1. Biography

Nikephoros Phokas, also known as Barytrachēlos (“Stiff-necked”),¹ was born in the third quarter of the tenth century. He was the son of Bardas Phokas, who was the nephew of emperor Nikephoros II and domestikos ton Scholon of the East during the reign of Basil II (976-1025), while his mother came from the aristocratic family of Adralestai. He had a brother called Leo Phokas, while his marriage produced a son, whom he named Bardas.

Information in the sources on his childhood and later career is negligible. We may assume that he received a meticulous military upbringing, considering the long tradition of the Phokades in military offices. His career is closely connected to that of his better-known father, whom he faithfully followed during the latter’s confrontation with central authority. He played a more important part during the reign of Basil II and mainly after the deaths of his father and brother in 989, as he was now the only surviving member of the Phokas family. He was assassinated on August 15, 1022, in the region of Cappadocia, shortly after the outbreak of a revolt against Basil II in which he had taken part.

2. Career

The exile of Bardas Phokas, ordered by the new emperor John Tzimiskes, in 970 and in general the suppression of the Phokas family, which continued for a time during the reign of Basil II as well, must have played a decisive part for the fact that Nikephoros is not mentioned as receiving any title or office in the army, even after his father had been recalled from exile and appointed domestic of the Schools of the East by Basil Lekapenos, the parakoimomenos (spring 978). It is possible that in 978-986, during which period Bardas Phokas was in command of the army, Nikephoros served as commander of military units and participated in his father’s campaigns on the eastern frontier, yet there is scant evidence of his activity to be found in the sources. In fact his name is mentioned only after the revolt of Bardas Phokas against Basil II, in which Nikephoros took an active part at his father’s side. In 988 Bardas Phokas sent his son to his own friend and ally, David of Tao, ruler of Georgia, to secure reinforcements in order to face the patrikios Gregory Taronites. The latter had been sent by Basil II to Trebizond to organize a counteroffensive against the rear of the rebels, who had advanced to the shores of the Bosphoros. Having secured an auxiliary force of 1,000 Georgian and 1,000 Armenian cavalry, Nikephoros moved against Taronites, whom he defeated in battle in the vicinity of Trebizond, probably in the autumn of 988. However, when news of the defeat of the rebels’ forces by Basil II at Chrysopolis (late 988 or early 989) reached Nikephoros’ camp, the allied troops deserted him and he in turn withdrew with his remaining forces to the fortress of Tyropoios, whence he observed the march of events as a detached looker-on, until the final defeat of Bardas Phokas at Abydos (April 13, 989)

After the death of his father, Nikephoros attempted to continue the struggle against Basil II in conjunction with Bardas Skleros, who had initiated a new revolt, and his own brother Leo, who controlled Antioch. This effort, however, failed to produce any results and, after the death of his brother, Nikephoros Phokas followed the lead of Bardas Skleros and in the autumn of 989 came to terms with Constantinople, receiving landed estates in exchange.

As the only surviving member of the Phokas family, in the following years Nikephoros Phokas remained under a cloud of disfavor, without receiving any title or office. It was probably his disaffection and his family’s traditional hostility towards Basil II that led him (summer 1022) into taking part in the revolt of Nikephoros Xiphias, strategos of the theme of Anatolikon, against Basil II and proclaim himself emperor. His venture, however, came to an inglorious end, as he was assassinated by Xiphias on August 15, 1022, in Cappadocia, an incident that led to the premature end of the revolt.