Philaretos Brachamios
Encyclopedia
Philaretos Brachamios was a distinguished Byzantine
general and warlord of Armenian heritage, and for a time was a usurper against emperor Michael VII
. Philaretos is testified on seals as taxiarches
(commander of an infantry regiment), as well as protospatharios
and topoteretes (deputy commander) of the Tagmata of Cappadocia
, then as magistros and doux
(duke), and finally as kouropalates and doux.
Noted for his cruelty and greed, Philaretos held a high command in the army of Romanus IV Diogenes. In 1069 he was given the command of the main Byzantine army that was protecting the frontier of Mesopotamia while Romanus participated in the siege of Akhlat. He was defeated by the Seljuk
Turks who advanced deep into Cappadocia
and Lycaonia
and plundered at will before rapidly retreating with their spoils. He was present at the Battle of Manzikert
in 1071, where he commanded a division of Romanus' army, and remained at the head of a considerable body of troops after the disaster.
In the aftermath of the battle, he commanded the forces of the fortress Romanopolis, and on Romanus' death he assumed the title of Emperor. As the only remaining Byzantine general in the southeast he established a quasi-autonomous realm in the neighbourhood of Germanicia, which stretched from Cilicia
to Edessa
. The core of his army was composed of 8,000 "Franks" (Normans
) under Raimbaud
. In 1078, at the beginning of the rule of Nikephoros III Botaneiates, he agreed to abandon his imperial claims on condition that Botaneiates appoint him as the duke of Antioch
, which included Edessa. Several seals testify him as megas domestikos and protokouropalates, then sebastos
, then even protosebastos.
He retained his dukedom until the Turks began to press heavily upon him. In December 1084, he lost Antioch to Suleiman I
, Sultan of Rum
. In 1087, Edessa fell to Malik Shah
and Philaretos escaped back to the fortress of Germanikeia; however, some sources indicate that he died in 1086. He was the last well-known Domestic of the Schools
of the East. His sons handed Germanikeia to the First Crusade
in 1098.
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...
general and warlord of Armenian heritage, and for a time was a usurper against emperor Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
. Philaretos is testified on seals as taxiarches
Taxiarches
Taxiarches or its variant taxiarchos , anglicized taxiarch, may refer to:* taxiarch, equivalent to brigadier in ancient and modern Greek military terminology...
(commander of an infantry regiment), as well as protospatharios
Protospatharios
Prōtospatharios was one of the highest court dignities of the middle Byzantine period , awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to foreign princes.-History:...
and topoteretes (deputy commander) of the Tagmata of Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
, then as magistros and doux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
(duke), and finally as kouropalates and doux.
Career
Great Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
Turks who advanced deep into Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
and Lycaonia
Lycaonia
In ancient geography, Lycaonia was a large region in the interior of Asia Minor, north of Mount Taurus. It was bounded on the east by Cappadocia, on the north by Galatia, on the west by Phrygia and Pisidia, while to the south it extended to the chain of Mount Taurus, where it bordered on the...
and plundered at will before rapidly retreating with their spoils. He was present at the Battle of Manzikert
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert , was fought between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuq Turks led by Alp Arslan on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert...
in 1071, where he commanded a division of Romanus' army, and remained at the head of a considerable body of troops after the disaster.
In the aftermath of the battle, he commanded the forces of the fortress Romanopolis, and on Romanus' death he assumed the title of Emperor. As the only remaining Byzantine general in the southeast he established a quasi-autonomous realm in the neighbourhood of Germanicia, which stretched from Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
to Edessa
Edessa, Mesopotamia
Edessa is the Greek name of an Aramaic town in northern Mesopotamia, as refounded by Seleucus I Nicator. For the modern history of the city, see Şanlıurfa.-Names:...
. The core of his army was composed of 8,000 "Franks" (Normans
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...
) under Raimbaud
Raimbaud
Raimbaud was a Italo-Norman chief who served under Philaretus Brachamius from 1073 to 1074.Raimbaud arrived in the East at the head of 8,000 Norman mercenaries who took up service with Philaretus in 1073. They were headquartered at the castle of Afranji, which means "Franks," near Harput on the...
. In 1078, at the beginning of the rule of Nikephoros III Botaneiates, he agreed to abandon his imperial claims on condition that Botaneiates appoint him as the duke of Antioch
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes was an ancient city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. It is near the modern city of Antakya, Turkey.Founded near the end of the 4th century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, Antioch eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the...
, which included Edessa. Several seals testify him as megas domestikos and protokouropalates, then sebastos
Sebastos
Sebastos was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of Augustus. From the late 11th century on, during the Komnenian period, it and variants derived from it formed the basis of a new system of court titles for the Byzantine Empire. The female form of the title...
, then even protosebastos.
He retained his dukedom until the Turks began to press heavily upon him. In December 1084, he lost Antioch to Suleiman I
Süleyman I of Rûm
Suleiman ibn Qutulmish founded an independent Seljuq Turkish state in Anatolia and ruled as Seljuq Sultan of Rûm from 1077 until his death in 1086....
, Sultan of Rum
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
. In 1087, Edessa fell to Malik Shah
Malik Shah I
Jalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh was born in 1055, succeeded Alp Arslan as the Seljuq Sultan in 1072, and reigned until his death in 1092....
and Philaretos escaped back to the fortress of Germanikeia; however, some sources indicate that he died in 1086. He was the last well-known Domestic of the Schools
Domestic of the Schools
The Domestic of the Schools was a senior Byzantine military office, extant from the 8th century until at least the early 14th century. Originally simply the commander of the Scholai, the senior of the elite tagmata regiments, the Domestic quickly rose in prominence: by the mid-9th century, its...
of the East. His sons handed Germanikeia to the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
in 1098.