Kalokyros Delphinas
Encyclopedia
Kalokyros Delphinas was a Byzantine
general and Catepan of Italy, who later rebelled against Emperor Basil II
(r. 976–1025) and was executed.
The anthypatos
and patrikios Delphinas was an adherent of the powerful Anatolian
Phokas clan
and of the powerful chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, the parakoimomenos
Basil Lekapenos
, who secured his appointment as the katepano
(senior military governor) of Southern Italy in 982. Delphinas held the post until 985, and presided over an improvement of the Byzantine position in the peninsula, aided by fortuitous external circumstances: the Western Emperor Otto II was defeated at the Battle of Stilo
and died in the next year (983), while the Arabs were troubled by internal strife. Thus Delphinas was able to consolidate control over Longobardia, seizing Ascoli
in December 982.
A few years later, Delphinas joined the revolt of Bardas Phokas the Younger against Emperor Basil II
, and commanded the rebel army that had encamped at Chrysopolis, across the Bosporus
from the capital, Constantinople
. There, in late 988 or early 989, they were attacked by Basil II with Byzantine and Varangian troops and were defeated. Delphinas was captured and executed either by crucifixion
or by impalement
, an unusually harsh punishment that was intended as a warning to the other rebel generals; it is telling that aside from Delphinas, only one other captured rebel officer was executed during this civil war, and even that is not certain. A column in Delphinas's memory was erected at the spot of his execution, surviving into the 11th century.
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
general and Catepan of Italy, who later rebelled against Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
(r. 976–1025) and was executed.
The anthypatos
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...
and patrikios Delphinas was an adherent of the powerful Anatolian
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
Phokas clan
Phokas (Byzantine family)
Phokas or Phocas , feminine form Phokaina , was the name of a Byzantine aristocratic clan from Cappadocia, which in the 9th and 10th centuries provided a series of high-ranking generals and an emperor, Nikephoros II Phokas...
and of the powerful chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, the parakoimomenos
Parakoimomenos
The parakoimōmenos was a Byzantine court position, usually reserved for eunuchs. Many of its holders, especially in the 9th and 10th centuries, functioned as the Byzantine Empire's chief ministers.-History and functions:...
Basil Lekapenos
Basil Lekapenos
Basil Lekapenos was the chief administrator of the Byzantine Empire from 945 until 985.An illegitimate son of the emperor Romanos I Lekapenos, he was castrated when young....
, who secured his appointment as the katepano
Katepano
The katepánō was a senior Byzantine military rank and office. The word was Latinized as capetanus/catepan, and its meaning seems to have merged with that of the Italian "capitaneus"...
(senior military governor) of Southern Italy in 982. Delphinas held the post until 985, and presided over an improvement of the Byzantine position in the peninsula, aided by fortuitous external circumstances: the Western Emperor Otto II was defeated at the Battle of Stilo
Battle of Stilo
The Battle of Stilo or Cape Colonna was fought on 13 or 14 July 982 near Crotone in Calabria between the forces of the Emperor Otto II and his Italo-Lombard allies and those of the Kalbid emir of Sicily, Abu al-Qasim...
and died in the next year (983), while the Arabs were troubled by internal strife. Thus Delphinas was able to consolidate control over Longobardia, seizing Ascoli
Ascoli Satriano
Ascoli Satriano is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.-History:Ascoli was a city of the Dauni. It was the seat of two early Roman battles . Later Sulla build a military colony here.In the mid-9th century it was set on fire by the Saracens...
in December 982.
A few years later, Delphinas joined the revolt of Bardas Phokas the Younger against Emperor Basil II
Basil II
Basil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
, and commanded the rebel army that had encamped at Chrysopolis, across the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
from the capital, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. There, in late 988 or early 989, they were attacked by Basil II with Byzantine and Varangian troops and were defeated. Delphinas was captured and executed either by crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
or by impalement
Impalement
Impalement is the traumatic penetration of an organism by an elongated foreign object such as a stake, pole, or spear, and this usually implies complete perforation of the central mass of the impaled body...
, an unusually harsh punishment that was intended as a warning to the other rebel generals; it is telling that aside from Delphinas, only one other captured rebel officer was executed during this civil war, and even that is not certain. A column in Delphinas's memory was erected at the spot of his execution, surviving into the 11th century.