The eastern campaigns of Nikephoros II Phocas in the light of historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes

Filip: The eastern campaigns of Nikephoros II Phocas in the light of historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes

Autor: SCHNEIDER Filip

SCHNEIDER, Filip: The eastern campaigns of Nikephoros II Phocas in the light of historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes

SCHNEIDER, Filip: The eastern campaigns of Nikephoros II Phocas in the light of historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes.

Vojenská história, 24, 2, 2020, pp. 6-23.

SCHNEIDER, F.: The Eastern campaigns of Nikephoros II Phocas in the light of historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes. Vojenská história, 2, 24, 2020, pp 6-23, Bratislava. Emperor Nikephoros II Phocas is considered one of the best military leaders in the Byzantine history, significantly extending the Byzantine borders eastwards. Being called “The Pale Death of the Saracens” by the Arabs, he re-conquered the Arab territories as far as the city of Antioch, which was returned to the Byzantine hands after 300 years, and re-established the Byzantine hegemony over the eastern Mediterranean. In this paper author examines these campaigns in detail as they appeared in the historical works of Leo the Deacon and John Skylitzes. I will focus on the differences in both works, examining the reasons for such differences. And finally, author examines how the Byzantines viewed the conquest of important cities such as Antioch, using the sources as mediators of these perceptions.

Keywords: Military history. Nikephoros II Phocas, Leo the Deacon, John Skylitzes, Byzantine Empire

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2020.24.2.1

Ročník: 24 | Číslo: 2/2020 | Stránky: 6-23