John Curcuas (catepan)
Encyclopedia
John Kourkouas ' onMouseout='HidePop("59251")' href="/topics/Anthypatos">anthypatos
) was the Byzantine
catepan of Italy from 1008 to his death. He was of Armenian
descent. He saw the first revolt of the Lombards
in Greek Apulia
. Formerly the strategos
of Samos
, Kourkouas arrived at Bari
in May 1008 as a replacement for Alexios Xiphias, who had been killed in battle the previous year. Soon after, on May 9, 1009, a rebellion started in Bari led by Melus of Bari
, and quickly spread to other cities. Kourkouas did not live long enough to see the final culmination of these minor insurrections: the Norman
domination of the entire Mezzogiorno
. Kourkouas was killed in battle with the rebels in either late 1009 or early 1010. In March of the latter year, his successor, Basil Mesardonites
, arrived.
Anthypatos
Anthypatos is the translation in Greek of the Latin proconsul. In the Greek-speaking East, it was used to denote this office in Roman and early Byzantine times, surviving as an administrative office until the 9th century...
) was the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
catepan of Italy from 1008 to his death. He was of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
descent. He saw the first revolt of the Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
in Greek Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. Formerly the strategos
Strategos
Strategos, plural strategoi, is used in Greek to mean "general". In the Hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor...
of Samos
Samos (theme)
The Theme of Samos was a Byzantine military-civilian province, located in the eastern Aegean Sea, established in the late 9th century. As one of the Byzantine Empire's three dedicated naval themes , it served chiefly to provide ships and troops for the Byzantine navy.-History:The dates of...
, Kourkouas arrived at Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
in May 1008 as a replacement for Alexios Xiphias, who had been killed in battle the previous year. Soon after, on May 9, 1009, a rebellion started in Bari led by Melus of Bari
Melus of Bari
Melus was a Lombard nobleman from the Apulian town of Bari, whose ambition to carve for himself an autonomous territory from the Byzantine catapanate of Italy in the early 11th century inadvertently sparked the Norman presence in southern Italy.Melus and his brother-in-law Dattus rebelled in 1009...
, and quickly spread to other cities. Kourkouas did not live long enough to see the final culmination of these minor insurrections: the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
domination of the entire Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno
The Midday is a wide definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the southern half of the Italian state, encompassing the southern section of the continental Italian Peninsula and the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to a large number of minor islands...
. Kourkouas was killed in battle with the rebels in either late 1009 or early 1010. In March of the latter year, his successor, Basil Mesardonites
Basil Mesardonites
Basil Mesardonites was the Catapan of Italy, representing the Byzantine Emperor there, from 1010 to 1016 or 1017. He succeeded the catapan Curcuas, who died fighting the Lombards, then in rebellion under Melus, early in 1010. In March, Basil disembarked with reinforcements from Constantinople and...
, arrived.
Sources
- Norwich, John JuliusJohn Julius NorwichJohn Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
. The Normans in the South 1016-1130. London: Longman, 1967. - Chalandon, Ferdinand. Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicilie. Paris, 1907.