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Nikephoros II (853-871)
Upon Konstantinos’ assassination, he was succeeded by his aforementioned nephew, Nikephoros, recently returned from Italy. Nikephoros ordered his uncle’s assassin to be publicly burned to death, and used the excuse provided to kneecap the power of the Anatolian magnates, seizing several estates and taking over a dozen family’s children hostage in the Imperial City.
After several months of reorganization, Nikephoros took command of the assembled army and cross the Bulgar border. Most of the Bulgar army was away along the Danube, and so he was rather easily able to conquer the lands south of the Balkan Mountains over the course of hee years. The fortresses along the Gulf of Burgas were briefly kept sustained by by sea convoys, but these were soon turned back by the much larger Roman fleet and taken. The fortresses were garrisoned and in 857 Nikephoros returned to the capital and awarded himself a triumph for a job well done.
However, in 860, Boris-Mihail returned from the north with his army mostly intact. He exploded over the mountains and laid waste to the lands along the Ebros before vanishing back over the mountains before Nikephoros could respond. This pattern was repeated the next two years before Nikephoros finally tired of the constant raids and gathered and army to march against the Bulgars. He forced the raiders to battle at Diokletianoupoli in mid 863, but most of the enemy were able to escape unmolested. Nikephoros pursued, but was ambushed in the foothills of the Balkans and forced to turn back. In 865 he raised another army and, despairing of being able to fight the Bulgars on his territory and thus ground of his choosing, embarked on a strike against the Bulgar capital at Pliska. He fought two battles en route, both inconclusive, and enveloped the enemy capital. However, the constant harassment by Bulgars wore down Roman supplies and morale, and as winter closed Nikephoros abandoned the siege and withdrew back to Mesembria. In the spring of 866, he once again marched on the Bulgarian capital and brought Boris-Mihail to battle at Simeonis, just south of Pliska. The Bulgars were put to flight and Pliska surrendered so as to be spared a sack and Nikephoros entered, triumphant. He immediately broke his oath and burned the city to the ground, then withdrew back to Roman territory under heavy harassment, once again believing he had secured peace.
The burning of Pliska incensed the Bulgar nobility and in 869 they crossed the mountains yet again and, entering Philippopolis by treachery, sacked it and put all of the city’s adults to the sword. The psychological effect this had on the whole of Roman society is comparative to that which the destruction of Pliska had had on that of the Bulgars, and the tagma was flooded with volunteers. In 870, the Imperial army, stiffened by these new regiments, marched north again, once again with Nikephoros at its head. The two armies darted back and forth across the mountains, the more mobile Bulgars unable to lure the heavier Romans onto the plains, while the Romans were unable to force the Bulgars to battle in the hills. Finally, as the campaign season drew to a close, Nikephoros risked night maneuvers and launched a nocturnal attack on the Bulgar camp near Gabrovo. Boris-Mihail and several prominent noblemen were captured while the rest of the army was scattered. Nikephoros returned to the capital with his prisoners, and in early 871 the Peace of Saint Apronian (named after the feast day on which it was finalized) was dictated.
The border was to be set at the Balkan mountains, with the fortresses controlling the passes being under Roman control. Boris-Mihail and all the captured nobility were to convert to Christianity and their Patriarch was to be subservient to the one in Konstantinoupoli. While it was doubtful that the Bulgar’s new faith would run more than skin deep, at the very worst the interreligious strife north of the border would keep their neighbors at each other’s throats. It was a massive victory, but Nikephoros would not have long to enjoy it.
Before we get to his death, the other events of Nikephoros’ reign should be covered. There were two major naval actions, the first occurring only a few months after his coronation when an Arab fleet attempted to raid the Aegean coasts during a break in the Roman defenses. They were met by a slightly larger Roman fleet scrambled from multiple ports to intercept them and after a day of vicious combat the invaders were victorious, successfully pillaging the suburbs of Smyrne before withdrawing. The second occurred in 860, when the Rus’ attempted to do the same to the capital before being driven off with fireships.
The eastern frontier was surprisingly quiet, with the only major conflict being yet another Paulician uprising around Tephrike in 860. This was slapped down after less than a year, but plans to transport part of the populace to either Thrake or Morea were soon dropped.
In ecclesiastical news, there was a brief power struggle inside the church between the Stoudites (basically Donatists) who wanted to excommunicate everyone who had cooperated with the iconoclasts, and the moderates, who were the one who would be executed. Patriarch Ignatios was firmly on the Stoudite side but, after several months of chaotic turmoil Nikephoros tired of the vocal faction’s wingings and sacked him in favor of his cousin Adrianos, the former Bishop of Sinope, in 855.
Nikephoros died in May 871, passing of a stroke in his sleep after a reign of a little over nineteen years. He was fifty-nine when he passed. There was a brief succession crisis following his death when Andronikos, Konstantinos’ eldest surviving son, crowned himself as emperor after killing Nikephoros’ eldest son, also named Konstantinos. However, he was soon blinded and Nikephoros’ third son, Tobias, became the emperor.
Not really. Konstantinos, as a very recent convert (>5 years) was hesitant to rock the ecclesiastical boat beyond restoring the icons, which was an extremely popular move for most except for the eastern Anatolians. Nikephoros, as we shall see, spent most of his reign focused on the Bulgars and did little in church affairs, and his successor had been born several years into his grand-uncle's reign and was thus thoroughly Christianized.
