{"slug": "theme-byzantine-district", "label": "Theme (Byzantine district)", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28Byzantine_district%29", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q379817", "qid": "Q379817", "description": "Byzantine district", "entries": 14, "years": 14, "span": [659, 972], "span_label": ["659 CE", "972 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 10}, {"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 1}, {"title": "Culture & Society", "count": 1}, {"title": "Religion & Belief", "count": 1}, {"title": "Health & Medicine", "count": 1}], "related": [{"slug": "byzantine-empire", "label": "Byzantine Empire", "shared": 7}, {"slug": "anatolia", "label": "Anatolia", "shared": 6}, {"slug": "constantinople", "label": "Constantinople", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "thrace", "label": "Thrace", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "abbasid-caliphate", "label": "Abbasid Caliphate", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "slavs", "label": "Slavs", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "turkey", "label": "Turkey", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "strategos", "label": "Strategos", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "asia-minor", "label": "Asia Minor", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "bulgars", "label": "Bulgars", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "anatolic-theme", "label": "Anatolic Theme", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "may", "label": "May", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 659, "year_label": "659 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": null, "text": "Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Constans II signs a peace treaty with the Rashidun Caliphate. He uses the pause to strengthen his defences, and consolidates Byzantine control over Armenia. Constans establishes the themata, dividing territorial command in Anatolia.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340804363#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "659", "revid": 1340804363, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 688, "year_label": "688 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Byzantine–Bulgarian War: Emperor Justinian II carries out a Balkan campaign and marches through Thrace, where he restores Byzantine rule. He establishes a theme administration, and migrates many Bulgars and Slavs to the Opsician Theme (Asia Minor).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340806290#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "688", "revid": 1340806290, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 715, "year_label": "715 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "May", "text": "May – Emperor Anastasios II is deposed in an army mutiny, and succeeded by Theodosius III, a tax-collector from the theme of Opsikion (modern Turkey). After a six-month siege, Theodosius and his troops take Constantinople; Anastasios is forced to abdicate the throne, and retires to a monastery in Thessaloniki (Macedonia).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1367661130#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "715", "revid": 1367661130, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 720, "year_label": "720 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": null, "text": "Summer – Emperor Leo III secures the Byzantine frontier, by inviting Slavic settlers into the depopulated districts of the Thracesian Theme (western Asia Minor). He undertakes a set of civil reforms, and reorganizes the theme structure in the Aegean region. Leo's 2-year-old son Constantine V is associated on the throne, and married to Tzitzak, daughter of the Khazar ruler (khagan) Bihar.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1349994139#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "720", "revid": 1349994139, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 741, "year_label": "741 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Artabasdos, Byzantine general (strategos) of the Armeniac theme, defeats Constantine V and advances on Constantinople, where he is crowned emperor. He secures the support of the themes of Thrace and Opsikion, and abandons Leo's religious policy of iconoclasm. Constantine seeks the support of the Anatolic theme.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1322653390#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "741", "revid": 1322653390, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 743, "year_label": "743 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Constantine V reforms the old Imperial Guard of Constantinople into new elite cavalry and infantry units, called tagmata (Greek for 'the regiments'). He uses these troops against a rebellious theme in north-west Anatolia (modern Turkey), and later for offensive campaigns against Arab Muslim raiders and Bulgars.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364906425#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "743", "revid": 1364906425, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 790, "year_label": "790 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "September", "text": "September – The Armeniac Theme, located in northeastern Asia Minor (modern Turkey), revolts against Empress Irene, and declares the 19-year-old Constantine VI sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. Other themes follow its example, and imprison their strategoi. Constantine sends his iconoclast general Michael Lachanodrakon, to ensure that the Armeniacs (his closest supporters) take an oath. Irene is confined and imprisoned in her palace at Constantinople; all her eunuchs are exiled.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848291#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "790", "revid": 1340848291, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 821, "year_label": "821 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": null, "text": "Byzantine general Thomas the Slav leads a revolt, and secures control over most of the Byzantine themes (provinces) in Anatolia. He gets recognition from the Abbasid Caliphate, and concludes a peace treaty with Caliph al-Ma'mun. Thomas crosses with his fleet from Abydos to Thrace, and blockades Emperor Michael II in Constantinople; but Thomas' first attack on the capital fails.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340941313#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "821", "revid": 1340941313, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 843, "year_label": "843 CE", "section": "Health & Medicine", "date": null, "text": "Theodora II orders a persecution against the Paulicians throughout Anatolia; about 100,000 followers in the Byzantine theme of Armenia are massacred.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340941897#Religion", "title": "843", "revid": 1340941897, "section": "Events › By topic › Religion"}}, {"year": 844, "year_label": "844 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Spring – Battle of Mauropotamos: A Byzantine expedition under Theoktistos is sent to Anatolia (modern Turkey), against the Muslim Arabs of the Abbasid Caliphate, who have raided the Byzantine themes of Cappadocia, Anatolikon, Boukellarion, and Opsikion. The Byzantines are defeated, and many of the officers defect to the Arabs.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1342120631#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "844", "revid": 1342120631, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 891, "year_label": "891 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Summer – Orso, Lombard prince of Benevento, is deposed after the capture of Benevento by the Byzantines. Benevento becomes the capital of the thema of Longobardia.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1267072819#Europe", "title": "891", "revid": 1267072819, "section": "Events › By place › Europe"}}, {"year": 949, "year_label": "949 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Arab-Byzantine War: Hamdanid forces under Sayf al-Dawla raid into the theme of Lykandos, but are defeated. The Byzantines counter-attack and seize Germanikeia, defeating an army from Tarsus, and raiding as far south as Antioch. General (strategos) Theophilos Kourkouas captures Theodosiopolis (modern-day Erzurum) after a 7-month siege.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365592042#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "949", "revid": 1365592042, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 961, "year_label": "961 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "March 6", "text": "March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoros II Phokas capture and pillage Chandax after an 8-month siege. Nikephoros massacres the population without mercy and carries them off into slavery, returning to Constantinople with Emir Abd al-Aziz ibn Shu'ayb and his family as prisoners. The island Emirate of Crete is converted into a Byzantine theme and the remaining Muslims are converted to Christianity.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341512994#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "961", "revid": 1341512994, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}, {"year": 972, "year_label": "972 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Spring – Emperor John I Tzimiskes divides the Bulgarian territories, recently held by the Kievan Rus', into six new themes. He turns his attention to the East against the Abbasid Caliphate and its vassals, beginning with an invasion of Upper Mesopotamia. John transfers Byzantine troops to Macedonia, and the region of Philippopolis in Thrace, to dilute the Slavs.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365272305#Byzantine_Empire", "title": "972", "revid": 1365272305, "section": "Events › By place › Byzantine Empire"}}]}