John Kourkouas or Curcuas ( gr, Ἰωάννης Κουρκούας) was the

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 ...

catepan of Italy The Catepanate (or Catapanate) of Italy ( el, ''Katepaníkion Italías'') was a province of the Byzantine Empire from 965 until 1071. At its greatest extent, it comprised mainland Italy south of a line drawn from Monte Gargano to the Gulf of Sa ...

from 1008–1010. John belonging to the

Kourkouas The Kourkouas or Curcuas ( grc-x-medieval, Κουρκούας, from , ''Gurgen'') family was one of the many nakharar families from Armenia that migrated to the Byzantine Empire during the period of Arab rule over Armenia (7th–9th centuries). The ...

family of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

descent. According to a deed of grant to the monastery of San Giovanni in Lamis, he bore the titles of and .. Kourkouas arrived at Bari in May 1008, as a replacement for Alexios Xiphias, who had died sometime between April and August of the previous year. He served as catepan of Italy until some time before March 1010, when his successor,

Basil Mesardonites Basil Mesardonites was the Catapan of Italy, representing the Byzantine Emperor there, from 1010 to 1016 or 1017. He succeeded the catapan John Kourkouas, who died fighting the Lombards, then in rebellion under Melus, early in 1010. In March, Basi ...

, is attested in office. According to the Italian chronicles of

Lupus Protospatharius Lupus Protospatharius Barensis was the reputed author of the ''Chronicon rerum in regno Neapolitano gestarum'' (also called ''Annales Lupi Protospatharii''), a concise history of the Mezzogiorno from 805 to 1102. He has only been named as the auth ...

and

Anonymus Barensis ''Anonymi Barensis Chronicon'' is a medieval Italian annalistic chronicle. Composed in Latin by an anonymous author from Bari in the first quarter of the 12th century, it covers the years 855–1118, concentrating first and foremost on the event ...

, he died in office in 1010. Nothing is known of his tenure, as the only information about him comes from deeds confirmed by his successors, and brief references in Italian sources. John's government coincided with the first revolt of the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

in Greek Apulia, under

Melus of Bari Melus (also ''Milus'' or ''Meles'', ''Melo'' in Italian) (died 1020) was a Lombard nobleman from the Apulian town of Bari, whose ambition to carve for himself an autonomous territory from the Byzantine catapanate of Italy in the early eleven ...

. A possible descendant or relative, the notary John Kourkouas, is attested in southern Italy some time before 1054.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kourkouas, John 11th-century catepans of Italy 1010 deaths Byzantine generals

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Year of birth unknown