Longibardopoulos

Longibardopoulos (, "son of the Lombard"; 1071–1073) was a Byzantine general, a mercenary chief, one of the commanders stationed in Macedonia during the Uprising of Georgi Voiteh.

Life A Lombard chief, he joined the Byzantine army rather than submit to the Normans during their conquest of southern Italy. in the autumn of 1072 Constantine Bodin arrived at Prizren, where he was proclaimed Emperor of the Bulgarians. A Byzantine army under Damianos Dalassenos was immediately sent from Constantinople to help the strategos of the Theme of Bulgaria, Nikephoros Karantenos. In the battle that followed the Byzantine army was completely defeated. Dalassenos and several other Byzantine commanders, including Longibardopoulos, were captured and Skopje was taken by the rebel troops.

Longibardopoulos was subsequently married to a sister of Constantine Bodin, and was put in command of an army consisting mainly of "Lombards and Serbs". He was dispatched against the Byzantines, whom he had earlier served. in December 1073 and then sent to Constantinople, then Antioch, where he spent several years, while Voiteh died en route. When Michael of Duklja heard of the capture of his son, he sent Longibardopoulos to rescue him, but instead, Longibardopoulos defected to the Byzantines.