289:
526:, it appears he (and by extension the Byzantines) used them against the defenders along the walls, and not against the walls themselves. Apparently in ignorance of the destructive power at his command, he writes: "The men of old, in their pursuit of siege warfare, constructed many devices such as battering rams, wooden towers, scaling ladders with various features, tortoises, and all kinds of other things which our generation can hardly imagine. It has, however, tried all these devices and found that out of all of them, the most effective way, one the enemy cannot match, is undermining the foundations."
353:, which was flooded due to heavy rainfall in the preceding days, rendering it impassable. Both armies thus encamped on opposite shores of the river. The Bulgarians, confident that the Byzantines could not cross the river, neglected to station guards. Ouranos, however, found a ford further upstream, took his army across during the night and attacked the Bulgarian camp. The battle was a rout, as the majority of the Bulgarians, caught unawares, were either killed or captured. Even Tsar Samuel and his son were wounded and only escaped by lying among the slain.
187:
262:
Once in
Baghdad, however, Ouranos was accused of either trying to poison or negotiate in secret with Skleros and was imprisoned. The charges against him were likely orchestrated by Basil Lekapenos, who wished to get rid of him. He remained in prison in Baghdad until after Bardas Skleros himself was
380:
in 998, Emperor Basil himself had campaigned in the area in the previous year, hoping to stabilize the eastern frontier to enable him to devote his resources in the West against
Bulgaria. In the spring of 1000, Ouranos accompanied Basil in his campaign, which led to the annexation of the Georgian
494:
Of
Ouranos's additions, chapter 63 deals with raids into enemy territory. Chapter 64 discusses the problem of breaking camp and setting to march when the enemy is nearby, as well as the forced passing of a defile held by the enemy (drawn from earlier authors). Chapter 65 concerns itself with
392:
After arranging a ten-year truce with the
Fatimids in 1001, the trusted Ouranos was meant to be Basil's representative in the eastern border areas and was armed with plenipotentiary authority, as attested by a seal declaring him "master of the East"
214:
Basil
Ouranos, possibly an elder relative, is attested, and we know from Nikephoros's letters that he had a brother named Michael. Nikephoros Ouranos himself first enters history in the early 980s, during negotiations between Byzantium and the
534:
Ouranos was also a pious man, attempting to live a monkish life without disengaging from worldly affairs. As mentioned above, he was entrusted with the upkeep of the Great Lavra monastery, and in his youth he was apparently a friend of Saint
498:
The latter is especially notable for the importance given to psychological and diplomatic factors during a siege. For instance, he notes the importance of taking precautions even against
Christian subjects supplying a Muslim enemy with
480:(r. 963–969), while the appended chapters 63–65 reflect Ouranos's own experience and are emendations of earlier texts reflecting the new circumstances of Byzantine warfare in the early 11th century.
263:
let go in late 986, and was back at
Constantinople in 987. By that time, Basil Lekapenos had fallen from power and had died, and Ouranos continued to enjoy imperial favour. He was given the rank of
411:. In 1005–1007, he was engaged in operations against the Arab rebel Al-Asfar, whom he finally defeated in 1007. Nothing is known of Ouranos after that date, although the fact that a successor as
255:, who had supervised the affairs of state for decades. During the negotiations, Ouranos functioned as the intermediary between the Arabs and the emperor, and he was subsequently chosen by the
1228:
511:
because the high price offered will otherwise prove tempting. Likewise, he suggests alternating between gracious offers of clemency and harsh threats of reprisals (especially against
519:
Christians, apostates to Islam (Greek: μαγαρίται), and other heretics) whether one plans to honor these or not, as such vacillation will produce dissension among the defenders.
1198:
965:
Krausmüller, Dirk (Winter 2001–2002). "Fainting fits and their causes: a topos in two Middle
Byzantine metaphraseis by Nicetas the Paphlagonian and Nicephorus Ouranos".
1193:
1178:
17:
356:
Ouranos continued campaigning in the area over the next years, although no information about his operations is provided by the chronicler
329:
of the West; in effect, commander-in-chief of the
European field army. Following their success, the Bulgarians had penetrated deep into
1188:
1173:
1208:
1183:
166:, where he held command during the first decade of the 11th century as Basil's virtual viceroy. A well-educated man, he wrote a
1035:
1010:
989:
893:
869:
848:
245:). Ibn Shahram further mentioned that Ouranos's close association with the emperor made him an enemy to the powerful eunuch
198:
Very little is known of
Ouranos's origin, his early years, or his family, and the chronicles represent him very much as a "
231:
in 982, and Ouranos is mentioned in its report as a confidant of the young Basil II, holding the high court position of
884:
459:
350:
1213:
917:
978:
McGeer, Eric (2000). "Byzantine Siege Warfare in Theory and Practice". In Corfis, Ivy A.; Wolfe, Michael (eds.).
