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    Posted: 01-Dec-2007 at 11:59
The multilateral internal turmoil in the Byzantine empire during the 7th and 8th centuries brought about administrative changes and led to the establishment of the system of themes.
 
The term '-thema-' (theme) originally meant the list of soldiers in a local corps. Later it was identified with the army corps itself, and finally it was associated with the place where the specific military unit was posted.

In other words the theme was a military, administrative and geographical entity headed by a 'strategos' (general). The 'strategos' was appointed by the Emperor and exercised supreme military and political authority in the region of his jurisdiction. Each theme was divided into smaller administrative districts, and its troops were mainly recruited from the local peasantry.

The first themes must have been created in the provinces of the East in the 2nd half of the 7th century, in order to deal more effectively with the various problems of defence there, since under the new system the 'strategos' in charge was invested with both military and political power.
By the 9th century the system of themes had been extended to the rest of the Empire, in an endeavour by the emperors to weaken the all-powerful governors of the earlier dioceses. However, the uniting of the two authorities in the person of one 'strategos' once again created all-powerful local lords who posed a threat to the central authority.
From the second half of the 11th century the emperors tried to face this danger through the separation of political from military authority and the continuous fragmentation of the large themes into smaller administrative districts ('katepanikia').

The 'strategoi' became simple commanders of army divisions and the term "theme" now denoted only geographical regions or small fiscal departments. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders (1204) the theme organization collapsed.

The term thema was first applied to the Roman legion as George Finley quoted (page 12). The military districts, garrisoned by legions, were then called themata, and ultimately the word was used merely to indicate geographical administrative divisions.-- Ducange, Glossarium med. et inf. Graecitatis.

The number of themes varied at different periods. The Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenituswriting about the middle of the 10th century, counts 16 in the Asiatic portion of the empire, and 12  in the European. 

7 great themes are particularly prominent in Asia Minor, Optimaton, Opsikion, the Thrakesian, the Anatolic, the Bukellarian, the Kibyrraiot, and the Armeniac. In each of these a large military force was permanently maintained, under the command of a general of the province and in Opsikion, the Thrakesian, and the Kibyrraiot, a naval force was likewise stationed under its own officers.

The European provinces were divided into 8 continental and 5 insular or transmarine themes, until the loss of the exarchate of Ravenna reduced the number to twelve. Venice and Naples, though they acknowledged the suzerainty of the Eastern Empire, acted generally as independent cities. Sardinia was lost about the time of Leo's accession, and the circumstances attending its conquest by the Saracens are unknown.


The twelve European themes were--

  1. Thrace.
  2. Macedonia.
  3. Strymon.
  4. Thessalonica.
  5. Hellas.
  6. Peloponnesus.
  7. Cephallenia.
  8. Nicopolis.
  9. Dyrrachium.
  10. Sicily.
  11. Longibardia (Calabria.)
  12. Cherson.

The islands of the Archipelago, which formed the 16th Asiatic theme, were the usual station of the European naval squadron, under the command of a Drungarias. They are often called Dodekannesos, and their admiral was an officer of consideration at the end of the eighth century.--Theophanes,383 . The list of the themes given by Constantine Porphyrogenitus is a traditional, not an official document. Cyprus and Sicily had been conquered by the Arabs long before he wrote.



The Asiatic themes were--
  1. Anatolikon, including parts of Phrygia, Lycaonia, Isauria, Pamphylia, and Pisidia.
  2. The Armeniac, including Pontus and Cappadocia.
  3. The Thrakesian, part of Phrygia, Lydia, and Ionia.
  4. Opsikion, Mysia, and part of Bithynia and Phrygia.
  5. Optimaton, the part of Bithynia towards the Bosphorus.
  6. Bukellarion, Galatia.
  7. Paphlagonia.
  8. Chaldia, the country about Trebizond.
  9. Mesopotamia, the trifling possessions of the empire on the Mesopotamian frontier.
  10. Koloneia, the country between Pontus and Armenia Minor, through which the Lycus flows, near Neocsarea.
  11. Sebasteia, the second Armenia.--Scrip. post Theoph. 112.
  12. Lycandos, a theme formed by Leo VI. (the Wise) on the borders of Armenia.
  13. The Kibyrraiot, Caria, Lycia, and the coast of Cilicia.
  14. Cyprus.
  15. Samos.
  16. The Aegean. Cappadocia is mentioned as a theme.--Scrip. post. Theoph. 112; and Charsiania, Genesius, 46. They had formed part of the Armeniac theme.
George Ostrogorsky in (The Byzantine Background of the Moravian Mission, pages 6-7) mention as about the European Themes...
 
