Michael Aspietes ( el, Μιχαήλ Ἀσπιέτης, ) was a distinguished

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 ...

general serving under 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 ...

. A member of the

Aspietes Aspietes ( gr, Ἀσπιέτης, from hy, ասպետ, aspet, rider, knight), feminine form Aspietina () or Aspietissa (), was the surname of a Byzantine noble family of Armenian origin active in the 12th–15th centuries. Despite the mention of ...

family, of noble

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 ...

origin, Michael Aspietes is most likely the Aspietes whom

John Kinnamos Joannes Kinnamos, or John Cinnamus ( el, or Κίναμος; born shortly after 1143, died after 1185), was a Byzantine historian. He was imperial secretary (Greek "grammatikos", most likely a post connected with the military administration) to Em ...

records as having distinguished himself in the wars against the

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

in 1167. He is next recorded by

Niketas Choniates Niketas or Nicetas Choniates ( el, Νικήτας Χωνιάτης; c. 1155 – 1217), whose actual surname was Akominatos (Ἀκομινάτος), was a Byzantine Greek government official and historian – like his brother Michael Akominatos, wh ...

as being active in 1176, in the aftermath of the Byzantine defeat at the

Battle of Myriokephalon The Battle of Myriokephalon (also known as the Battle of Myriocephalum, gr, Μάχη του Μυριοκέφαλου, tr, Miryokefalon Savaşı or ''Düzbel Muharebesi'') was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phryg ...

, when he and

John Komnenos Vatatzes John Komnenos Vatatzes, ( gr, Ἰωάννης Κομνηνὸς Βατάτζης, ''Iōannēs Komnēnos Vatatzēs''), or simply John Komnenos or John Vatatzes (the transliteration 'Batatzes' is also employed) in the sources, was a major military ...

campaigned against the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

raiding the Maeander River valley. At the

Battle of Hyelion and Leimocheir The Battle of Hyelion and Leimocheir saw the almost complete destruction by the Byzantines of a large Seljuq Turk army. The Seljuq army had been raiding Byzantine territory in the Maeander Valley in Anatolia, and had sacked a number of cities. ...

the Seljuk army was destroyed in an ambush. During the battle a Turk wounded Aspietes' horse and the panicked animal reared up on its hind legs. The general was thrown into the Maeander River, where he drowned.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aspietes, Michael 1176 deaths 12th-century Byzantine military personnel

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

Byzantine generals Deaths by drowning Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Seljuk wars Byzantines killed in battle Year of birth missing Generals of Manuel I Komnenos