Constantine Bourtzes

Constantine Bourtzes (Greek: Κωνσταντῖνος Βούρτζης; fl. 1025) was a Byzantine aristocrat associated with a failed conspiracy against Emperor Constantine VIII following the death of emperor Basil II. He was blinded by the emperor as punishment, which had evidently occurred to a large number of Byzantine aristocrats at the time of Constantine VIII's accession to the throne.[1][2] He was the son of Michael Bourtzes, who played a major role in the Byzantine reconquest of Antioch in 969 during the reign of Nikephoros II Phokas.[3]

Bourtzes first served in the Byzantine Army as a topoteretes, before being promoted to two higher roles. He was then made doux of Antioch.[4][5] He is considered to have been the "best-documented" case of rank elevation in the Byzantine infantry during his time period.[6]

References

  1. ↑ John Skylitzes. Synopsis Historion.
  2. ↑ Ĭordanov, Ivan Ĭordanov (2003). Corpus of Byzantine Seals from Bulgaria. Agato. p. 100. ISBN 978-954-92395-5-3. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Kamer, Stephen Arnold (1983). Emperors and Aristocrats in Byzantium, 976-1081. University Microfilms. p. 171. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Makrypoulias, Charles C (15 January 2024). Microstructures and Mobility in the Byzantine World (1 ed.). Vienna University Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-3-8471-1497-0. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Holmes, Catherine (2005). Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976-1025). Oxford University Press. pp. 353–354. ISBN 978-0-19-927968-5. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Theotokis, Georgios; Meško, Marek (27 October 2020). War in Eleventh-Century Byzantium. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-57477-1.
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