At one extremity the process embraced Greek territory. Probably by the end of the eighth century the new theme of the Peloponnesus was created alongside the existing one of Hellas. The theme of Cephalonia, including the Ionian Islands, was organized in the first years of the ninth century at the latest.' At the other extremity, between 789 and 802, the theme of Macedonia was established, more or less contemporaneously the Greek themes to the south.

The Macedonian theme, however, had nothing in common with either classical Macedonia or that of modern times: this point must be made clear, particularly because the question of Macedonia is of especial importance to our problem. The Byzantine theme of Macedonia consisted of western Thrace, with its center at Adrianople. The name "Macedonia" was attached to this territory precisely because actual Macedonia was lost to Byzantium, and was occupied by Slavs and formed a conglomeration of Sclaviniae.

In the first half of the ninth century-probably in its early years-the regions of Thessalonica and Dyrrachium were organized as themes. Both, along with the themes mentioned above, are cited in Uspenskij's Tacticon, compiled between 845 and 856. On the other hand, Dvornik has pointed out that the Life of St. Gregory Decapolites, which he edited, already mentions, about 836, the strategus of Thessalonica and his protocancellarius; from which Dvornik rightly concluded that the theme of Thessalonica originated at least before 836.

The establishment of a theme in the Dyrrachium region probably took place in the first quarter of the ninth century, as was recently shown by Jadran Ferluga, who relied on an item of information in the correspondence of Theodore the Studite.ll The institution of themes in the territories of Thessalonica and Dyrrachium was a particularly important step in strengthening the Byzantine position in the Balkans, since Dyrrachium was the main base of the Empire on the Adriatic coast, and Thessalonica was both the main stronghold on the Aegean Sea and, what is of particular importance in the present context, the Empire's principal gateway to the Slavic world. Hence, on the eve of the great mission of the brothers from Thessalonica, this city became the center of the most important theme of the Empire in the Balkans.

Then Thessalonica was connected with the Thracian themes of Macedonia and Thrace by the creation of the theme of Strymon: this theme followed the coast between the rivers Strymon and Nestos, and its center was Serres. At the other extremity, the formation of the Nicopolis theme, in Epirus, completed the network of the theme system on Greek territory.

Finally, at the beginning of the reign of Basil I, the former archontia Dalmatia, which included the coastal cities and the nearby islands, acquired greater importance and was raised to the status of a theme. This was a decisive moment in the expansion of Byzantine influence in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and in the Christianization of the Serbian lands.

Below a map that show the Byzantine Themes in 1025 AD

 

Also some Arabic writers quoted the Byzantium themes. Al Fakih arranged the Themes  as follows: 

  1. Talaya (Kud. Tayala)
  2. Tbrace
  3. Macedonia
  4. Paphlitgonia
  5. Optimatoi
  6. Opsikion
  7. Thrakesioi
  8. Anatolikoi
  9. Seleulteia
  10. Cappadocia
  11. Charsianon
  12. Buccellarii
  13. Armenia
  14. Chaldia.
Al Masudi also gives fourteen names, five are in Europe and nine in Asia, his list being as follows :
  1. Anatolikoi
  2. Opsikion
  3. Thrakesioi
  4. Kibyrrhaiotai
  5. Cappadocia
  6. Buccellarii
  7. Optimatoi
  8. Armeniakoi
  9. Paphlagonia
  10. Tayah
  11. Thrace,
  12. Macedonia
  13. Peloponnesos
  14. Theesaloilike.

