Abu Ghanim (

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

: ''Abułanam''; , ''Apoganem'') was an

noble of the Bagratid family and ruler of part of the southern

region of Taron at the turn of the 9th/10th century. Abu Ghanim was the brother of Prince Grigor I of Taron, and was himself the ''de facto'' ruler of about one half of the principality. Like other Armenian figures of the period, he is only known to history by his Arabic name, over which opinions vary: some scholars consider it a mere nickname or calling name, others consider it a proper baptismal name. According to the ''

De administrando imperio (; ) is a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII. It is a domestic and foreign policy manual for the use of Constantine's son and successor, the Emperor Romanos II. It is a prominent example of Byz ...

'' of the

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, and ...

(r. 913–959), Abu Ghanim and his nephews, the "sons of Arkaikas"—"Arkaikas" has been identified with either Ashot II of Taron or his father David—accompanied the Byzantine emissary

Constantine Lips Constantine Lips () (died 20 August 917) was a Byzantine aristocrat and admiral who lived in the later 9th and early 10th centuries. He was killed in 917 at the Battle of Acheloos against Bulgaria. Constantine Lips is most notable for his foundatio ...

to the Byzantine capital,

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, during the reign of

Leo VI the Wise Leo VI, also known as Leo the Wise (; 19 September 866 – 11 May 912), was Byzantine Emperor from 886 to 912. The second ruler of the Macedonian dynasty (although his parentage is unclear), he was very well read, leading to his epithet. During ...

(r. 886–912) and received the rank of ''

protospatharios ''Prōtospatharios'' () was one of the highest Byzantine aristocracy and bureaucracy, court dignities of the middle Byzantine Empire, Byzantine period (8th to 12th centuries), awarded to senior generals and provincial governors, as well as to forei ...

''. The visit was repeated sometime after, variously dated by modern scholars at ca. 900 or between 906 and Leo's death in 912. During this visit, Abu Ghanim received the title of ''

patrikios The patricians (from ) were originally a group of ruling class families in ancient Rome. The distinction was highly significant in the Roman Kingdom and the early Republic, but its relevance waned after the Conflict of the Orders (494 BC to 287 B ...

'', and a marriage between Abu Ghanim and the daughter of Constantine Lips was arranged. The wedding never took place, however, because Abu Ghanim died during a journey to his homeland, before he could return to Constantinople. Abu Ghanim was apparently already married once, for he is recorded as having one or more underage sons at the time of his death: his only clearly attested son is Tornikes, but there were possibly more, who are named in modern Armenian sources as Vahan and Smbat.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asbu Ghanim 10th-century deaths 10th-century Armenian people Princes of Taron Bagratuni dynasty Patricii 10th-century monarchs in the Middle East Protospatharioi