| Principality of Tephrike | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mid 9th century–870s | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Capital | Tephrike | ||||||||
| Religion | Paulicianism | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| • 840s - 863 | Karbeas | ||||||||
| • 863 - 870s | Chrysocheres | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
| • Established | mid 9th century | ||||||||
| • Disestablished | 870s | ||||||||
| |||||||||
The Principality of Tephrike was a medieval Paulician principality on the territory of historical Tephrike (present-day Divriği, Turkey).
History
In 843, the Byzantine Empress Theodora instituted a major persecution against a heretical medieval Christian sect which originated in Armenia in the 7th century, the Paulicians, throughout Asia Minor. In response, under their then leader Karbeas, the Paulicians fled across the border to the areas of Armenia under Arab control.
Under the protection of Umar al-Aqta, the Emir of Melitene, the sect was permitted by the Arabs to establish an independent Paulician state centred on Tephrike on the Upper Euphrates, which also included the newly founded cities of Amara (present-day Ömerli, Turkey) and Argaoun (present-day Arguvan, Turkey). From there, he participated regularly in the raids by the Arab border emirates into Byzantine Asia Minor.. Karbeas died in 863 during Michael III's campaign against the Arabs and possibly was with Umar at Malakopea before the Battle of Lalakaon.
Karbeas's successor, Chrysocheres ('the goldenhand'), devastated many cities in the continued wars with the Byzantines; in 867, he advanced as far as Ephesus. Chrysocheres was killed at Battle of Bathys Ryax in 872 or 878.
By 878, the emperor Basil I had conquered the Paulician strongholds in Asia Minor (including Tephrike) and the survivors from the destruction of the Paulician state were largely displaced.
References
- Fine, John Van Antwerp (1991). The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. pp. 173, 299. ISBN 0-472-08149-7.
- Leon Arpee. A History of Armenian Christianity. The Armenian Missionary Association of America, New York, 1946, p. 107.
- Nersessian 1987, p. 53. sfn error: no target: CITEREFNersessian1987 (help)
- Vasiliev 1935, pp. 231–232. sfn error: no target: CITEREFVasiliev1935 (help)
- Whittow 1996, pp. 310–311. sfn error: no target: CITEREFWhittow1996 (help)
- Digenis Akritas: The Two-Blooded Border Lord. Trans. Denison B. Hull. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 1972
- "Εγκυκλοπαίδεια Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, Μ. Ασία". Asiaminor.ehw.gr. Retrieved 2016-09-25.
- "Paulicians". MedievalChurch.org.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- "The Encyclopedia of Thelema & Magick | Bogomils". Thelemapedia.org. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- Kiapidou 2003, Chapter 3.
- Charanis, Peter (1961). "The Transfer of Population as a Policy in the Byzantine Empire". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 3 (2): 142, 144–152. doi:10.1017/S0010417500012093. JSTOR 177624. S2CID 145091581.
Sources
- Kiapidou, Eirini-Sofia (17 January 2003). "Battle at Bathys Ryax, 872/8". Encyclopedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2010.