341:. In 997, Ouranos assembled his forces at Thessalonica and marched south to meet them, while the Bulgarian Tsar
368:
in Syria, one of the most important Byzantine regional military commands. Following the death of the previous
1203:
318:
151:
1223:
1168:
552:
984:. Woodbridge, United Kingdom and Rochester, New York: The Boydell Press (Boydell & Brewer Limited).
435:
167:
1078:
450:) represent the final example among the latter, and were written while he was governor of Antioch.
345:, upon hearing of his coming, turned north. The two armies eventually met on the banks of the river
288:
1027:
Pre-Modern Encyclopaedic Texts: Proceedings of the Second COMERS Congress, Groningen, 1–4 July 1996
512:
1053:
326:
270:
87:
1060:. London, United Kingdom: The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
516:
322:
935:. Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University: 129–140.
888:. New York, New York and Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 1544–1545.
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1057:
128:
477:
155:
108:
8:
559:
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472:
418:
was not appointed until 1011 may mean that he continued to occupy the office until then.
282:
434:
The 10th century saw a revival in the practice of writing encyclopedic works, including
194:(r. 976–1025). Nikephoros Ouranos was one of his closest and most trusted collaborators.
1218:
944:
342:
233:
227:. After the first Byzantine embassy in 980, an Arab embassy under Ibn Shahram visited
1091:
1031:
1006:
985:
927:
McGeer, Eric (1991). "Tradition and Reality in the "Taktika" of Nikephoros Ouranos".
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879:
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373:
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77:
453:
The work consists of 178 chapters, which can be divided into the following parts:
1025:
1000:
979:
907:
859:
838:
464:
252:
204:
259:
to head a Byzantine delegation to Baghdad, which would take custody of Skleros.
903:
443:
295:
247:
228:
224:
120:
62:
1162:
1024:
of Nikephoros Ouranos and Military Encyclopaedism". In Binkley, Peter (ed.).
1140:
1128:
843:. Copenhagen, Denmark: Museum Tusculanum Press (University of Copenhagen).
382:
310:
543:
338:
175:
146:(r. 976–1025). One of the emperor's closest associates, he was active in
948:
346:
199:
490:
Chapters 75–175 and 176–178 likewise are derived from ancient authors.
523:
508:
484:
357:
292:
Bulgarians put to flight by Ouranos's forces at Spercheios, from the
278:
265:
210:
940:
269:, and his influential position is evident from the fact that Saint
242:
191:
143:
1002:
Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth Century
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365:
334:
220:
97:
58:
53:
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330:
147:
66:
186:
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394:
216:
163:
159:
1229:
Ambassadors of the Byzantine Empire to the Abbasid Caliphate
1005:. Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks Studies.
399:). In 1000–1001, Ouranos quelled an uprising by two Syrian
360:, the main source. In December 999, Ouranos was appointed
305:
92:
483:
Chapters 66–74 are derived from the 1st-century author
1030:. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 261–274.
864:. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
385:, and defended this new possession from attacks by
1058:"An Embassy from Baghdad to the Emperor Basil II"
1199:Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars
1160:
964:
861:Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976–1025)
840:Symeon Metaphrastes: Rewriting and Canonization
303:Following the death of the military governor (
223:for the return of the renegade rebel general
740:
738:
736:
539:, on whose death he wrote a poem in lament.
1194:Byzantine people of the Arab–Byzantine wars
711:
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707:
705:
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604:
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174:) and composed several surviving poems and
27:10/11th-century Byzantine military officer
1179:11th-century Byzantine military personnel
902:
756:
733:
647:
635:
583:
273:appointed him as the first lay guardian (
139:official and general during the reign of
1019:
696:
681:
589:
438:, in the Byzantine Empire. Nikephoros's
287:
185:
1052:
878:
623:
522:Oddly enough, though Ouranos refers to
470:Chapters 56–62 are a paraphrase of the
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457:Chapters 1–55 are a paraphrase of the
325:in 996, Basil II appointed Ouranos as
836:
820:
426:
614:
24:
957:
912:. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.
