Dyrrhachium (theme)
The theme of Dyrrachium (Greek Théma Dyrrachíou θέμα Δυρραχίου ) was a Byzantine theme in today's Albania, which stretched along the Adriatic coast. It was established in the early 9th century and named after its capital Durrës ( Dyrrachium medium Greek ).
History
The exact year of the establishment of the subject is not known; a strategos of Dyrrachium is noted in Taktikon Uspensky of 842, but there have been several seal of strategoi from earlier times get. It is possible that it arose simultaneously with the theme of Peloponnesus and the theme of Cephalonia. During the Byzantine- Bulgarian Wars in the 10th and 11th century, the city seems at times independently or to have been under Bulgarian rule. From the mid-11th century, their governor was entitled Doux or Katepano. In the year 1040/1041 the troops of the topic rebelled under their leader Tihomir and joined Peter Deljan to.
In the late 11th and 12th centuries Dyrrachium was of great importance to the Byzantine Empire. The city was the " key to Albania " and the gateway for invasions of Italy. The Doux of Dyrrachium was raised to the rank most important of all the Balkan provinces of the empire. Two governor of Dyrrachium ( Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder and Nikephoros Basilakes ) tried from here to seize power. The region also played an important role in the Byzantine-Norman wars: it was occupied by the Normans between 1081 to 1084. After the reconquest of the region familiar Alexios I Komnenos the subject of one of his closest relatives. Nevertheless, the local city leaders ( Archontes ) maintained a relative independence, they were the ones who in 1205 after the sack of Constantinople Opel handed over the city to the Venetians.
List of known strategists
- Leo Rhabdouchos, 917
- Nicetas Pegonites until 1018
- Eustathius Daphnomeles, 1018-1029
- Basil Synadenos, about 1040
- Michael Maurex, late 1060er/frühe 1070er
- Nikephoros Bryennios the Elder, ca 1075
- Nikephoros Basilakes, about 1078
- Georgios Palaiologos, 1081
- John Doukas, 1085-1092
- John Komnenos, 1092-1105
- Alexius Comnenus, 1105 - after 1108
- Alexios Kontostephanos, second quarter of the 12th century
- Alexios Doukas, mid 12th century