Besides these he mentions Seleukeia, Charsinnon, and Koloneia as regions in the themes of Kibyrrhaiotai, Arnleniakoi, and Paphlagonia respectiely. He differs from the other author by adding Peloponnesos and Thessalonike to the European themes and Kibyrrhaiotai and Koloneia to the Asiatic themes and omitting Chaldia.

sources
  1. George Ostrogorsky,The Byzantium State
  2. George Ostrogorsky,The Byzantine Background of the Moravian Mission)
  3. George Finley, History of the Byzantium
  4. Al Vasilyev, A History of the Byzantine Empire
  5. Themes by the Macedoniaontheweb


Edited by akritas - 01-Dec-2007 at 12:00
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31-Dec-2008 at 23:10
Good info akritas... I am going to try to post some more substance to this thread of my own other than this initial post. After New Years of course Angel
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Posts: 1423 		  Quote Menumorut Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Jan-2009 at 10:07
There was a thema that is not in these lists, Paradunavon/Paristrion, the today Dobruja.

You can learn something about it here (English) or here (Romanian).

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Originally posted by akritas

The multilateral internal turmoil in the Byzantine empire during the 7th and 8th centuries brought about administrative changes and led to the establishment of the system of themes.
 
The term '-thema-' (theme) originally meant the list of soldiers in a local corps. Later it was identified with the army corps itself, and finally it was associated with the place where the specific military unit was posted.

In other words the theme was a military, administrative and geographical entity headed by a 'strategos' (general). The 'strategos' was appointed by the Emperor and exercised supreme military and political authority in the region of his jurisdiction. Each theme was divided into smaller administrative districts, and its troops were mainly recruited from the local peasantry.

The first themes must have been created in the provinces of the East in the 2nd half of the 7th century, in order to deal more effectively with the various problems of defence there, since under the new system the 'strategos' in charge was invested with both military and political power.
By the 9th century the system of themes had been extended to the rest of the Empire, in an endeavour by the emperors to weaken the all-powerful governors of the earlier dioceses. However, the uniting of the two authorities in the person of one 'strategos' once again created all-powerful local lords who posed a threat to the central authority.
From the second half of the 11th century the emperors tried to face this danger through the separation of political from military authority and the continuous fragmentation of the large themes into smaller administrative districts ('katepanikia').

The 'strategoi' became simple commanders of army divisions and the term "theme" now denoted only geographical regions or small fiscal departments. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders (1204) the theme organization collapsed.

The term thema was first applied to the Roman legion as George Finley quoted (page 12). The military districts, garrisoned by legions, were then called themata, and ultimately the word was used merely to indicate geographical administrative divisions.-- Ducange, Glossarium med. et inf. Graecitatis.

The number of themes varied at different periods. The Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenituswriting about the middle of the 10th century, counts 16 in the Asiatic portion of the empire, and 12  in the European. 

7 great themes are particularly prominent in Asia Minor, Optimaton, Opsikion, the Thrakesian, the Anatolic, the Bukellarian, the Kibyrraiot, and the Armeniac. In each of these a large military force was permanently maintained, under the command of a general of the province and in Opsikion, the Thrakesian, and the Kibyrraiot, a naval force was likewise stationed under its own officers.

The European provinces were divided into 8 continental and 5 insular or transmarine themes, until the loss of the exarchate of Ravenna reduced the number to twelve. Venice and Naples, though they acknowledged the suzerainty of the Eastern Empire, acted generally as independent cities. Sardinia was lost about the time of Leo's accession, and the circumstances attending its conquest by the Saracens are unknown.


The twelve European themes were--

  1. Thrace.
  2. Macedonia.
  3. Strymon.
  4. Thessalonica.
  5. Hellas.
  6. Peloponnesus.
  7. Cephallenia.
  8. Nicopolis.
  9. Dyrrachium.
  10. Sicily.
  11. Longibardia (Calabria.)
  12. Cherson.

The islands of the Archipelago, which formed the 16th Asiatic theme, were the usual station of the European naval squadron, under the command of a Drungarias. They are often called Dodekannesos, and their admiral was an officer of consideration at the end of the eighth century.--Theophanes,383 . The list of the themes given by Constantine Porphyrogenitus is a traditional, not an official document. Cyprus and Sicily had been conquered by the Arabs long before he wrote.



