Michael Bourtzes

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Michael Bourtzes
Bornca. 930/35
Diedafter 996
AllegianceByzantine Empire
Rankstrategos, doux of Antioch
Battles/warsSiege of Antioch (968–969), Revolt of Bardas Skleros, Battle of the Orontes

Michael Bourtzes (

Fatimids
.

Biography

Career under Nikephoros II and John Tzimiskes

The capture of Antioch on 28 October 969 by the Byzantine forces under Bourtzes (shown stepping on the wall), from the chronicle of John Skylitzes.

Michael Bourtzes was the first prominent member of the Bourtzes family, originating in the upper Euphrates region, which went on to become one of the major clans of the Byzantine military aristocracy during the 11th century.[2] The name has been proposed as deriving either from the Arabic burdj, "tower", or from the placename Bourtzo or Soterioupolis near Trebizond. Likewise the ethnic origin of the family is disputed among scholars: Vitalien Laurent and Jean-Claude Cheynet suggested an Arab origin, while Peter Charanis and Nicholas Adontz advocated an Armenian origin.[3][4]

The date of Michael Bourtzes's birth is unknown, but must be placed sometime between 930 and 935.

Amanus Mountains. With his base on the newly built fortress of Pagras, Bourtzes and his thousand men were tasked with controlling the northern approaches to the Arab-held city of Antioch.[2][3][5] Acting against Nikephoros's orders not to assault the city in his absence, in the late autumn of 969, Bourtzes persuaded a traitor inside the city to surrender one of the wall's main towers, which he then promptly occupied on 28 October. He then defended this post against repeated attacks of the city's defenders for three days, until the reinforcements led by the stratopedarches Peter arrived and secured the city for the Byzantines.[2][3][6] Despite his major role in this success, Bourtzes's reward was distinctly lacking: angry at him for disobeying his orders, or, according to another account, for laying fire and destroying much of the city, Emperor Nikephoros dismissed him from his post and appointed a kinsman of his, Eustathios Maleinos, as the first governor of Antioch.[2][3][7]

Angered by this treatment, Bourtzes joined a conspiracy involving a number of other prominent generals who were discontent at Nikephoros, chief amongst them

Stratelatai in the army of Bardas Skleros.[3][10]

Career under Basil II

Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025) with his younger brother and co-emperor, Constantine VIII.

At the point of Tzimiskes's death, imperial power reverted to the legitimate emperors, the young brothers

Fatimid-controlled Syria, reaching Tripolis and returning with much booty.[13]

In spring, however, Bardas Skleros, now appointed doux of

Ikonion. The presence of the tribute caravan from Aleppo entangled the two forces in an impromptu fight at Oxylithos, which ended in a bloody defeat for the rebels.[3][4][18] After this, Bourtzes again switched sides and rejoined the imperial army, now led by Bardas Phokas.[2][3]

Nothing is known of Bourtzes's career for the next twelve years.

Hamdanid emirate of Aleppo.[21]

In 991 he provided military assistance to the Hamdanid emir of Aleppo,

Asia Minor.[3][22]

In the late summer of 993, Manjutakin launched yet another expedition, capturing Apamea and Larissa (Ar.

Shayzar) and continuing his raids in the Byzantine province around Antioch, before returning safely to Damascus.[3] In spring 994, Manjutakin once more moved against Aleppo. Responding to the calls for aid by the Hamdanids, Basil II ordered Bourtzes to come to their aid, and sent the magistors Leo Melissenos with reinforcements to Syria. The Byzantine army however was surprised and heavily defeated when attacked on two flanks by Manjutakin in a battle at the banks of the Orontes, on 15 September 994. Manjutakin went on to capture Azaz and continued his siege of Aleppo until the personal intervention of Basil II in a lightning campaign the next year.[3][23][24] These failures, as well as accusations that he had exacerbated the conflict by imprisoning the Fatimid ambassador in 992, brought Basil's displeasure upon Bourtzes, who was replaced with Damian Dalassenos.[25][26]

Nothing more is known of Michael Bourtzes after that, and it may be that he died sometime around the autumn of 995.[4] He did, however, have at least three sons, Michael, Theognostos, and Samuel, known because they conspired against Constantine VIII after he blinded Michael's son, named Constantine, in 1025/26.[2]

References

  1. ^ Cheynet & Vannier 1986, p. 18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g ODB, pp. 317–318.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s PmbZ, Michael Burtzes (#25253).
  4. ^ a b c d e Stouraitis 2003.
  5. ^ Holmes 2005, p. 332.
  6. ^ Whittow 1996, p. 353.
  7. ^ a b Holmes 2005, pp. 332–333.
  8. ^ Whittow 1996, pp. 353–354.
  9. ^ Whittow 1996, p. 354.
  10. ^ Holmes 2005, pp. 337–338.
  11. ^ a b c Whittow 1996, p. 361.
  12. ^ Holmes 2005, pp. 338–339.
  13. ^ Holmes 2005, pp. 339–341.
  14. ^ Holmes 2005, p. 341.
  15. ^ Holmes 2005, p. 357.
  16. ^ ODB, p. 1178.
  17. ^ Whittow 1996, p. 362.
  18. ^ Whittow 1996, p. 363.
  19. ^ Magdalino 2003, pp. 93–94.
  20. ^ Holmes 2005, p. 345.
  21. ^ Holmes 2005, pp. 306ff., 346.
  22. ^ Trombley 1997, p. 269.
  23. ^ Trombley 1997, pp. 269–270.
  24. ^ Holmes 2005, pp. 346–347.
  25. ^ Magdalino 2003, p. 55.
  26. ^ Holmes 2005, p. 347.

Sources

  • Cheynet, Jean-Claude; Vannier, Jean-François (1986). Études Prosopographiques. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne.
    ISBN 978-2-85944-110-4
    .
  • Holmes, Catherine (2005). Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976–1025). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    ISBN 978-0-19-927968-5
    .
  • ISBN 0-19-504652-8
    .
  • Lilie, Ralph-Johannes; Ludwig, Claudia; Pratsch, Thomas; Zielke, Beate (2013). Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online. Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Nach Vorarbeiten F. Winkelmanns erstellt (in German). Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter.
  • ISBN 90-04-12097-1
    .
  • Stouraitis, Ioannis (2003). "Michael Bourtzes". Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Foundation of the Hellenic World. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  • Trombley, Frank (1997). "The Taktika of Nikephoros Ouranos and Military Encyclopaedism". In Binkley, Peter (ed.). Pre-Modern Encyclopaedic Texts: Proceedings of the Second COMERS Congress, Groningen, 1–4 July 1996. Leiden: Brill. pp. 261–274.
    ISBN 978-90-04-10830-1
    .
  • ISBN 978-0-520-20496-6
    .
Preceded by Doux of Antioch
989–995/6 		Succeeded by

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