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Nikephoros II Bulgaronktos
(853-871)
(853-871)
Upon Konstantinos’ assassination, he was succeeded by his aforementioned nephew, Nikephoros, recently returned from Italy. Nikephoros ordered his uncle’s assassin to be publicly burned to death, and used the excuse provided to kneecap the power of the Anatolian magnates, seizing several estates and taking over a dozen family’s children hostage in the Imperial City.
After several months of reorganization, Nikephoros took command of the assembled army and cross the Bulgar border. Most of the Bulgar army was away along the Danube, and so he was rather easily able to conquer the lands south of the Balkan Mountains over the course of hee years. The fortresses along the Gulf of Burgas were briefly kept sustained by by sea convoys, but these were soon turned back by the much larger Roman fleet and taken. The fortresses were garrisoned and in 857 Nikephoros returned to the capital and awarded himself a triumph for a job well done.
However, in 860, Boris-Mihail returned from the north with his army mostly intact. He exploded over the mountains and laid waste to the lands along the Ebros before vanishing back over the mountains before Nikephoros could respond. This pattern was repeated the next two years before Nikephoros finally tired of the constant raids and gathered and army to march against the Bulgars. He forced the raiders to battle at Diokletianoupoli in mid 863, but most of the enemy were able to escape unmolested. Nikephoros pursued, but was ambushed in the foothills of the Balkans and forced to turn back. In 865 he raised another army and, despairing of being able to fight the Bulgars on his territory and thus ground of his choosing, embarked on a strike against the Bulgar capital at Pliska. He fought two battles en route, both inconclusive, and enveloped the enemy capital. However, the constant harassment by Bulgars wore down Roman supplies and morale, and as winter closed Nikephoros abandoned the siege and withdrew back to Mesembria. In the spring of 866, he once again marched on the Bulgarian capital and brought Boris-Mihail to battle at Simeonis, just south of Pliska. The Bulgars were put to flight and Pliska surrendered so as to be spared a sack and Nikephoros entered, triumphant. He immediately broke his oath and burned the city to the ground, then withdrew back to Roman territory under heavy harassment, once again believing he had secured peace.
The burning of Pliska incensed the Bulgar nobility and in 869 they crossed the mountains yet again and, entering Philippopolis by treachery, sacked it and put all of the city’s adults to the sword. The psychological effect this had on the whole of Roman society is comparative to that which the destruction of Pliska had had on that of the Bulgars, and the tagma was flooded with volunteers. In 870, the Imperial army, stiffened by these new regiments, marched north again, once again with Nikephoros at its head. The two armies darted back and forth across the mountains, the more mobile Bulgars unable to lure the heavier Romans onto the plains, while the Romans were unable to force the Bulgars to battle in the hills. Finally, as the campaign season drew to a close, Nikephoros risked night maneuvers and launched a nocturnal attack on the Bulgar camp near Gabrovo. Boris-Mihail and several prominent noblemen were captured while the rest of the army was scattered. Nikephoros returned to the capital with his prisoners, and in early 871 the Peace of Saint Apronian (named after the feast day on which it was finalized) was dictated.
The border was to be set at the Balkan mountains, with the fortresses controlling the passes being under Roman control. Boris-Mihail and all the captured nobility were to convert to Christianity and their Patriarch was to be subservient to the one in Konstantinoupoli. While it was doubtful that the Bulgar’s new faith would run more than skin deep, at the very worst the interreligious strife north of the border would keep their neighbors at each other’s throats. It was a massive victory, but Nikephoros would not have long to enjoy it.
Before we get to his death, the other events of Nikephoros’ reign should be covered. There were two major naval actions, the first occurring only a few months after his coronation when an Arab fleet attempted to raid the Aegean coasts during a break in the Roman defenses. They were met by a slightly larger Roman fleet scrambled from multiple ports to intercept them and after a day of vicious combat the invaders were victorious, successfully pillaging the suburbs of Smyrne before withdrawing. The second occurred in 860, when the Rus’ attempted to do the same to the capital before being driven off with fireships.
The eastern frontier was surprisingly quiet, with the only major conflict being yet another Paulician uprising around Tephrike in 860. This was slapped down after less than a year, but plans to transport part of the populace to either Thrake or Morea were soon dropped.
In ecclesiastical news, there was a brief power struggle inside the church between the Stoudites (basically Donatists) who wanted to excommunicate everyone who had cooperated with the iconoclasts, and the moderates, who were the one who would be executed. Patriarch Ignatios was firmly on the Stoudite side but, after several months of chaotic turmoil Nikephoros tired of the vocal faction’s wingings and sacked him in favor of his cousin Adrianos, the former Bishop of Sinope, in 855.
Nikephoros died in May 871, passing of a stroke in his sleep after a reign of a little over nineteen years. He was fifty-nine when he passed. There was a brief succession crisis following his death when Andronikos, Konstantinos’ eldest surviving son, crowned himself as emperor after killing Nikephoros’ eldest son, also named Konstantinos. However, he was soon blinded and Nikephoros’ third son, Tobias, became the emperor.
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