Melias — Wikipedia

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Do not confuse with Mleh, Armenian prince from 1170 to 1175.

Méias (en grec: honey) ou Can (in Armenian: Billeh , or often MLIR GREAT , Mleh Mets , “Mleh the Great” in Armenian sources) is an Armenian prince at the end of IX It is and the beginning of X It is century. Entering the Byzantine service, he became a recognized general, founding the theme of the Lykandos, and participated in Jean Kourkouas’ campaigns against the Arabs.

Origins [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Mleh is a member of the Armenian nobility of nakharark Called Mélias, perhaps from the Varažnouni clan (and in this case grandson of Mliah, prince of Varažnounik, in Vaspourakan [ first ] ), appears for the first time in historical sources as a vassal (or servant [ 2 ] , or companion [ 3 ] ) Achot Makrocheir, “in the long hand”, an Armenian prince (probably a Bagratide of the Taron) [ first ] , [ 4 ] , [ 5 ] .

Emigration and exile [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Achot puts itself at the service of the Byzantines around 890. As a member of the Armenian contingent, Mleh or Mélias fights on the side of the Byzantines during the disastrous battle of Bulgarophygon against the Bulgarians. Achot perishes during the battle alongside most of the Byzantine forces [ 4 ] , [ 5 ] . Mélias escapes and returns to the Byzantine eastern border. There, apparently under the authority of the hypostrate of the theme of the Anatolics, he leads a briganding life and fights the Arabs [ first ] , in particular the emirate of Mélitène, and establishes a semi-autonomous lordship in hills west of the city. After having participated in the failed aristocratic rebellion of Andronic Doukas against the emperor Leon VI the Sage in 905, Mélias is forced to flee to Mélitène with other Armenian nobles to escape reprisals [ 5 ] , [ 6 ] .

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Feedback [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

However, in 907 [ 7 ] Or 908, the Emperor Leon grants his forgiveness to the rebels who return to ensure command functions on the eastern border. Mélias is first named tourmarque from the Trypia region (Euphratéia, Erèmia, parades, in the theme of Sébaste [ first ] ), before having to fall back to the west in 909 [ first ] .

He is then named kleisourarque a kleisourie , a fortified regional command. This kleisoura is a district centered around the Lykandos fort that Mélias rebuilt and which is colonized by Armenians. In the following decades, it becomes one of the main Byzantine bases to launch attacks against Arabs [ 8 ] . Almost immediately, Mélias embarks on the extension of his province. Very competent in small -scale border wars, he seizes mountainous regions of Tzamandos and symposion that he strengthens [ 9 ] . These various fortification works consolidate the border and “prepare a solid basis for future offensives of the X It is century ” [ 7 ] .

Themes in Asia Minor around 950.

The threat posed by this new province on melitène is recognized in Arab sources (which call Mleh Malîh a-Amani And Sahib Al-DuroûB [ ten ] , “Lord of the parades” [ 11 ] ). In fact, in 909 or 912, a major assault was launched against Mélias but is successfully pushed back. In 915, Mélias and his troops launched a raid against Arab territory which reaches Germanicée (today Kahramanmaraş) [ 5 ] , [ 6 ] ; It is accompanied by an offensive on Cilicia [ 11 ] . In 916, as a reward for its value and loyalty, the kleisoura De Lykandos is raised to the rank of theme and Mélias becomes the strategist with the rank of Patrice then teachers . The following year, Mélias and his men took part in the campaign against Bulgaria which ends with a new disastrous defeat during the battle of Anchialos [ twelfth ] . In Jean Kourkouas’ campaigns from 926, Mélias plays an important role. In 927, Kourkouas and Mélias attack Mélitène and managed to seize the city, except the citadel which continues to resist. Mélitène swears allegiance to the Byzantine Empire [ 13 ] , [ 14 ] . Soon, Mélitène renounces the treaty and was again besieged by the Byzantines. According to an Arab account, Mélias tries to infiltrate the city by disguising some of his men as craftsmen but the cunning is thwarted. Nevertheless, the city accepted shortly after hosting a Byzantine garrison [ 15 ] , [ 16 ] . In 930, Mélias launched a raid against the territory near Samosate but he was defeated by General Nedjm and one of his sons was captured and brought to Baghdad. Nothing is known to its subsequent activities in the East. We know, however, that he entered 934 in Mélitène alongside Jean Kourkouas [ 17 ] . He died the same year [ 5 ] .

