A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

NICEPHORUS. NICEPHORU8. 1179
dangerous as the khalif. In order to carry on the more recognised the Greek rule. All Greece was
war against the Bulgarians with effect, Nicephorus in joy, and the conquest was thought to be so imestablished a strong and permanent cordon, or army portant, and, above all, was so unexpected, that the
of observation, along the Danube, and oppressed victor was allowed the honour of a public triumph
his people with taxes. The public indignation was in Constantinople. In 962 Nicephorus set out for
roused, and an attempt was made to assassinate another campaign in Syria, at the head of a splenhim. However, he was destined to die a more did army of 200,000 men, according to the probably
honourable death. Having drained the people of exaggerated statements of the Arabs, and of 80,000
their gold and silver he was enabled to raise a very men according to Liutprand. The passes across
strong army, at the head of which he penetrated Mount Amanus were forced, Aleppo, Antioch, and
very far into Bulgaria (811), and so weakened theother principal towns of Syria surrendered, or
Crum that the latter sued for peace. Nicephorus, were.taken by assault, and Nicephorus pushed on
proud of his success, rejected the request; but the towards the Euphrates. The victor was checked
barbarian king now rose with all the energy of in his military career by the death of the emperor
despair, and, as often happens in such cases, ruined Romanus in 963, whose prime minister Brindas,
the man who was too sure of ruining him. The jealous of the unparalleled success of Nicephorus,
Greeks being encamped on a plain surrounded on endeavoured to ruin him by intrigues.. Brindas
all sides by steep rocks, intersected by a few nar- made tempting propositions to John Zimisces and
row ravines, Crum contrived to block up all these his brother Romanus Curcuas, through whose indefiles but one with enormous quantities of dry strumentality he hoped to accomplish his objects;
wood and other combustible materials, which but those two generals,having apprised their comone night were set on fire, while the Bulgarians mander-in-chief of the treachery of Brindas, Nicefrom all sides shouted their war cries as if they phorus was enabled to triumph over his rival.
intended to descend into the plain and take the Theophano, the widow of Romanus, rewarded him
camp by assault. The terrified Greeks rushed to- by appointing him supreme commander of all the
wards the only defile that was still open, but there Greek armies in Asia, with unlimited and almost
were received by Crum with his main forces, and a sovereign authority. In consequence of a widow,
conflict in the night ensued in which the Greek army the mother of two infant princes, being placed at
was nearly destroyed, and Nicephorus lost his life, the head of the empire, the numerous partisans of
slain either by the enemy or his own enraged sol- Nicephorus persuaded him to seize the supreme
diers (25th of July 811). His son Stauracius, al- power, and after some hesitation he allowed himthough badly wounded, escaped and hastened to self to be proclaimed emperor. Upon this he went
Constantinople, where he was proclaimed emperor. to Constantinople, and consolidated his power by
(Theophan. p. 402, &c.; Cedren. p. 476, &c.; marrying Theophano; he was crowned in the
Zonar. vol. ii. p. 121, &c.; Manass. p. 93; Glyc. month of December, 963; and along with him
p. 285, &c.) [W. P.] reigned, though only nominally, Basil II. and ConNICE'PHORUS II. PHOCAS (NLcn7pdpos o stantine IX., the two infant sons of Romanus and
lwicKas), emperor of Constantinople A. D. 963-969, Theophano.
was the son of the celebrated Bardas Phocas, and During the absence of Nicephorus the Greeks
was born in or about 912. He owed his elevation were victorious in Cilicia, under the command of
to those great military capacities which were here- John Zimisces, afterwards emperor, and Nicephorus
ditary in his family, and through which he ob- having joined him in 964, they, in three campaigns,
tained a fame that places him by the side of conquered Damascus, Tripoli, Nisibis, and many
Narses, Belisarius, and the emperors Heraclius, other cities in Syria, compelled the emir Chabgan
Mauricius, and Tiberius. In 954 Constantine VII. to pay a tribute, and overran the whole country as
Porphyrogenitus appointed him magnus domesticus, far as the Euphrates. In 968 the Greeks crossed
and his brothers Leo and Constantine, next to him the Euphrates, Baghdad trembled, and the khalif
the best generals, were also entrusted with great seemed lost, but the death of Nicephorus, and the
military commands. The Greeks were then at ensuing troubles in 969, saved the Mohammedai
wvar with the khalif Modhi, against whom Nice- empire from destruction. Inflated with success,phorus and his brothers marched in 956. The first Nicephorus had made himself odious to many of
campaign was rather disastrous to the Greeks, who his subjects, and, although he was still popular
were defeated in a pitched battle in which Constan- with the army, the people in general, especially in
tine Phocas was taken prisoner by the Arabs, who Constantinople, were tired of his severity. Uinafterwards put him to death. In 958 Nicephorus fortunately for him he neglected his wife, and the
and Leo took a terrible revenge. Chabgan, the bravest man in Greece fell a victim to the spite of
Arab emir of Aleppo, the terror of the Christians, a woman and the ambition of a jealous friend:
had conquered Cilicia: Nicephorus defeated him John Zimisces and Theophano conspired against
several times, took Mopsuestia and Tarsus, and his life. Some of their helpmates were hidden in
forced him to fly into Syria, while Leo conquered the imperial palace, and one night, on a certain
the important fortress of Samosata. In an ensuing signal being given, Zimisces came in a boat from
campaign in Syria the Greeks were likewise vic- the Asiatic side of the Bosporus, where he was
torious, and, Romanus II. having succeeded his watching an opportunity, to the water-gate of the
father Constantine in 959, Nicephorus proposed to palace, joined his confederates, and, guided by
the young emperor to drive the Arabs out of Crete, Theophano, entered the emperor's bedchamber.
where they had established their power 136 years They found him sleeping on a skin: he started up,
previously, to the great grief and annoyance of the but the sword of one Leo clove his skull and he
Greeks. The expedition took place in 960, and was soon despatched. His murderer Zimisces
the capital Candia, a fortress which was believed married his widow and succeeded him on the
to be impregnable, having surrendered in 961, after throne. Nicephorus Phocas was without doubt a
a memorable siege of ten months, the island once most energetic man and a first-rate general, but his