikos II Palaiologos with Michael IX Palaiologos as co-emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos John V Palaiologos John VI Kantakouzenos with John V Palaiologos and Matthew Kantakouzenos as co-emperors John V Palaiologos Andronikos IV Palaiologos John VII Palaiologos Andronikos V Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos John VIII Palaiologos Constantine XI Palaiologos

Italics usually indicate an usurper or co-emperor.

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