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

578 JOANNES. JOANNES.
From Chalcedon Zimisces continued his adulterous were followed by the marriage of Theophano or
intercourse with Theophano, and was received by Theophania-not the banished empress, but the
her in disguise in the very apartments of her hus- daughter of the late emperor Romanus II.-with
band. They concerted a plan to kill Nicephorus, Otho II., Roman emperor and king of Germany.
and to have Zimisces proclaimed emperor. In the A fresh war with the Arabs called the emperor
night of the 11th to the 12th of December, 969, from his capital to Syria. Zimisces fought with his
Zimisces crossed the Bosporus with a few daring usual fortune, defeated the Arabs in several pitched
followers, and having been wound up, by means of battles, and pursued them as far as the confines of
baskets attached to ropes, to the upper story of the Palestine, when they sued for peace. On* his reimperial palace by some of the servants of the em- turn to Europe the emperor beheld with pleasure a
press, they were led to the bedroom of Nicephorus, large extent of land in Cilicia, covered with beauwho soon fell under their weapons. Before he ex- tiful villas and thriving farmsnn but having been
pired he was exposed to most unmerciful tortures, informed that those fine estates belonged to the euand, abusing him with the most opprobrious terms, nuch Basilius, who was one of the principal officers
Zimisces broke his jaw-bone with the pommel of of his household, " Is it for eunuchs," he cried out,
his sword. "that brave men fight, and we endure the hardships
Being proclaimed emperor, Zimisces imitated the of so many campaigns! " Basilius was informed
example of his unfortunate predecessor, and reigned of this, but disguised his apprehensions or anger.
as colleague of the two sons of Romanus. His A few days afterwards, however, Zimisces felt
first act was to send his enemy Leo, the brother of symptoms of a serious illness; he grew worse and
Nicephorus, into exile; his second, to obey the worse, and on his arrival in his capital he was on
summons of Polyeuctes, the patriarch of Constan- the verge of death. He expired shortly after his
tinople, who urged him to banish Theophano; his return, on the 10th of January, 976, at the
third, to divide part of his property among the age of fifty-one, leaving the memory of one of
poor, and spend the rest in building a vast and the most distinguished rulers of the Byzantine emsplendid hospital on the Asiatic shore of the Bos- pire. His successor was Basil II., who reigned
porus. He then sent his general Nicolaus against together with his brother Constantine VIII. (Cethe Arabs, who were besieging Antioch with the dren. vol. ii. p. 375-415, ed. Bonn; Zonar. xvi.
flower of their army; and his general Bardas 28, &c, xvii.l —5; Leo Diaconus, 1. iii.-ix., x. c. 1
Sclerus against the Russians, who had overrun and -12.) [W. P.]
traversed Bulgaria, and laid siege to Adrianople. JOANNES II. [CALO-JOANNES.]
Both of the generals were successful, and the JOANNES III. VATATZES ('Iwdvvirs BaGreek arms obtained decisive victories in Europe Tdr'775), also called JOANNES DUCAS VATATZES,
and Asia. The triumph of Zimisces was checked because he was descended in the female line from
by a rebellion of Bardas Phocas, the son of the the great family of the Ducas, emperor of Nicaea
exiled Leo, who assumed the imperial title at (A. D. 1222-1255), was one of the most remarkCaesareia, and was supported by his father and his able among the successors of Constantine. He first
brother Nicephorus; but the rebellion was soon distinguished himself in the defence of Constanquelled, and Leo and Nicephorus were taken pri- tinople against the Latins in 1204, and after its
soners, and condemned to death. The emperor, loss fled with Theodore Lascaris to Nicaea. Next
nevertheless, spared their lives, and sent them into to this distinguished prince, Vatatzes was the most
exile, till, having rebelled a second time, they were active and successful in preventing the whole of the
blinded, and kept in confinement. Bardas Phocas Greek empire from becoming a prey to the Latins,
having surrendered to Bardas Sclerus, was com- and he was likewise one of those who supported
pelled to assume the monastic habit, and to spend Theodore Lascaris after he had assumed the imthe -rest of his life in a convent in Chios. Previous perial title, and taken up his residence at Nicaea.
to these' events (970), Zimisces, who was thenr a In reward for his eminent services in the field as
widower, having lost his wife Maria, the sister of well as in the council, Theodore gave him the hand
Bardas Sclerus, married Theodora, the daughter of of his daughter Irene, and appointed him his fuConstantine Porphyrogenneta, and the sister of the ture successor, because, having no children, he
late' Romanus II., a marriage agreeable to the thought Vatatzes more fit and worthy for the
Greeks, who revered the memory of the learned crown than either of his four brothers, Alexis,
and mild Constantine. Meanwhile, the Russians John, Manuel, and Michael. Vatatzes thus suchad again invaded Bulgaria; and they would have ceeded Theodore Lascaris on the imperial throne
formed -lasting settlements in that country but for of Nicaea in 1222. In the same year Theodore
the valour of Zimisces, who took the command in Angelus, despot or prince of Epeirus and Aetolian,
the field, while a Greek fleet sailed up the Danube, made himself master of Thessalonica and of
cutting off the retreat of the northern barbarians. nearly the whole of Macedonia, assumed the title
Parasthlava, the capital of the Bulgarian kingdom, of emperor, and was crowned by the bishop
had been taken by the Russians, and the Bulgarian. of Achrida.
king,' Bosisa, was kept there by the Norman Sven- Four emperors now reigned over the remnants of
tislav (Sviatoslav, Wenceslaus), or Sphendosthlaba, the Eastern empire, Andronicus I. Gidon in Trebias the Greeks call him, the prince of the Russians zond, Theodore Angelus in Epeirus and Macedonia,
of Kiew. Under the walls of Parasthlava the Robert of Courtenay in Constantinople, and John
Russians suffered a bloody defeat; a large body of Vatatzes in Nicaea; and it is curious that the imtheir best troops, who defended the castle, was cut perial crown devolved upon three of them in the
to pieces; and Zimisces once more gave proof of same year, 1222, while the fourth, Robert of Courmilitary genius and undaunted courage. Sphen- tenay, took actual possession of his dominions only
dosthlaba made. peace, and withdrew to Russia, in the previous year, 1221. Of these, the emperor
while Bosisa was generously re-established by Zi- in Nicaea was the greatest.
niisces' on his' hereditary throne. These events No sooner had Vatatzes ascended the throne