The Asiatic themes were--
  1. Anatolikon, including parts of Phrygia, Lycaonia, Isauria, Pamphylia, and Pisidia.
  2. The Armeniac, including Pontus and Cappadocia.
  3. The Thrakesian, part of Phrygia, Lydia, and Ionia.
  4. Opsikion, Mysia, and part of Bithynia and Phrygia.
  5. Optimaton, the part of Bithynia towards the Bosphorus.
  6. Bukellarion, Galatia.
  7. Paphlagonia.
  8. Chaldia, the country about Trebizond.
  9. Mesopotamia, the trifling possessions of the empire on the Mesopotamian frontier.
  10. Koloneia, the country between Pontus and Armenia Minor, through which the Lycus flows, near Neoc�sarea.
  11. Sebasteia, the second Armenia.--Scrip. post Theoph. 112.
  12. Lycandos, a theme formed by Leo VI. (the Wise) on the borders of Armenia.
  13. The Kibyrraiot, Caria, Lycia, and the coast of Cilicia.
  14. Cyprus.
  15. Samos.
  16. The Aegean. Cappadocia is mentioned as a theme.--Scrip. post. Theoph. 112; and Charsiania, Genesius, 46. They had formed part of the Armeniac theme.
George Ostrogorsky in (The Byzantine Background of the Moravian Mission, pages 6-7) mention as about the European Themes...
 
At one extremity the process embraced Greek territory. Probably by the end of the eighth century the new theme of the Peloponnesus was created alongside the existing one of Hellas. The theme of Cephalonia, including the Ionian Islands, was organized in the first years of the ninth century at the latest.' At the other extremity, between 789 and 802, the theme of Macedonia was established, more or less contemporaneously the Greek themes to the south.

The Macedonian theme, however, had nothing in common with either classical Macedonia or that of modern times: this point must be made clear, particularly because the question of Macedonia is of especial importance to our problem. The Byzantine theme of Macedonia consisted of western Thrace, with its center at Adrianople. The name "Macedonia" was attached to this territory precisely because actual Macedonia was lost to Byzantium, and was occupied by Slavs and formed a conglomeration of Sclaviniae.

In the first half of the ninth century-probably in its early years-the regions of Thessalonica and Dyrrachium were organized as themes. Both, along with the themes mentioned above, are cited in Uspenskij's Tacticon, compiled between 845 and 856. On the other hand, Dvornik has pointed out that the Life of St. Gregory Decapolites, which he edited, already mentions, about 836, the strategus of Thessalonica and his protocancellarius; from which Dvornik rightly concluded that the theme of Thessalonica originated at least before 836.

The establishment of a theme in the Dyrrachium region probably took place in the first quarter of the ninth century, as was recently shown by Jadran Ferluga, who relied on an item of information in the correspondence of Theodore the Studite.ll The institution of themes in the territories of Thessalonica and Dyrrachium was a particularly important step in strengthening the Byzantine position in the Balkans, since Dyrrachium was the main base of the Empire on the Adriatic coast, and Thessalonica was both the main stronghold on the Aegean Sea and, what is of particular importance in the present context, the Empire's principal gateway to the Slavic world. Hence, on the eve of the great mission of the brothers from Thessalonica, this city became the center of the most important theme of the Empire in the Balkans.

Then Thessalonica was connected with the Thracian themes of Macedonia and Thrace by the creation of the theme of Strymon: this theme followed the coast between the rivers Strymon and Nestos, and its center was Serres. At the other extremity, the formation of the Nicopolis theme, in Epirus, completed the network of the theme system on Greek territory.

Finally, at the beginning of the reign of Basil I, the former archontia Dalmatia, which included the coastal cities and the nearby islands, acquired greater importance and was raised to the status of a theme. This was a decisive moment in the expansion of Byzantine influence in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and in the Christianization of the Serbian lands.

Below a map that show the Byzantine Themes in 1025 AD

 

Also some Arabic writers quoted the Byzantium themes. Al Fakih arranged the Themes  as follows: 

  1. Talaya (Kud. Tayala)
  2. Tbrace
  3. Macedonia
  4. Paphlitgonia
  5. Optimatoi
  6. Opsikion
  7. Thrakesioi
  8. Anatolikoi
  9. Seleulteia
  10. Cappadocia
  11. Charsianon
  12. Buccellarii
  13. Armenia
  14. Chaldia.
Al Masudi also gives fourteen names, five are in Europe and nine in Asia, his list being as follows :
  1. Anatolikoi
  2. Opsikion
  3. Thrakesioi
  4. Kibyrrhaiotai
  5. Cappadocia
  6. Buccellarii
  7. Optimatoi
  8. Armeniakoi
  9. Paphlagonia
  10. Tayah
  11. Thrace,
  12. Macedonia
  13. Peloponnesos
  14. Theesaloilike.

