Leo Argyros: The first known prominent member of the Argyros family appeared in the years of Michael III (842-867) as a
tourmarches. He participated in the battles against the Arabs and the Paulicians and founded the monastery of St Elisabeth in the
theme of Charsianon.
Chronological Table
mid-9th c.: First mention of the Argyros lineage from the theme of Charsianon, Asia Minor
reign of Michael III (842-867): Leo Argyros, founder of the monastery of St Elisabeth in the theme of Charsianon, holds high military
positions
reign of Leo VI (886-912): Eustathios Argyros becomes strategos of the theme of Anatolikon and holds high offices
c. 907: Eustathios Argyros, the son of Leo Argyros, becomes strategos of the theme of Charsianon
c. 908: Eustathios Argyros is awarded the title of magistros and is appointed droungarios of the vigla
first half of the 10th c.: Two sons of Eustathios Argyros, Pothos and Leo, among other offices they held, are also appointed to the
position of domestikos ton scholon
921: Romanos Argyros gets married to Agathe, the daughter of Romanos I Lekapenos (920-944)
944: Marianos Argyros participates in the conspiracy staged by the sons of Romanos I Lekapenos to overthrow their father
945: Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (913-959) appoints Marianos Argyros komes tou stavlou
959: Marianos Argyros in head of the army of the West
963: Marianos Argyros resists the usurper Nikephoros Phokas, the subsequent Nikephoros II (963-969), and dies because of the
wounds he suffered during the conflicts of August 16, 963
August 16, 963: Nikephoros Phokas is crowned at Hagia Sophia
reign of Basil II (976-1025): Pulcheria Argyropoulina, the sister of the subsequent Emperor Romanos III, marries Basil Skleros, the
grandson of the usurper Bardas Skleros
late 10th or early 11th c.: The sister of Romanos III marries Constantine Karantinos
1028: The prefect of Constantinople Romanos Argyros is appointed successor of Constantine VII (1025-1028). He also marries Zoe
Porphyrogeniti, of the Macedonian dynasty.
1028-1034: Reign of Romanos III Argyros
April 1034: Romanos III dies in his bath under mysterious circumstances
mid-11th c.: A niece of Romanos III marries Constantine Diogenes, the father of Romanos IV (1068-1071)
1057: Two sons of Basil Argyros, the brother of Romanos III, who are reported among the ruling class of the theme of Anatolikon, join
the usurper Isaac Komnenos
before 1077: Possible betrothal or marriage between an offspring of the Argyros family and Alexios Komnenos
late 11th c.: The Argyros lineage gradually declines
14th-15th c.: It is not possible to decide whether certain people living in the western part of the Byzantine Empire under the name
Argyros have any relation to the Argyros family of Charsianon
1. General
The Byzantine aristocratic Argyros family from the theme of Charsianon entered the limelight of the Byzantine history in the mid-9th
century. Right from the start, the members of the family held key and prestigious positions, mainly in the army. In the first half of the
10th century the Argyros family was forged its ties with the capital thanks to their alliance with the Lekapenos family and through them
with the Macedonian dynasty. The Argyros' alliance with the dynasty was consolidated in the 11th century, when a member of the
lineage ascended the imperial throne. The reign of Romanos III Argyros (1028-1034) was the most powerful period of the family,
which was allied to other prominent Byzantine families too, such as the Skleros and the Diogenes lineages. Towards the late 11th
century, the Argyros lineage begun to lose power and it gradually declined, as reflected in the positions held by people under this
name in the 12th century. Although descendants from Asia Minor can still be traced through the 15th century, their exact relation to
the once prominent Argyros lineage are uncertain.
