For other uses, see John Kourkouas (disambiguation).
John Kourkouas
Born
before 900
Died
after 946
Allegiance
Byzantine Empire
Years of service
c. 915–944
Rank
Domestic of the Schools
Relations
Theophilos Kourkouas, Romanos Kourkouas, John Tzimiskes
v
t
e
Arab–Byzantine wars
Early conflicts
Mu'tah
Balqa
Firaz
Dathin
The Levant
Marj Rahit
al-Qaryatayn
Bosra
Ajnadayn
Yaqusa
Marj al-Saffar
Sanita-al-Uqab
Damascus
Maraj-al-Debaj
Fahl
Marj ar-Rum
Emesa
Yarmouk
Laodicea
Jerusalem
Hazir
1st Aleppo
Iron Bridge
2nd Emesa
Germanicia
Egypt
Heliopolis
Babylon Fortress
Alexandria
Nikiou
Darishkur
Bahnasa
North Africa
Sufetula
Vescera
Mamma
Carthage
Tabarka
Anatolia & Constantinople
1st Constantinople
Sebastopolis
Tyana
2nd Constantinople
Nicaea
Akroinon
Border conflicts
Kamacha
Asia Minor (782)
Kopidnadon
Krasos
Asia Minor (806)
Anzen
Amorium
Mauropotamos
Faruriyyah
Lalakaon
Bathys Ryax
Sicily and Southern Italy
1st Syracuse
Messina
Butera
Enna
2nd Syracuse
1st Malta
3rd Syracuse
Caltavuturo
Campaigns of Leo Apostyppes & Nikephoros Phokas the Elder
1st Milazzo
2nd Milazzo
1st Taormina
Garigliano
Campaigns of Marianos Argyros
2nd Taormina
Rometta
Straits of Messina
George Maniakes in Sicily
2nd Malta
Naval warfare
Phoenix
Keramaia
1st Crete
2nd Crete
Thasos
Damietta
Ragusa
Kardia
Gulf of Corinth
Cephalonia
Euripos
Thessalonica
3rd Crete
4th Crete
Tyre
Byzantine reconquest
Campaigns of John Kourkouas
Campaigns of Sayf al-Dawla
Marash
Raban
Andrassos
Campaigns of Nikephoros II
5th Crete
Aleppo
Cilicia
Antioch
Campaigns of John I
Alexandretta
Syria
Campaigns of Basil II
Orontes
2nd Aleppo
Apamea
Azaz
John Kourkouas (Greek: Ἰωάννης Κουρκούας, romanized: Ioannes Kourkouas, fl. c. 900–946), also transliterated as Kurkuas or Curcuas,[a] was one of the most important generals of the Byzantine Empire. His success in battles against the Muslim states in the East reversed the course of the centuries-long Arab–Byzantine wars and set the stage for Byzantium's eastern conquests later in the century.
Kourkouas belonged to a family of Armenian descent that produced several notable Byzantine generals. As commander of an imperial bodyguard regiment, Kourkouas was among the chief supporters of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944) and facilitated the latter's rise to the throne. In 923, Kourkouas was appointed commander-in-chief of the Byzantine armies along the eastern frontier, facing the Abbasid Caliphate and the semi-autonomous Muslim border emirates. He kept this post for more than twenty years, overseeing decisive Byzantine military successes that altered the strategic balance in the region.
During the 9th century, Byzantium had gradually recovered its strength and internal stability while the Caliphate had become increasingly impotent and fractured. Under Kourkouas's leadership, the Byzantine armies advanced deep into Muslim territory for the first time in almost three centuries, expanding the imperial border. The emirates of Melitene and Theodosiospolis were conquered, extending Byzantine control to the upper Euphrates and over western Armenia. The remaining Iberian and Armenian princes became Byzantine vassals. Kourkouas also played a role in the defeat of a major Rus' raid in 941 and recovered the Mandylion of Edessa, an important and holy relic believed to depict the face of Jesus Christ. He was dismissed in 944 as a result of the machinations of Romanos Lekapenos's sons but restored to favour by Emperor Constantine VII (r. 913–959), serving as imperial ambassador in 946. His subsequent fate is unknown.
JohnKourkouas (Greek: Ἰωάννης Κουρκούας, romanized: Ioannes Kourkouas, fl. c. 900–946), also transliterated as Kurkuas or Curcuas, was one of the most...
grandson of Theophilos Kourkouas, Byzantine Emperor in 969–976 JohnKourkouas (11th c.), Catepan of Italy in 1008–1010 Gregory Kourkouas, doux of Philippopolis...
the Fatimids respectively. John was born in present-day Çemişgezek in Tunceli Province. His father was a scion of the Kourkouas family, a clan of still debated...
returning army under Kourkouas. In 944 Romanos concluded a treaty with Prince Igor of Kiev. This crisis having passed, Kourkouas was free to return to...
the grandfather of the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes (r. 969–976). Theophilos was a scion of the Kourkouas family, a clan of Armenian origin that had...
Romanos Kourkouas (Greek: Ῥωμανός Κουρκούας) was a Byzantine aristocrat and senior military leader in the mid-10th century. Romanos was a scion of the...
on 1 June 2006. Asma Afsaruddin, Oliver (2009). "ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān". In John L. Esposito (ed.). The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World. Oxford:...
with his local militia levies until the larger Byzantine army under JohnKourkouas came and drove the Rus' out. In 945 he was appointed supreme commander...
compendium is at variance with this, John Scylitzes recounting how in 944, when the city was besieged by JohnKourkouas, it was exchanged for a group of Muslim...
ISBN 0-521-59984-9. Haldon, John (1997), Byzantium in the Seventh Century: the Transformation of a Culture, Cambridge, ISBN 0-521-31917-X Haldon, John (2008), The Byzantine...
back the invaders. The vanquisher of the Rus' was the famous general JohnKourkouas, who continued the offensive with other noteworthy victories in Mesopotamia...
Tzourakes, prōtospatharios, mid-9th/10th century, known only from his seal JohnKourkouas (grandfather of the namesake 10th-century general), rebelled against...
Romanos sends a Byzantine expeditionary force (80,000 men) led by general JohnKourkouas (his commander-in-chief) to invade northern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq)...
king of Connacht Ermengol I (or Armengol), count of Urgell (b. 974) JohnKourkouas, Byzantine catepan (approximate date) Maelsuthan Ua Cerbhail, Irish...
With some exceptions, most notably the unparalleled 22-year tenure of JohnKourkouas, or in times of domestic instability, Domestics were changed on the...
venturing as far south as Nicomedia (modern-day İzmit). In September, JohnKourkouas and Bardas Phokas ("the Elder"), two leading generals, destroy the Rus'...
of JohnKourkouas Campaigns of Sayf al-Dawla Marash Raban Andrassos Campaigns of Nikephoros II 5th Crete Aleppo Cilicia Antioch Campaigns of John I Alexandretta...
Arabs then noticed that a Roman general, John, with a small group of 50 men, had been following them. John and his men ran away, but their hiding place...
Edward Gibbon, History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Chapter 51 Bishop John Nikiou The Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu Chapters CXVI-CXXI...
launched their raids into southern Italy. Alexander A. Vasiliev, p. 204-5 John Bagnell Bury, p. 306 Fulvio Mazza, p. 70-1 David Abulafia, p. 168 Alexander...