885:The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
333:, raiding and pillaging even unto
25:
1240:
1046:
967:Golden Horn: Journal of Byzantium
100:, viceroy of the Eastern frontier
1189:11th-century Byzantine generals
1174:Medieval Greek military writers
814:
802:
790:
778:
766:
750:
721:
553:Symeon of the Wondrous Mountain
1209:Byzantine governors of Antioch
1184:11th-century Byzantine writers
669:
657:
641:
629:
577:
529:
13:
1:
1020:Trombley, Frank (1997). "The
981:The Medieval City under Siege
566:
154:, scoring a major victory at
18:Tactica of Nikephoros Ouranos
880:Kazhdan, Alexander Petrovich
571:
376:, in the battle against the
181:
7:
152:wars against the Bulgarians
10:
1245:
909:Byzantium in the Year 1000
858:Holmes, Catherine (2005).
829:
395:
1147:
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1096:
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837:Høgel, Christian (2002).
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127:; fl. c. 980 – c. 1010),
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83:
73:
47:
39:
32:
1214:Domestics of the Schools
421:
327:Domestic of the Schools
271:Athanasius the Athonite
88:Domestic of the Schools
1073:Cite journal requires
542:He authored two known
300:
195:
190:The Byzantine emperor
999:McGeer, Eric (2008).
929:Dumbarton Oaks Papers
396:ὁ κρατῶν τῆς Ἀνατολῆς
291:
189:
135:, was a high-ranking
1204:Generals of Basil II
730:, pp. 200, 349.
560:Theodore the Recruit
478:Nikephoros II Phokas
109:Battle of Spercheios
811:, pp. 132–133.
787:, pp. 131–132.
763:, pp. 350–351.
666:, pp. 163–165.
537:Symeon Metaphrastes
473:Praecepta Militaria
1224:11th-century poets
1169:Byzantine generals
1113:Title next held by
301:
234:epi tou kanikleiou
196:
158:, and against the
117:Nikephoros Ouranos
34:Nikephoros Ouranos
1157:
1156:
1148:Succeeded by
1092:Damian Dalassenos
1037:978-90-04-10830-1
1012:978-0-88-402224-4
991:978-0-85115-756-6
895:978-0-19-504652-6
871:978-0-19-927968-5
850:978-8-77-289675-5
823:, pp. 64–65.
374:Damian Dalassenos
315:Gregory Taronites
133:Nicephorus Uranus
125:Νικηφόρος Οὐρανός
114:
113:
16:(Redirected from
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1151:David Areianites
1126:Preceded by
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1056:(October 1914).
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253:Basil Lekapenos
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237:(keeper of the
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57:(modern-day
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773:McGeer 1991
761:Holmes 2005
745:Holmes 2005
728:Holmes 2005
716:McGeer 1991
691:Holmes 2005
676:Holmes 2005
664:Holmes 2005
652:Holmes 2005
609:McGeer 1991
548:metaphrasis
546:texts, the
530:Other works
476:of Emperor
463:of Emperor
339:Peloponnese
283:Great Lavra
1163:Categories
1135:Governor (
1118:koitonites
1102:of Antioch
821:Høgel 2002
567:References
524:trebuchets
427:Ouranos's
416:of Antioch
405:Noumeritai
347:Spercheios
323:Bulgarians
239:kanikleion
156:Spercheios
74:Allegiance
1219:Magistroi
572:Citations
509:livestock
485:Onasander
409:Ataphitai
358:Skylitzes
279:monastery
277:) of his
275:epitropos
266:magistros
219:ruler of
211:asēkrētis
182:Biography
137:Byzantine
129:Latinized
1145:996–999
513:Armenian
407:and the
378:Fatimids
243:inkstand
192:Basil II
144:Basil II
1120:(1011)
1110:Unknown
1022:Taktika
949:1291697
830:Sources
460:Tactica
448:Τακτικά
440:Taktika
429:Taktika
401:Bedouin
366:Antioch
337:in the
335:Corinth
281:of the
221:Baghdad
200:new man
172:Taktika
150:in the
141:Emperor
98:Antioch
59:Antakya
54:Antioch
51:c. 1010
43:Unknown
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517:Syriac
505:cheese
343:Samuel
331:Greece
319:battle
148:Europe
67:Turkey
1139:) of
945:JSTOR
507:, or
501:grain
444:Greek
422:Works
317:, in
309:) of
217:Buyid
202:". A
164:Syria
160:Arabs
121:Greek
63:Hatay
1137:doux
1100:Doux
1079:help
1032:ISBN
1007:ISBN
986:ISBN
973:(1).
914:ISBN
890:ISBN
866:ISBN
845:ISBN
556:and
515:and
414:doux
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84:Rank
48:Died
40:Born
937:doi
383:Tao
364:of
349:in
162:in
131:as
96:of
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