2. Emergence and origins of the family
The earliest information about the Argyros (Argyropoulos) family dates back to the mid-9th century. The family was probably named
after an ancestor, whose nickname Argyros (silver) was adopted as family name. We know that the family had ties with the region
that came under the jurisdiction of the Asia Minor theme of Charsianon exactly in that period, and that members of the family held
military posts in this theme, as they did in the theme of Anatolikon too.1
The ascent of the Argyros family begun during the reign of Michael III (842-867), when its first members are attested among the
Byzantine military officials. The first known Argyros, a certain Leo of humble origins, was a military official; he served as a
tourmarches and grabbed the chance to ascend thanks to the war against the Arabs and the Paulicians in the eastern part of the
Empire. Leo Argyros founded the monastery of St Elisabeth in the theme of Charsianon.
3. The family in the late 9th and early 10th c.
It would not be a mistake to suggest that it was the career of Eustathios Argyros, Leos son and second known important member of
the family, that gave his descendants the opportunity to attain their place among the most prominent families of the empire. Under Leo
VI (886-912),Eustathios Argyros, already a patrikios, became strategos of Anatolikon. He went on to become strategos of the
theme of Charsianon (ca. 907), while in the following year he was awarded the title of magistros and served as droungarios of the
vigla. Shortly later, Eustathios Argyros fell out of favour for unknown reasons and was exiled to his family domain in the theme of
Charsianon. But his career and ascent opened the way to his three sons, who were able to occupy the highest military dignities. Two
of them, Pothos and Leo, held the position of domestikos ton scholon, while Leo also became strategos of the theme of Sebasteia.
4. The association of the lineage with the capital
The Argyros lineage was greatly esteemed and had authority in the theme of Charsianon, something also confirmed by the fact that
Romanos I Lekapenos (920-944) married his young daughter Agathe to Romanos Argyros, Eustathios grandson.2 The wedding
took place in 921 and indirectly allied the Argyros family to the Macedonian dynasty, since Lekapenos elder daughter, Helen, was
married to the then underage Constantine VII (Porphyrogenitus / 913-959). This marriage gave the Argyros family the opportunity to
increase their influence in Constantinople and make several distinguished friends.
5. The family in the 10th century
During the reign of Romanos I Lekapenos (920-944), the Argyros family along with the Mouzalon and the Saronites families were
among the families supporting the new emperor.3 As co-emperor of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (913-959), Romanos I
Lekapenos tried to consolidate his position and become independent from the Macedonian dynasty with the support of the above
families. The Argyros family grabbed the opportunity and participated actively in Byzantine political matters. They also attempted to
take part in the conflicts that broke out among the members of the Lekapenos family. In this framework, Marianos Argyros, the
brother of Romanos, the emperors son-in-law, backed the rebellion staged in 944 by the sons of Romanos I, who wanted to
overthrow their father. The rebellion was only partially successful: although Romanos I was deposed, his sons failed to seize the
throne; instead, Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, the legal representative of the Macedonian dynasty managed to assume power.
The new emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus started his reign with the reinstatement of the Phokas family by appointing some
of its members to key military positions and at the same time awarding Marianos Argyros the title of comes tou stavlou. Marianos
Argyros later fought in southern Italy and in 959 he was given the leadership of the troops of the Empire's European themes.4
When Romanos II (959-963) died, Marianos Argyros joined the opponents of the usurper Nikephoros Phokas (963-969) and was
among the architects of the capitals defence against the rebels. However, his resistance failed to succeed and Marianos, fatally
wounded during a conflict, died on August 16, 963, on the day Nikephoros Phokas was crowned at the church of Hagia Sophia.
6. The Argyros family at the peak of their power: the reign of Romanos III Argyros
The next reknown generation of the Argyros family included the descendants of a certain Argyropoulos, who was the grandson of
Romanos Argyros and Agathe Lekapene. Among them was the most prominent member of the family, Romanos III Argyros (1028-
1034).
