Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder

Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder (Greek: Νικηφόρος Βρυέννιος ο πρεσβύτερος), latinized as Nicephorus Bryennius, was a Byzantine general who tried to establish himself as Emperor in the late eleventh century. His contemporaries considered him the best tactician in the empire.

Early career

Nikephoros had steadily risen through the ranks of the military, to the point that he was given an important command by Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Commanding the left wing of the Byzantine forces, he was one of the very few generals who performed well at that battle.

In 1072-1073, he served as doux of Bulgaria, and was afterwards elevated to the important position of doux of Dyrrhachium. In about 1077 Nikephoros, by now the former governor of Dyrrhachium, became disgusted with Michael VII's treaty with the Seljuk Turks, whereby large swathes of Anatolia were handed over to them, and decided that Michael was ineffective and inept. The weakness of the emperor and the avarice of his chief ministers encouraged him to make an attempt on the throne.

Rebellion and later life

Assembling an army of Thracians, Bulgarians, Macedonians, Sclavonians, Italians, Franks, Uzes and Greeks, in November 1077 his forces reached the walls of Constantinople. Having no consideration for the common people, he allowed his troops to plunder and burn the city's suburbs. The conduct of his troops produced so determined an opposition to his claims, that the detested Michael forced him to raise the siege and retreat into Thrace, using the excuse of a Patzinak incursion into Thrace as cover.

His political weakness allowed Nikephoros III Botaneiates to become emperor, who offered Bryennios the title of Caesar if he would submit to him. Bryennios refused, and Botaneiates sent the young Alexios Komnenos against him with an army composed of Asiatic Christians, Franks and Turkish cavalry. The two armies were equal in number, not exceeding 15,000 each, and they fought at Kalavrya, near the river Almyros, where Bryennios was captured. He was subsequently blinded. As he no longer posed a threat, Botaneiates had his estates and property returned to him, and gave him new honours. Bryennios apparently retired to his base at Adrianople. Despite his blindness, he led the defence of the city against a Cuman attack in 1094/1095, as well as against a rebellion led by a son of Romanos IV Diogenes.

References

• George Finlay, History of the Byzantine and Greek Empires from 1057 - 1453, Volume 2, William Blackwood & Sons, 1854
• Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, pp. 330–331, ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6