Katakalon Kekaumenos

Katakalon Kekaumenos was a prominent Byzantine general of the middle 11th century.

Biography

Katakalon Kekaumenos was born in Koloneia, and although apparently a member of the noble Katakalon family, according to John Skylitzes he was not of aristocratic origin. He first distinguished himself in the Sicilian campaign of George Maniakes in the battles fought at Messina, Rometta, and Syracuse. There, Kekaumenos, with the rank of protospatharios, commanded a contingent from the Armeniac Theme and led the successful defence of Messina against an Arab attack in 1041.

In 1042, Emperor Michael V (r. 1041–1042) charged him with quelling an uprising in Constantinople. In the next year, he defeated the Rus' raid against the imperial capital, and was named vestes and archon of the Danubian cities. In the late 1040s, he had been promoted to the post of stratelates of the East. In 1049 he participated in the campaign against the Pechenegs, who had revolted against the emperor, as second-in-command to the militarily inexperienced rhaiktor Nikephoros. During this campaign, he was seriously injured. In circa 1055, he was raised to magistros and appointed to the prestigious and powerful post of doux of Antioch. In turn, Kekaumenos actively supported the uprising of Isaac Komnenos in 1057, and was rewarded with the title of kouropalates. Katakalon Kekaumenos has also been put forward as the author of the so-called Strategikon of Kekaumenos, but his identification with its author, known only as Kekaumenos, is rejected by most modern scholars. He is also portrayed in the Turkish drama series "Alparslan: Büyük Selçuklu".