Besides these he mentions Seleukeia, Charsinnon, and Koloneia as regions in the themes of Kibyrrhaiotai, Arnleniakoi, and Paphlagonia respectiely. He differs from the other author by adding Peloponnesos and Thessalonike to the European themes and Kibyrrhaiotai and Koloneia to the Asiatic themes and omitting Chaldia.

sources
  1. George Ostrogorsky,The Byzantium State
  2. George Ostrogorsky,The Byzantine Background of the Moravian Mission)
  3. George Finley, History of the Byzantium
  4. Al Vasilyev, A History of the Byzantine Empire
  5. Themes by the Macedoniaontheweb
Good post Akritas. What about their differences. For example what were the features of the Anatolian themes. In which way did they differ from european themes?  
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Evrenosgazi there is not any  diffrence in the feauters  between the Anatolian and European  themes. Theme  referring both to a form of military corp and to an  poltical administrative division. Every theme was  under the command of  the so-called strategos.
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Posts: 1378 		  Quote Ikki Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jan-2009 at 01:03

In an ancient book, don't remember the title, said that the asiatic themes had highest prestige than those from Europe, that they had greater cavalry contingents and that, in early times, the strategos of the Anatholikon theme was one of the more important commanders of the empire.



Edited by Ikki - 07-Jan-2009 at 01:04
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jan-2009 at 15:55
Byzantine was very strong empire.
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Posts: 379 		  Quote Evrenosgazi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jan-2009 at 17:42
Originally posted by akritas

Evrenosgazi there is not any  diffrence in the feauters  between the Anatolian and European  themes. Theme  referring both to a form of military corp and to an  poltical administrative division. Every theme was  under the command of  the so-called strategos.
Hello Akritas
 
I mean that the comparison in strength, the charactheristics, number of corps etc. I really enjoy Byzantine empire history and the  themes were really unique. I am sure that even the Anatolikon and Armenikon themes had different features 
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  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07-Jan-2009 at 18:21
The Opsikion theme held a chunk of the troops as it was closest to the capital and ended up being the field army of the previous system.

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Posts: 14 		  Quote padem Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2009 at 09:33
Originally posted by akritas

Evrenosgazi there is not any  diffrence in the feauters  between the Anatolian and European  themes. Theme  referring both to a form of military corp and to an  poltical administrative division. Every theme was  under the command of  the so-called strategos.

According to Constantine VII the Optimaton theme (the small theme across the Bosporus from Constantinople) "had nothing to do with the (other) themes."
Its governor had only the rank of a domesticos that was lower than that of a strategos, and the soldiers recruited there were a sort of "service corps" for the tagmata stationed near Constantinople.

The theme of Samos,that included Ionia as well as Samos itself, was the primary naval theme of the Byzantines and provided mostly sailors rather than soldiers.Besides these two I think the other themes were pretty much organised along the same lines.


Edited by padem - 15-Mar-2009 at 09:43
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Posts: 1231 		  Quote Heraclius Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15-Mar-2009 at 21:12
Originally posted by es_bih

The Opsikion theme held a chunk of the troops as it was closest to the capital and ended up being the field army of the previous system.



Which probably explains why that particular theme had such a significant amount of influence and power, having been involved in the removal of their own man Anastasius II and his predecessor Philippicus, aswell as installing Theodosius III all within the space of six years.
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Posts: 1800 		  Quote Byzantine Emperor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Apr-2009 at 06:19
Originally posted by padem

The theme of Samos,that included Ionia as well as Samos itself, was the primary naval theme of the Byzantines and provided mostly sailors rather than soldiers.Besides these two I think the other themes were pretty much organised along the same lines.
 
