Pothos Argyros ( el, Πόθος Ἀργυρός; ) 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 ...

general active in the first half of the 10th century.

Early life

He was the eldest son of the ''

magistros The ''magister officiorum'' (Latin literally for "Master of Offices", in gr, μάγιστρος τῶν ὀφφικίων, magistros tōn offikiōn) was one of the most senior administrative officials in the Later Roman Empire and the early centu ...

'' Eustathios Argyros,

Drungary of the Watch The ''Droungarios'' of the Watch ( el, δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης/βίγλας, ''droungarios tēs viglēs/viglas''), sometimes anglicized as "Drungary of the Watch", was originally a senior Byzantine military post. Attested since ...

under

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, called the Wise ( gr, Λέων ὁ Σοφός, Léōn ho Sophós, 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well r ...

(ruled 886–912). He had two brothers, Leo and Romanos. In ca. 910, Pothos and his brother Leo Argyros were serving at court as

manglabites The Manglabites or Manglavites ( el, μαγ ��αβίται, ''manglabitai''; sing. μαγ ��αβίτης, ''manglabitēs'') were a corps of bodyguards in the Byzantine Empire. Etymology Their name derives from the term ''manglabion'' (μαγγλά ...

(personal bodyguards of the emperor), when their father was poisoned after being suspected by Leo for plotting against him. The two brothers brought their father's body for burial to the monastery of Saint Elizabeth in the

Charsianon Charsianon ( el, Χαρσιανόν) was the name of a Byzantine fortress and the corresponding theme (a military-civilian province) in the region of Cappadocia in central Anatolia (modern Turkey). History The fortress of Charsianon (Greek: Χαρ ...

district, founded by their grandfather Leo Argyros. Accordingly he was born probably ca. 890 or a little later.

Military career

Pothos and Leo both followed military careers and reached high office. In ca. 921 Pothos was appointed to the post of

Domestic of the Schools The office of the Domestic of the Schools ( gr, δομέστικος τῶν σχολῶν, domestikos tōn scholōn) was a senior military post of the Byzantine Empire, extant from the 8th century until at least the early 14th century. Originally ...

Romanos I Romanos I Lekapenos ( el, Ρωμανός Λεκαπηνός; 870 – 15 June 948), Latinized as Romanus I Lecapenus, was Byzantine emperor from 920 until his deposition in 944, serving as regent for the infant Constantine VII. Origin Romanos ...

(r. 920–944) in succession to Adralestos, who had died recently. A "most handsome and experienced man", according to

Theophanes Continuatus ''Theophanes Continuatus'' ( el, συνεχισταί Θεοφάνους) or ''Scriptores post Theophanem'' (, "those after Theophanes") is the Latin name commonly applied to a collection of historical writings preserved in the 11th-century Vat. g ...

, he was sent to counter a

Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...

invasion into

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

during the

Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 The ByzantineBulgarian war of 913927 ( bg, Българо–византийска война от 913–927) was fought between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire for more than a decade. Although the war was provoked by the Byzantin ...

. Pothos led the '' tagmata'' of the capital to meet them, but a scouting detachment under a certain Michael was ambushed and annihilated. In 922 Pothos was sent to meet another Bulgarian incursion, that had reached Pegae, a suburb of

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 (" ...

. Pothos and

John the Rhaiktor John the Rhaiktor ( el, Ἰωάννης ὁ ῥαίκτωρ; ) was a Byzantine official, who served as the chief minister ('' paradynasteuon'') of the empire in the early reign of Romanos I Lekapenos. Facing accusations, he left his office and retir ...

commanded the forces of the ''tagmata'' and the

Hetaireia The ( grc-gre, Ἑταιρεία, Latinized as ''hetaeria'') was a term for a corps of bodyguards during the Byzantine Empire. Etymology and usage of the term means 'the Company', echoing the ancient Macedonian Companions and the Classical Gr ...

, along with elements of the fleet under Alexios Mosele. The Byzantine army suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Pegae in early April 922, losing many dead and captives. Pothos and his brother however managed to escape and find refuge in a nearby fort, while the Bulgarians plundered and burned down the imperial palaces at Pegaea and Stenon. This disaster evidently spelled the end of Pothos' career as Domestic, of whom nothing further is heard during Romanos I's reign. It is possible, however, that he is to be identified with the ''

strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...

'' of Hellas Pothos, who served in the late 940s. A man of the same name, holding the rank of ''

patrikios The patricians (from la, patricius, Greek: πατρίκιος) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom, and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after ...

'' and the post of

Domestic of the Excubitors The Excubitors ( la, excubitores or , , i.e. 'sentinels'; transcribed into Greek as , ) were founded in as an imperial guard unit by the Byzantine emperor Leo I the Thracian. The 300-strong force, originally recruited from among the warlike mou ...

, is attested in 958, when he defeated a Magyar raid that had reached the vicinity of Constantinople on 11 April. While some scholars consider the two men to be identical, the prosopographical experts J.-C. Cheynet and J.-F. Vannier regard it unlikely, given that in 921, Pothos' brother was old enough to have a son of marriageable age, and suggest that the commander of 958 was another member of the family, likely the grandson of either Leo or Pothos.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Argyros, Pothos 9th-century births 10th-century deaths 10th-century Byzantine people Byzantine generals Pothos Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars Domestics of the Schools Manglabitai