Eustathios Kymineianos ( el, Εὐστάθιος Κυμινειανός, ) was a senior

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 ...

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

official and admiral under 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 ...

(r. 1081–1118).

Biography

Eustathios' life is known only through the ''

Alexiad The ''Alexiad'' ( el, Ἀλεξιάς, Alexias) is a medieval historical and biographical text written around the year 1148, by the Byzantine princess Anna Komnene, daughter of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was written in a form of artificial ...

'' of Alexios I's daughter,

Anna Komnene Anna Komnene ( gr, Ἄννα Κομνηνή, Ánna Komnēnḗ; 1 December 1083 – 1153), commonly Latinized as Anna Comnena, was a Byzantine princess and author of the ''Alexiad'', an account of the reign of her father, the Byzantine emperor, ...

.Skoulatos (1980), p. 85 He first appears in 1087, when Alexios was hosting the

Seljuq Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * Seljuk (warlord) (d ...

emir of

Nicaea Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre, Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in Bithynia, where located in northwestern Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...

, Abu'l-Qasim in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

. Despite the peace treaty between the two, Alexios decided to use the emir's absence to erect a new fortress to counter the Turks' recent conquest of

Nicomedia Nicomedia (; el, Νικομήδεια, ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocletia ...

. Eustathios was sent with a small fleet laden with materials and builders to construct it. To prevent the Turks from reacting, he treated them with every courtesy and claimed that Abu'l-Qasim himself was allowing this work to proceed, all the while impeding any ships to sail from the coasts of

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...

and notify the emir. Through this ruse, Eustathios was successful in his task.Skoulatos (1980), p. 86 He next appears in 1095 at Tzouroulos, when he took custody of the captured rebel who claimed to be a son of

Romanos IV Diogenes Romanos IV Diogenes (Greek: Ρωμανός Διογένης), Latinized as Romanus IV Diogenes, was a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy who, after his marriage to the widowed empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa, was crowned Byzantine Em ...

(r. 1068–71), and had invaded Byzantium with the aid of the

Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...

. Before leading him on to Constantinople, Eustathios had him blinded. A few years later, in 1101/2, during Alexios' war with

Bohemond I of Antioch Bohemond I of Antioch (5 or 7 March 1111), also known as Bohemond of Taranto, was the prince of Taranto from 1089 to 1111 and the prince of Antioch from 1098 to 1111. He was a leader of the First Crusade, leading a contingent of Normans on the q ...

and his nephew

Tancred Tancred or Tankred is a masculine given name of Germanic origin that comes from ''thank-'' (thought) and ''-rath'' (counsel), meaning "well-thought advice". It was used in the High Middle Ages mainly by the Normans (see French Tancrède) and espe ...

, while Tancred was besieging Laodicea, Eustathios was sent with a fleet to seize and refortify the island of

Korykos Corycus ( el, Κώρυκος; also transliterated Corycos or Korykos; hy, Կոռիկոս, translit=Koṙikos; tr, Kız Kalesi, lit. "maiden castle") was an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea, Anatolia, located at the mouth of the valley calle ...

and the port of

Seleucia Seleucia (; grc-gre, Σελεύκεια), also known as or , was a major Mesopotamian city of the Seleucid empire. It stood on the west bank of the Tigris River, within the present-day Baghdad Governorate in Iraq. Name Seleucia ( grc-gre, Σ ...

on his rear. It is probably at this time, that he was raised from the post of ''

kanikleios The ( el, κανίκλειος), more formally or ( el, �αρτουλάριοςἐπὶ τοῦ κανικλείου) was one of the most senior offices in the Byzantine imperial chancery.. Its holder was the keeper of the imperial inkstand, th ...

'' (keeper of the imperial inkpot, usually a confidante of the emperor) to that of admiral (''

megas droungarios tou ploïmou The ''droungarios'' of the Fleet ( el, δρουγγάριος τοῦ πλοΐμου/τῶν πλοΐμων, ''droungarios tou ploïmou/tōn ploïmōn''; after the 11th century δρουγγάριος τοῦ στόλου, ''droungarios tou stol ...

''). Eustathios accomplished his task swiftly, and after leaving strong garrisons on both places, returned to Constantinople.Skoulatos (1980), pp. 86–87 He appears for the last time in 1107, when Alexios named him, along with

Nikephoros Dekanos Nicephorus, Nikephoros, or Nikiforos ( el, Νικηφόρος) is a Greek male name, meaning "Bringer of Victory", which was commonly used among the Byzantine Empire's aristocracy. It may refer to: People Rulers * Nikephoros I Logothetes, Byzanti ...

, governor of Constantinople while the emperor was on campaign against Bohemond in the western

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kymineianos, Eustathios 11th-century births 12th-century deaths 11th-century Byzantine people 12th-century Byzantine people Byzantine admirals Byzantine eunuchs Generals of Alexios I Komnenos Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Seljuk wars Byzantine people of the Crusades Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Norman wars