Sebasteia (Byzantine theme)
The theme of Sebasteia ( Greek θέμα Σεβαστείας ) was a Byzantine theme in northeastern Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia (present-day Turkey ). It was established in 911 and lasted until its fall to the Seljuks after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
history
Originally the area of the later topic was part of the Armeniacon topic . The new theme centered around the city of Sebasteia (modern Sivas ). It is not mentioned in the sources before the 10th century. In 908, Sebasteia appears for the first time as a kleisoura (border district), and in 911 it was raised to the rank of a full-fledged topic.
The topic covered the Byzantine border regions along the northern course of the Euphrates . With the expansion of the Byzantine territory to the east, it was extended south to Melitene, Samosata and Tephrike , so that it was roughly identical to the Roman provinces of Armenia Prima , Armenia Secunda and Syria Euphratensis . After the middle of the 10th century, its area was again reduced by creating new themes.
In the 10th century there was a large influx of Armenians in the region , who soon became the majority of the population. After 1019/1021 Sebasteia and the surrounding area were given as a fief to the Armenian prince Seneqerim Johannes in exchange for the kingdom of Vaspurakan . From 1074, after the Byzantine defeat in the Battle of Manzikert, the Artsruni ruled the area as independent rulers until it was conquered by the Seljuks around 1090.
literature
- Alexander Kazhdan (Ed.): The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium . 3 volumes. Oxford / New York 1991.
- John W. Nesbitt, Eric McGeer, Nicolas Oikonomides (Eds.): Catalog of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art. Volume 4: The East. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington DC 2001, ISBN 0-88402-282-X .
- A. Pertusi: Constantino Porfirogenito: De Thematibus. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome 1952.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Kazhdan: The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. 1991, pp. 1861-1862.
- ↑ Pertusi: Constantino Porfirogenito: De Thematibus. 1952, p. 142.
- ↑ McGeer, Nesbitt, Oikonomides: Catalog of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art. 2001, p. 128.
- ↑ Pertusi: Constantino Porfirogenito: De Thematibus. 1952, pp. 142-143.