Andronikos Komnenos Euphorbenos ( gr, Ἀνδρόνικος Κομνηνός Εὐφορβηνός; ) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

aristocrat and military commander, who served as governor of

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...

in 1162–1163. Andronikos Euphorbenos was the second son of Nikephoros Euphorbenos Katakalon and the purple-born princess Maria Komnene, a daughter of Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos ( grc-gre, Ἀλέξιος Κομνηνός, 1057 – 15 August 1118; Latinized Alexius I Comnenus) was Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. Although he was not the first emperor of the Komnenian dynasty, it was during ...

(). He was likely born around 1105/1108, but his life is mostly obscure; it is unknown whether he married or had offspring. In February 1147, along with his older brother Alexios, he attended a church synod at the

Palace of Blachernae The Palace of Blachernae ( el, ). was an imperial Byzantine residence in the suburb of Blachernae, located in the northwestern section of Constantinople (today located in the quarter of Ayvansaray in Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey). The area of the pala ...

, which deposed Patriarch Kosmas II Attikos. Euphorbenos followed a military career, but the only office he is known to have held was that of '' doux'' (regional military governor) of

, which he held in 1162–1163. In Cilicia he was confronted by the local Armenian lord, Thoros II, who aimed to reassert the region's independence from the Byzantine rule. Following the Cilician campaign of Emperor

Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos ( el, Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, translit=Manouíl Komnenos, translit-std=ISO; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Romanization of Greek, Latinized Comnenus, also called Porphyrogennetos (; "born in the purple"), w ...

() in 1158, Thoros had recognized the emperor's suzerainty. While the Byzantines established their control over the Cilician plain, Thoros remained free, and in control of his own military forces and the mountainous interior, as the emperor's nominal vassal. In 1162, Thoros' half-brother, Stephen, was found murdered outside the walls of Tarsus, after being invited by Euphorbenos to a banquet in the city the previous day. Even though Stephen was a rival, this provided Thoros with a suitable pretext for attacking the Byzantine holdings in the area, although Euphorbenos strenuously denied any involvement in the deed. Euphorbenos was unable to stop the Armenian prince, who captured the fortresses of Mamistra,

Anazarbus Anazarbus ( grc, Ἀναζαρβός, medieval Ain Zarba; modern Anavarza; ar, عَيْنُ زَرْبَة) was an ancient Cilician city. Under the late Roman Empire, it was the capital of Cilicia Secunda. Roman emperor Justinian I rebuilt ...

and Vahka and massacred their garrisons. In the interest of unity against the Muslims, King Amalric of Jerusalem mediated between Thoros and the Byzantines, leading to Euphorbenos being recalled and replaced with

Constantine Kalamanos Constantine Kalamanos or Coloman ( gr, Κωνσταντῖνος Καλαμανός; 1137/1145 – after 1173) was a Byzantine governor of Cilicia. Biography Constantine was the elder son of Boris Kalamanos (a claimant for the throne of the Kingdom ...

. His subsequent fate is unknown.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Euphorbenos, Andronikos Komnenos 1100s births 12th-century deaths 12th-century Byzantine military personnel Byzantine governors of Cilicia Generals of Manuel I Komnenos Year of death unknown

Andronikos Andronicus or Andronikos ( grc-gre, Ἀνδρόνικος) is a classical Greek name. The name has the sense of "male victor, warrior". Its female counterpart is Andronikè (Ἀνδρονίκη). Notable bearers of the name include: People * Andron ...

Euphorbenos family