Strymon (theme)

Theme of Strymon Στρυμών, θέμα Στρυμόνος
Themeof theByzantine Empire
840s–1204 1246–1345
Map ofByzantine Greececa. 900 AD, with the themes and major settlements.
Capital	Serres
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	probably 840s
• Conquered byLatins	1204
•Nicaean recovery	1246
• Serres conquered bySerbs.	1345
Today part of	Greece

TheTheme of Strymon(Greek:θέμα Στρυμόνος) was aByzantinemilitary-civilian province (theme) located in modernGreek Macedonia,with the city ofSerresas its capital. Founded probably by the mid-to-late 9th century, its history as an administrative history was chequered, being variously split up and/or united with neighbouring themes.

Location

The theme covered the region between theStrymonandNestosrivers, between theRhodopemountains and theAegean Sea.The area was strategically important. Not only did the theme control the exits to the mountain passes from theSlav-dominated interior of theBalkansinto the coastal plains of Macedonia, but it was transversed by the greatVia Egnatiahighway, which linked Byzantine-controlledThracewithThessalonica,the Empire's second-largest city.The region was peopled predominantly with Slavs from the late 7th century on, and retained a significant Slavic population at least until the 11th century.Its main cities were Serres,Philippi,ChristoupolisandChrysopolis,while it may also initially have included the cities ofXanthiandMosynopoliseast of the Strymon.

History

In the 8th century, Strymon was akleisouraofMacedonia.The exact date of its establishment as an independent theme is unknown, but it probably dates to the first half of the 9th century.A passage inTheophanes the Confessordated to 809 may imply its existence already at that date, but its governor is not included in the list of offices known as theTaktikon Uspenskyof c. 842. Thestrategosof Strymon first appears in the 899Kletorologion,although a series of seals naming botharchontesandstrategoiof Strymon are known from the second quarter of the 9th century.In addition, the bishop of Serres was elevated to an archbishop at about the same time, a possible indication of the establishment of a thematic capital there.Several authors like the French ByzantinistPaul Lemerlesupport its creation in the late 840s, duringTheoktistos's anti-Slavic campaigns,but historianWarren Treadgoldconsiders it to have become a full theme in c. 896, to counter the threat of theBulgariantsarSymeon I(r. 893–927).

Seal of Andronikos,protospathariosandkritesofBoleron,Strymon, andThessalonica

In the late 10th century, the theme was divided in two parts: Strymon proper, also known asChryseubaorChrysaba(Χρυσεύβα/Χρυσάβα, according to the Greek scholarNikolaos OikonomidesaHellenizedform of "Krushevo", modernAchladochori), and the theme ofNew Strymon(Νέος Στρυμών). The latter is known only through theEscorial Taktikonof c. 975. Oikonomides identifies it either with the portion of the old theme east of the Nestos, which was later raised to a separate theme asBoleron(Greek: Βολερόν), or with a northern portion along the upper Strymon, possibly acquired after EmperorJohn I Tzimiskes's (r. 969–976)conquest of Bulgariain 971.Towards the end of the 10th century, the theme of Strymon appears to have been united with that of Thessalonica and perhaps alsoDrougoubiteia,while in the 11th century it appears united with Boleron.

The theme continued in existence until the dissolution of the Byzantine Empire by theFourth Crusade(1204), when it became part of the short-livedLatinKingdom of Thessalonica.In 1246, after theNicaean emperorJohn III Vatatzes(r. 1221–1254) conquered Macedonia, the theme was re-established as a separate province. In the 14th century, however, it again appears as combined with other provinces such as the themes of Boleron and Thessalonica or as the theme of "Serres and Strymon".It was permanently dissolved after the region's conquest by theSerbian Empirein the 1340s, during a Byzantinecivil war.

Sources

• Bartusis, Mark C. (1997).The Late Byzantine Army: Arms and Society 1204–1453.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.ISBN0-8122-1620-2.
• Chatziantoniou, Elisavet (2012–2013)."Παρατηρήσεις σχετικά με την οικονομική διοίκηση τουθέματοςΒολερού, Στρυμόνος και Θεσσαλονίκης (11ος αι.) "[Observations regarding the Fiscal Administration of thethemeof Boleros, Strymon, and Thessalonike (11th century)](PDF).Byzantiaka(in Greek).30.Thessaloniki: Hellenic Historical Society: 149–193. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2016-03-04.
• Fine, John V. A. Jr.(1991) [1983].The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century.Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.ISBN0-472-08149-7.
• Kazhdan, Alexander,ed. (1991).The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-19-504652-8.
• Nesbitt, John W.;Oikonomides, Nicolas,eds. (1991).Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 1: Italy, North of the Balkans, North of the Black Sea.Washington, District of Columbia: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection.ISBN0-88402-194-7.
• Obolensky, Dimitri(1974) [1971].The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe, 500-1453.London: Cardinal.ISBN9780351176449.
• Oikonomides, Nicolas(1972).Les Listes de Préséance Byzantines des IXe et Xe Siècles(in French). Paris, France: Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
• Pertusi, A. (1952).Constantino Porfirogenito: De Thematibus(in Italian). Rome: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
• Treadgold, Warren T. (1995).Byzantium and Its Army, 284–1081.Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.ISBN0-8047-3163-2.