Before he ascended the throne, Romanos Argyros had been prefect of Constantinople, a title of which Michael Psellos had written
that it designated an imperial dignity, only without the Purple.5 The fact that Romanos Argyros was one of the most prominent officials
of the capital in that period is apparent in Constantine VIII's choice of him as his son-in-law and successor while on his deathbed in
1028.6
In the years of Romanos III (1028-1034), the Argyros family reached the peak of their power and fame. Various relatives of the
emperor were highly honoured and were awarded state positions. For example, in the early years of the reign of Romanos III, his
sister Pulcheria Argyropoulina, who was married to Basil Skleros, an offspring of the Skleros family, had considerable influence over
the palace. Towards the end of his reign, Romanos III was supplanted by the Paphlagonians, John Orphanotrophos and his brother
Michael, the subsequent emperor Michael IV (1034-1041). Because Emperor Romanos III had no children, the Argyros family was
not able to found a dynasty. The reign of Romanos III ended in April 1034, when the emperor died under mysterious circumstances
and Michael IV the Paphlagonian ascended the throne.7
7. Relations of the Argyros family to other families
The Argyros lineage, as a notable and wealthy family, had the opportunity to form alliances with distinguished families. The wedding
between Romanos Argyros and Agathe Lekapene in 921, as mentioned above, made the Argyros family one of the first families of the Empire to be allied to the Macedonian dynasty. In the years of Basil II (976-1025), the Argyros family were related to the Skleros
family: Pulcheria Argyropoulina was married to Basil Skleros, the grandson of the renowned usurper Bardas Skleros. A sister of
Romanos III got married to an offspring of the Karantinos family.8
Romanos III Argyros's (1028-1034) ascend to throne was the result of his marriage. Romanos had to marry either Zoe or Theodora,
the daughters of Constantine VIII, in order to become emperor. According to the Byzantine historian John Skylitzes, the marriage was
first proposed to Theodora, who refused to marry Romanos, either because of the possible conflict resulting from the already
established marital alliance between the Macedonian dynasty and the Argyros family, or because Romanos was already married in
that period. However, the conflict resulting from the alliance was resolved with the intervention of the patriarch.9 Finaly, Romanos
Argyros got married to Zoe and assumed power as Emperor Romanos III (1028-1034). The Argyros family then went on to
establish alliances with the Diogenes family: a niece of Romanos III was married to the patrikios Constantine Diogenes, the father of
the subsequent Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (1068-1071).10
According to Nikephoros Bryennios, before Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) got married to Eirene Doukaina, he had been
engaged (maybe even married?) to an offspring of the notable and wealthy Argyros family.11 This is not reported by other sources
but in case it is true, the betrothal (or marriage) could have taken place in the early years of the second half of the 11th century. The
fiancée (or wife) of Alexios Komnenos must have died before 1077, when Alexios got married to Eirene Doukaina.
However, despite such relations to prominent Byzantine families, the lack of alliance with the Komnenian dynasty was decisive for the
future of the Argyros family. After 1081, when Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) ascended the throne, the key positions of the state
were reserved to the relatives of the Komnenos and the Doukas families. The fact that the Argyros lineage failed to marry into any of
these two families lowered their prestige and influence and led to its gradual decline towards the late 11th century.
8. The Argyros lineage in the 12th c.
Although there is information about certain people under the surname Argyros-Argyropoulos through the 12th century, the importance
of the family was reduced and the Argyros family was no longer ranked among the upper class of the Byzantine society. Some
Argyroi held administrative offices. It seems that the descendants of the old Argyros family withdrew from the army at some point in
the second half of the 11th century. Furthermore, although the name Argyros-Argyropoulos can be attested in different regions of the
empire, such as Crete, it is impossible to define the relation of these persons to the Asia Minor lineage. This is also the case with
various Argyroi attested in the 14th and the 15th c. in the European territories of the Empire (Chalkidike Peninsula, Serres and
Thessaloniki).12 However, the descendants of the Argyros family of Asia Minor can still be traced until the 15th century.13
9. The surname Argyros in Southern Italy
The surname Argyros was in use in various regions of southern Italy. However, it is rather a coincidence, as it was used sporadically
and not as a family name going back to the Byzantine Argyros lineage of Charsianon.
Kind(eren):
De getoonde gegevens hebben geen bronnen.