The descendants of Mélias continue to play an important role in the Lykandos and the Byzantine army. Another Mélias is mentioned as the service of Jean Tzimiskès, first under the reign of Nicéphore II Phocas then under the personal reign of Jean Tzimiskès (as a servant of Scholes [ 18 ] ) until his death in 976. It was also suggested that the memory of Mélias was preserved in the figure of the so -called Melementzès, a character of the Akrita digitalis [ 5 ] , [ 19 ] .

  1. ↑ A B C D and E Déréyan 1993, p. 69
  2. ↑ Brousselle 1996, p. 47
  3. ↑ Déréyan 1993, p. 68
  4. ↑ a et b Whittow 1996, p. 315-316
  5. ↑ a b c d e and f Kazhdan 1991, p. 1334
  6. ↑ a et b Whittow 1996, p. 316
  7. ↑ a et b Cheynet and Dédéyan 2007, p. 309.
  8. ↑ Kazhdan 1991, p. 1258, 1334
  9. ↑ Porphyrogénéte and bekkerus 1840, Of themes , p. 33 And Of managing empire , p. 228
  10. ↑ Déréyan 1993, p. 72
  11. ↑ a et b Déréyan 1993, p. 71
  12. ↑ Treadgold 1997, p. 474
  13. ↑ Treadgold 1997, p. 479
  14. ↑ RUNCIMAN 1988, p. 136
  15. ↑ Treadgold 1997, p. 480
  16. ↑ RUNCIMAN 1988, p. 138-139
  17. ↑ Déréyan 1996, p. 79-80
  18. ↑ Cheynet 2006, p. 35
  19. ↑ Whittow 1996, p. 356
Primary source
  • Constantine Porphyrogen and Immanuel Bekkerus , Constantine Porphyrie: The themes and manufacture of the government. Additionally Hieroclus synecdemus with the Bandurii and Wesselingii recorder , Bonn, Ed. Weber,
Secondary sources
  • Isabelle Brousselle , “The integration of Armenians into the Byzantine aristocracy in XI It is century ” , in Nina Garsoïan (dir.), Armenia and Byzantium: History and culture: Proceedings of the conference organized in Paris by the Center for Research of History and Civilization Byzantine , Paris, publications of the Sorbonne, (ISBN  978-2859443009 ) , p. 43-54 .
  • Jean Claude Cheynet ( you. ), The Byzantine world , vol.  II : The Byzantine Empire (641-1204) , Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, coll. “New Clio”, (ISBN  978-2-13-052007-8 ) .
  • Jean Claude Cheynet and Gérard Détanan , “Imperial vocation or diasporical fatality: Armenians in Byzantium ( IV It is – XI It is century) ” , in Gérard Dédéyan (dir.), History of the Armenian people , Toulouse, Privat, ( first re ed. 1982) [Detail of editions] (ISBN  978-2-7089-6874-5 ) , p. 297-326 .
  • Gérard Détanan « Mleh le Grand, strategist of Lykandos », Armenian studies review , vol.  XV,‎ , p. 73-102 .
  • Gérard Détanan , “Armenians on the South Oriental border of Byzantium, end IX It is – END XI It is centuries ” , in Yves Roman (dir.), The border: research seminar , Lyon, house of the East and the Mediterranean Jean Pouilloux, ( read online ) , p. 67-85 .
  • Gérard Détanan , “The Armenian princes of Euphratese and the Byzantine Empire (end XI It is – environment XII It is S.) » , in Nina Garsoïan (dir.), Armenia and Byzantium: History and culture: Proceedings of the conference organized in Paris by the Center for Research of History and Civilization Byzantine , Paris, publications of the Sorbonne, (ISBN  978-2859443009 ) , p. 79-88 .
  • Rodolphe Guilland , Research on Byzantine institutions, volume I , Berlin, Akademie-Verlag, ( read online )
  • (in) Alexander Kazhdan ( you. ), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium , New York et Oxford, Oxford University Press, , first re ed. , 3 tom. (ISBN  978-0-19-504652-6 And 0-19-504652-8 , LCCN 90023208 )
  • (in) Steven RUNCIMAN , The Emperor Romanus Lecapenus and His Reign : A Study of Tenth-Century Byzantium , Cambridge, United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, ( first re ed. 1929), 275 p. (ISBN  0-521-35722-5 , read online )
  • (in) Warren Treadgold , A History of the Byzantine State and Society , Stanford University Press, , 1019 p. (ISBN  0-8047-2630-2-2 , read online )
  • (in) Mark Whittow , The Making of Byzantium, 600–1025 , University of California Press,

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