Which sailors are you talking about?  I thought most of the sailors came from southern Greece and the Peloponnesus.  They became known as the Tzakones and were descendants of inhabitants who were transferred from Asia Minor to the southeastern coast of Greece.  The Tzakones were still around in the late period because Michael VIII Palaiologos brought some to Constantinople and granted them collective pronoiai to serve in the fleet.
 
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Posts: 14 		  Quote padem Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Apr-2009 at 09:46
Originally posted by Byzantine Emperor

Originally posted by padem

The theme of Samos,that included Ionia as well as Samos itself, was the primary naval theme of the Byzantines and provided mostly sailors rather than soldiers.Besides these two I think the other themes were pretty much organised along the same lines.
 
Which sailors are you talking about?  I thought most of the sailors came from southern Greece and the Peloponnesus.  They became known as the Tzakones and were descendants of inhabitants who were transferred from Asia Minor to the southeastern coast of Greece.  The Tzakones were still around in the late period because Michael VIII Palaiologos brought some to Constantinople and granted them collective pronoiai to serve in the fleet.
 

I agree with that, but only for the last two centuries of the Empire.In the middle period,at least before the conquests of Nicephorus Phocas, the Byzantines relied in large part on locally recruited thematic fleets from Samos (Samos and Ionia),the Aegean (most of the islands) and Kibyrrhaiotes(southern coast of Asia Minor) to deal with the Saracens of Crete and Cilicia who were the major threat at sea.In his book De Thematibus Constantine VII says that when the division of the themes took place Samos became the capital of the "naval theme" (θέματος τῶν πλωϊζομένων) because of its importance.Romanos Lecapenos himself was general of Samos before being promoted to droungarios of the fleet.
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Posts: 1800 		  Quote Byzantine Emperor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Apr-2009 at 15:27

Originally posted by padem

I agree with that, but only for the last two centuries of the Empire.In the middle period,at least before the conquests of Nicephorus Phocas, the Byzantines relied in large part on locally recruited thematic fleets from Samos (Samos and Ionia),the Aegean (most of the islands) and Kibyrrhaiotes(southern coast of Asia Minor) to deal with the Saracens of Crete and Cilicia who were the major threat at sea.

I was trying to remember the name of the thematic sailors for the middle period.  The "Kibyrrhaiotes" were them.  However, I think Peter Charanis mentions in his article on demography that these men were eventually relocated in one of Byzantium's signature population transfers from the late 6th to the 10th centuries.  This is how the Tzakones lost their ethnic distinction and the the title started to refer to their job category as sailors.
 
Originally posted by padem

In his book De Thematibus Constantine VII says that when the division of the themes took place Samos became the capital of the "naval theme" (θέματος τῶν πλωϊζομένων) because of its importance.Romanos Lecapenos himself was general of Samos before being promoted to droungarios of the fleet.
 
Ah yes, I remember this now too.  We must remember too that during the middle period official titles started to become detached from their specific function.  Constantine VII was very keen on court etiquette and liked to dole out titles, a practice which his Komnenoi and Palaiologoi successors continued.  Eventually "droungarios of the fleet" became a title of precedence whose holder did not actually command ships in the navy.


Edited by Byzantine Emperor - 01-Apr-2009 at 15:30
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Posts: 1813 		  Quote Flipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Apr-2009 at 16:28
Originally posted by Byzantine Emperor

 
Which sailors are you talking about?  I thought most of the sailors came from southern Greece and the Peloponnesus.  They became known as the Tzakones and were descendants of inhabitants who were transferred from Asia Minor to the southeastern coast of Greece.  The Tzakones were still around in the late period because Michael VIII Palaiologos brought some to Constantinople and granted them collective pronoiai to serve in the fleet.
 


Just a small correction here. The Tzakones were originally from Laconia not Asia Minor.


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Posts: 473 		  Quote Patrinos Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2009 at 11:25

Tzakonike, I'm pretty sure was not reffering to naval services, but castle guarding(kastrophylakes).

One source that I have in front of me, a letter(orkomotikon gramma) from a duke of Thessaly Michael Gabrielopoulos in 1295, speaks about "phylaxin tzakonike" meaning castle guarding. This letter in particular speaks  about a promise of Gabrielopoulos to the citizens of Phanari(Thessaly) that he will not allow any foreigner to settle in their area neither tzakones nor Albanians. You can find it in Fr.Miklosich-Ios.Muller,Acta et Diplomata graeca medii aevi,v.5,p.260-261.

