John Taronites (; ; born c. 1067) was a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

aristocrat who served as provincial governor in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

under his uncle, Emperor

Alexios I Komnenos Alexios I Komnenos (, – 15 August 1118), Latinization of names, Latinized as Alexius I Comnenus, was Byzantine Emperor, Byzantine emperor from 1081 to 1118. After usurper, usurping the throne, he was faced with a collapsing empire and ...

Biography

His father, the ''

panhypersebastos The title of () was a Byzantine court title created by Alexios I Komnenos () using the imperial root (the Greek translation of ). It was always conferred to members of aristocratic families closely allied to the imperial family. Michael Taronit ...

Michael Taronites Michael Taronites (; ) was a Byzantine aristocrat and brother-in-law of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. He was involved in a conspiracy against him and was banished in 1094. Biography Michael belonged to the aristocratic family of the Taronitai, a pr ...

, belonged to the aristocratic family of the Taronitai, a clan of princely

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 ...

origin from Taron. In ca. 1061–1063 he married Maria Komnene, the oldest daughter of the ''

megas domestikos The title of Grand domestic () was given in the 11th–15th centuries to the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine army, directly below the Byzantine Emperor. It evolved from the earlier office of the domestic of the Schools, and came to rank as on ...

'' John Komnenos and

Anna Dalassene Anna Dalassene (; ca. 1025/30 – 1 November 1100/02) was an important Byzantine noblewoman who played a significant role in the rise to power of the Komnenoi in the eleventh century. She exercised great influence over her son, the Emperor Alexi ...

, and oldest sister of

(r. 1081–1118). John was the couple's oldest son, and was probably born in ca. 1067. At some unknown date, probably ca. 1092/93, Taronites was military governor ('' doux'') of

Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...

, as indicated by his correspondence with

Theophylact of Ohrid Theophylact (, ; around 1055after 1107) was a Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Archbishop of Ohrid and commentator on the Bible. He is regarded as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, commemorated on December 31st. Life Theophylact was born in the ...

. In summer 1094 his father was dismissed and banished for his involvement in the conspiracy of

Nikephoros Diogenes Nikephoros Diogenes (), Latinized as Nicephorus Diogenes, was presumably a junior Byzantine emperor around 1069–1071. He was born 1069 to Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa. He was elevated to junior emperor in 1 ...

against Emperor Alexios, but the affair does not appear to have affected Taronites' standing and career. In autumn of that year, when Alexios campaigned against the

Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, he was entrusted the defence of Berroe and its environs along with

Nikephoros Melissenos Nikephoros Melissenos (, – 17 November 1104), Latinized as Nicephorus Melissenus, was a Byzantine general and aristocrat. Of distinguished lineage, he served as a governor and general in the Balkans and Asia Minor in the 1060s. In the turbule ...

and

George Palaiologos George Palaiologos or Palaeologus (; ) was a Byzantine aristocrat and general. One of the earliest known members of the Palaiologos dynasty, he was a capable military commander who played a critical role in helping his brother-in-law Alexios I ...

. In 1094/95, he participated in the

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

Blachernae Palace The Palace of Blachernae (). was an imperial Roman residence in the suburb of Blachernae, located in the northwestern section of Constantinople (today located in the quarter of Ayvansaray in Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey). The area of the palace is now ...

, where Leo of Chalcedon was condemned. He appears in the list of attendees with the high title of ''

sebastos ( , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th century Byzantine Empire and came to form the basis of a new system of co ...

'', in fifth place overall. Taronites' next appears in a document of 1102 holding the position of civil governor (''

praetor ''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the title granted by the government of ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected ''magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to disch ...

'') and head fiscal official (''

anagrapheus ''Anagrapheus'' () was a Byzantine fiscal official in the 9th–12th centuries. The title does not appear in the lists of offices (''taktika''), but is attested on seals and monastic charters, with the first occurrence ca. 750–850, and the last ...

'') of the combined

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...

s of

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

Boleron Boleron () was the name of a region and a Byzantine province in southwestern Thrace during the Middle Ages. The region is first mentioned in the mid-9th century ''Life of Saint Gregory of Dekapolis'', and designated the area enclosed between the ...

, Strymon, and

Thessalonica Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area) and the capital city, capital of the geographic reg ...

. In 1104 his paternal cousin,

Gregory Taronites Gregory Taronites (; ) was an Armenian prince of Taron, who went over to Byzantine service and held senior commands and governorships under Emperor Basil II. He was killed by the Bulgarians at an ambush near Thessalonica ca. 991 or 995. Life G ...

, governor of

Chaldia Chaldia (, ''Khaldia'') was a historical region located in the mountainous interior of the eastern Black Sea, northeast Anatolia (modern Turkey). Its name was derived from a people called the ''Chaldoi'' (or '' Chalybes'') that inhabited the reg ...

, rebelled against Alexios at

Trebizond Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid Em ...

. The emperor sent many letters to persuade Gregory to submit, but the latter replied with insults, so in 1105/6 Alexios sent John at the head of an army to deal with him. Learning of this, Gregory marched inland to Koloneia, from where he intended to conclude an alliance with the

Danishmends The Danishmendids or Danishmends () were a Turkish dynasty. These terms also refer to the Turkish Anatolian Beyliks, state in Anatolia. It existed from 1071/1075 to 1178 and is also known as the Danishmendid Beylik (). The dynasty was centered or ...

Sebasteia Sivas is a city in central Turkey. It is the seat of Sivas Province and Sivas District.İl Beledi ...

. Taronites sent his Frankish mercenaries against the rebel, and managed to capture him before he reached the city. he brought his cousin captive back to

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 ...

. There Alexios at first intended to have Gregory blinded—the customary punishment for rebellion—but was dissuaded by John, who pleaded for clemency for his cousin. Instead, Gregory's hair and beard were shaved, and he was paraded around the streets of Constantinople before being thrown into the

Prison of Anemas The Prison of Anemas () is a large Byzantine building attached to the walls of the city of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). It is traditionally identified with the prisons named after Michael Anemas, a Byzantine general who rose in u ...

. He disappears from the sources after that, but it is possible that he may be identical to the John Taronites, ''

pansebastos sebastos ( , ) was an honorific used by the ancient Greeks to render the Roman imperial title of . The female form of the title was (). It was revived as an honorific in the 11th century Byzantine Empire and came to form the basis of a new system of cou ...

'', ''

dikaiodotes The ''dikaiodotes'' (, "giver of the laws") was a Byzantine judicial office attested in the 11th–12th centuries. The title existed already since antiquity in the non-technical sense of "dispenser of the laws". The title acquired a technical sense ...

'', and Eparch of the City, who attended a synod in 1147. It is unknown whether he was married or if he had children.

References

Sources

* } * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taronites, John 1060s births 11th-century Byzantine government officials 12th-century Byzantine people Byzantine governors of Thessalonica Officials of Alexios I Komnenos

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Year of death unknown Komnenos dynasty Generals of Alexios I Komnenos Sebastoi Governors of the Theme of Macedonia Governors of the Theme of Thrace