Paphlagonia (theme)

The theme of Paphlagonia (Greek θέμα Παφλαγονίας ) was a Byzantine theme in the same region along the north coast of Asia Minor in modern Turkey.

History

The theme of Paphlagonia and his commanding Strategos are first mentioned in November 826, the theme itself seems to have been about 820 furnished. The area of the theme coincided approximately with the late antique Roman province of Paphlagonia, which had been divided in the introduction of the theme system in the subject Opsikion and Boukellarion. His administrative and spiritual center was Gangra. It is possible that the reappearance of Paphlagonia can be explained as a separate topic with the threat of the Rus. The Arab geographer Ibn Ibn al -Faqih and Chordadhbeh According decreed the topic about 5000 soldiers and five fortresses. An exception to the usual topics of Katepano order was the subject based in Amastris.

After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, the majority of the subject was lost to the Seljuk Turks; by the campaigns of John II Komnenos in the 1130ern the kingdom was able to recover the coastlines, the paphlagonische hinterland remained but in Turkish hands. After the Fourth Crusade Paphlagonia came under the rule of David Komnenos, but in 1214 conquered the Emperor Theodore I Laskaris nikäische the western part of the coast to Amastris. This western part remained until the 14th century in the Byzantine hand when he was captured by the Turks and the Genoese.