I don't thik that Tzakones(meaning those who live in Laconia(Parnon mt) and speak a special greek dialect) whould be good sailors...being mostly mountainers...

According to Porphyrogennetos in his Peri vasileiou taxeos(Cerimoniis aulae byzantinae) naval power comes from the themata of Kibyrraioton, Samos, Hellas,Peloponnesos and Aegean*. 

You can check here, if you now some greek: http://khazarzar.skeptik.org/pgm/PG_Migne/Constantinus%20Porphyrogenitus_PG%20112-113/De%20cerimoniis%20aulae%20Byzantinae_.pdf



Edited by Patrinos - 02-Apr-2009 at 11:36
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Posts: 1813 		  Quote Flipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2009 at 13:40
Patrine, you're right with that remark. However, "Propontis Tsakonian" exists as a dialect which is not native in the area. The term Tzakones can't be random, but maybe it got a general usage later and did not reffer specifically to the Lacons.

PS: You're right about the naval thing. People of Laconia did never have a significant naval force.


Edited by Flipper - 02-Apr-2009 at 13:41


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Posts: 14 		  Quote padem Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2009 at 17:21
I thought that "Tsakonia" was roughly speaking the mountainous coast from Argos south to Leonidion.Is that considered part of Laconia or am I way of mark here?

Edited by padem - 02-Apr-2009 at 17:23
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Posts: 1813 		  Quote Flipper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2009 at 17:47
Originally posted by padem

I thought that "Tsakonia" was roughly speaking the mountainous coast from Argos south to Leonidion.Is that considered part of Laconia or am I way of mark here?


Your remark is correct. If you see where Tsakonian is spoken today, then your borders are correct. It is more a part of modern Arcadia. However, Tsakonia was a border case between Arcadia, Argos and Laconia. In the past it was a dead zone were possession switched from Argos to Sparta and wise versa. Bloody wars were done between Argos and Sparta for it's anexation.





Now, for some reason they are relating themselves more with the Laconians (Lacones -> Bacones -> Tsacones). However, historically according to Herodotus, the Kynourians were a group of autochthonus people of Arcadia and Ionian tribes. They fell in the control of Sparta in the end, so that can explain why they speak Spartan Doric.


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Posts: 1800 		  Quote Byzantine Emperor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02-Apr-2009 at 17:57
Originally posted by Patrinos

Tzakonike, I'm pretty sure was not reffering to naval services, but castle guarding(kastrophylakes).

One source that I have in front of me, a letter(orkomotikon gramma) from a duke of Thessaly Michael Gabrielopoulos in 1295, speaks about "phylaxin tzakonike" meaning castle guarding. This letter in particular speaks  about a promise of Gabrielopoulos to the citizens of Phanari(Thessaly) that he will not allow any foreigner to settle in their area neither tzakones nor Albanians. You can find it in Fr.Miklosich-Ios.Muller,Acta et Diplomata graeca medii aevi,v.5,p.260-261.

Hey Patrinos!  Thanks for joining the discussion. Smile
 
I actually know this particular document about Gabrielopoulos in 1295.  My research for my masters degree had to do with late Byzantine chrysobulls granting pronoia to soldiers.  Miklosich and Muller and the Archives de l'Athos were two of the collections I used.
 
However, I agree with Flipper, in part.  Although the original term Tzakones denoted the sailors who were settled near Laconia, in the late period it became more of a title that designated the holder as a person with certain military functions, irrespective of ethnicity.
 
So the Tzakones in the late period could be sailors or guards in a kastron.  We can see similar fluidity in the functions of holders of the title of dux/droungarios of the fleet.  It did not necessarily mean that the holder was an admiral in the Byzantine navy.
 
There is a thorough discussion of the Tzakones in the late Byzantine period in Mark Bartusis' book on the army.  Here is a link to it:
 
 
If you type "tzakones" in the search field you can bring up most of the references in the rest of the book.
 
Late Byzantine Military
Ottoman perceptions of the Americas
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