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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Thi s article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improv e this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced mate rial may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) Bardas Skleros (G reek: Βάρδας Σκληρός) or Sclerus was a Byzantine genera l who led a wide-scale Asian rebellion against Emperor Basil II in 976 –979. [edit] BackgroundBardas belonged to the great family of the S kleroi, which owned enormous estates at the eastern outskirts of Asi a Minor. His mother Gregoria descended from Basil I's brother Bardas . The greatest coup of his early career was a brilliant defense of Con stantinople against the army of Svyatoslav I of Kiev in 970. During th e Battle of Arcadiopolis, he reportedly managed to inflict as many a s 20,000 casualties on the barbarians, while the campaign claimed th e lives of merely 25 Greek soldiers. After he had shown himself equa l to dealing with the fiercest enemies of Byzantium, Bardas became a t rusted advisor to John I Tzimiskes, who was likewise of Armenian stoc k and his brother-in-law. Upon John's death, Skleros aspired to replac e him as an acting emperor. The eunuch Basil Lekapenos, who actually l ed the imperial government, entertained other plans, however, deposin g Bardas from his key post of general in the East (Domestic of the Sch ools) in 975. According to Michael Psellos, Skleros was "a man who wa s not only a competent planner, but extremely clever in carrying out h is schemes, possessed of vast wealth (no mean asset in one who aimed a t a throne), with the prestige of royal blood and of success in grea t wars, with all the military caste at his side to help on his enterpr ise". [edit] Rebellion Proclamation of Skleros as Emperor, miniatur e from the Madrid Skylitzes. Clash between the armies of Skleros and P hokas, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes.Upon hearing the news of hi s deposition, Skleros came to an agreement with local Armenian, Georgi an and even Muslim rulers who all vowed to support his claims to the i mperial crown. He successfully stirred up rebellion among his relative s and adherents in the Asian provinces, rapidly making himself maste r of Caesaria, Antioch, and most of Asia Minor. After several navy co mmanders defected to Skleros's side, he dashed to Constantinople, thre atening to blockade the Dardanelles. The rebels made their first mista ke when they dispatched their navy to follow Basil's fleet to Greece , where their ships were scattered without difficulty. Having lost su premacy at sea, Skleros at once laid siege to the town of Nicaea, whic h was considered a key to the capital. The town was fortified by a cer tain Manuel Erotikos, father of the future emperor Isaac Komnenos an d progenitor of the Komnenoi dynasty. Meanwhile, Basil recalled fro m exile Bardas Phokas the Younger, a general who had revolted in the p revious reign and been interned in a monastery for seven years. Phoka s proceeded to Sebastea in the East, where his family demesnes were si tuated. He came to an understanding with David III Kuropalates of Tao/ Taik, who pledged 12,000 Georgian horsemen under the command of Tornik ios to Phokas' aid. Skleros instantly left Nicaea for the East and de feated Phokas in two battles, but the latter was victorious in a third . On March 24, 979 two leaders clashed in a single combat, with Skleru s cutting the right ear of Phocas' horse with his lance before sustain ing a grave wound in the head. The rumour of his death put his army t o flight, but Skleros himself found shelter with his Muslim allies. Th ereupon the rebellion was subdued without difficulty. [edit] Later ye arsAfter the Asian potentates refused to support his further operation s against Constantinople, Skleros and his family retreated to Baghda d in 980. They resided in honourable captivity at the caliph's court f or six years, dreaming about the invasion of Byzantium. In 987 Sklero s was finally recalled to his homeland by Phokas, who took advantage o f the Bulgarian wars to aim at the crown. Skleros promptly mustered a n army to support Phokas's cause, but his plans of profiting from th e attendant disorders were frustrated when Phokas had him committed t o prison. Upon Phokas' death at Abydos (989), Skleros succeeded him a s the leader of the rebellion: "The truth was, the men who had enrolle d in Skleros's army were no longer divided in their loyalties: every o ne of them was a declared rebel. Their leader inspired them with his o wn resolute determination and bound them into one coherent body. By fa vours he won their loyalty, by his kindliness he earned their devotion . He reconciled their differences, ate at the same table as his men, d rank from the same cup, called them by name, and by his flattery boun d them to his allegiance" (Michael Psellos). The date of his surrende r to the authorities is disputed, as are the circumstances. In 991 Skl eros, a blinded and broken man, then residing in semi-captivity in Thr ace, was visited by Emperor Basil II on his way to Bulgaria. The famou s rebel accepted the title of curopalates and died several days later , presumably on April 2. His bloodline continued, however. A grandson , Basil Skleros, was married to a sister of Emperor Romanos III. One o f Basil's daughters married Constantine Monomachos, who would become E mperor, while Basil's granddaughter became mistress of Constantine. On e of these women was the grandmother of Vladimir Monomakh. Persondat a Name Skleros Alternative names Short description Date of birth Plac e of birth Date of death 991 Place of death Retrieved from "http://en .wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bardas_Skleros&oldid=455566426"