| Theme of Koloneia Κολωνεία, θέμα Κολωνείας | |
|---|---|
| Theme of the Byzantine Empire | |
| before 863 – after 1071 | |
 The Asian themes of the Byzantine Empire circa 950. | |
| History | |
| Historical era | Middle Ages |
• Established | before 863 |
• Fall to the Seljuks | after 1071 |
The Theme of Koloneia (Greek: θέμα Κολωνείας) was a small military-civilian province (thema or theme) of the Byzantine Empire located in northern Cappadocia and the southern Pontus, in modern Turkey. It was founded sometime in the mid-9th century and survived until it was conquered by the Seljuk Turks soon after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
History[]
Originally part of the Armeniac Theme, the theme was formed around the city of Koloneia on the river Lykos (modern Şebinkarahisar).[1] The theme is attested for the first time in 863,[1][2][3] but it apparently existed as a separate district earlier: Nicolas Oikonomides interprets a reference by the Arab geographer al-Masudi to mean that it constituted first a kleisoura (a fortified frontier district).[2][4] In addition, a version of the Life of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium mentions that Emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) appointed a certain spatharios Kallistos as its doux in circa 842, making it the likely date of its elevation to a full theme (alongside neighbouring Chaldia).[1][3][4]
Koloneia's remote location preserved it from the worst of the Arab raids, except for a major raid by Sayf al-Dawla in 939/940. In 1057, the local regiment, under Katakalon Kekaumenos, supported the uprising of Isaac I Komnenos. In 1069, the theme was occupied by the rebel Norman mercenary Robert Crispin. The region fell to the Seljuk Turks soon after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.[1][5]
Location[]
In the De Thematibus, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos (r. 913–959) describes the theme as a small circumscription, encompassing, aside from Koloneia, Neocaesarea in the east, Arabraca, Mount Phalakros (probably modern Karaçam Dağı), Nicopolis and Tephrike. It also comprised sixteen unnamed fortresses.[3][4] Porphyrogennetos also records that his father, Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912), separated the tourma of Kamacha from Koloneia to form (along with Keltzene) the new theme of Mesopotamia.[6]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kazhdan 1991, p. 1138.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oikonomides 1972, p. 349.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Pertusi 1952, pp. 141–142.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bryer & Winfield 1985, p. 147.
- ↑ Bryer & Winfield 1985, pp. 147–148.
- ↑ Kazhdan 1991, p. 1092.
Sources[]
- Bryer, Anthony; Winfield, David (1985). Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. ISBN 0-88402-122-X. http://books.google.com/books?id=54kVAQAAMAAJ.
- Kazhdan, Alexander Petrovich, ed (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=Q3u5RAAACAAJ.
- Oikonomides, Nicolas (1972) (in French). Les Listes de Préséance Byzantines des IXe et Xe Siècles. Paris, France: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. http://books.google.com/books?id=RFdmAAAAMAAJ.
- Pertusi, A. (1952) (in Italian). Constantino Porfirogenito: De Thematibus. Rome, Italy: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
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The original article can be found at Koloneia (theme) and the edit history here.