Тактикон Успенског и тема Далмација
Uspenski’s Taktikon and the Theme of Dalmatia

Summary/Abstract: The long-standing view that Uspenski’s Taktikon was written in 842/843 or 845/856 has been subjected to a detailed analysis in this paper. As the dating of Uspenski’s Taktikon is critical for dating the theme of Dalmatia, these two issues have been addressed in the same paper. The key arguments pointing to an earlier date of Uspenski’s Taktikon are the following: 1. the difference between the theme of Klimata and the theme of Herson; 2. Absence of the theme of Strymon in Uspenski’s Taktikon; 3. the very title of Uspenski’s Taktikon where Theodora is mentioned with an epithet of saint. 1. The postulate that the theme of Klimata and the theme of Herson is the same thing can no longer be upheld. Two seals of unknown officials who worked in Klimata, or in, “Five Klimatas” dated to the 9th century, indicate that before establishing the Theme of Herson there had existed the administrative unit of Klimata which later became the theme of Herson. The oldest preserved seals of the strategos of Herson date back to the 70s of the 9th century. The testimony of Porphyrogenitus in DAI on the establishment of the theme of Herson refers to the town only, while in De them. he says that previously Herson was not a theme, but was governed from the Bosphorus together with the regions. It should also be noted that the theme of Dalmatia is always before the theme of Herson in all preserved taktikons, which in certain sense determines the chronological order of their establishment - Dalmatia is older than Herson. According to the report of Theophanes dated 808/809, there had been the theme of Strymon that disappeared under the onslaught of Krum’s Bulgarians by 812 at the latest. The seal of Leo, imperial spatharos and strategos of Strymon, that has definitely been dated to the time before mid-9th century leads to the conclusion that Strymon should have been mentioned in Uspenski’s Taktikon, had it been established during the time of Michael III and Theodora. Since a 30-year peace was agreed with the Bulgarians in 814, it is quite certain that the region of Strymon could be reestablished as theme in one of the following years. In secular sources, Theodora has never been mentioned with the epithet of saint. Thus, in the Synaxar of the Church of Constantinople, she is only orthodox, but not saint. The first appearance of the epithet saint with her name was in the title of her hagiography pieced together immediately after her death. This leads us to conclude that the title of Uspenski’s Taktikon was most likely added after her death. It is assumed that the transcriber from the 12th/13th century found in the title only the name of Michael, the orthodox tsar, whom he thought to be Michael III, since both Michael I and Michael III were orthodox tsars, and Michael III was far more famous than his predecessor of the same name. Thus, the transcriber changed Michael I into Michael III and added the name of his saint mother Theodora. Had the transcriber intended to make the title more formal, since the Byzantine tsar had become saint by coronation, he would also have had to call Tsar Michael saint, and not only his mother. Latin sources, above all Einhard and John Deacon, describing the situation in Dalmatia from 806 to 810, lead us to think that Dalmatia was archontia, since there was dux in Zadar (Jadera). Einhard mentions the prefect of the province in Zadar in 821, which speaks of a different administrative organisation. An analogy can be found in the prefect of Cephalonia who is known to have been a strategos as of late 8th century, and who is mentioned as a prefect in the same source. The chronology of events would be the following – in accordance with the Peace of Aachen, the arhontia of Dalmatia was restored in 812, and in 817, after the demarcation with the Slavs, Byzantium promoted Dalmatia into a theme. According to the report of the Saxon Gottschalk, 846-848, it is clear that Dalmatia was a theme. The seal of the strategos of Dalmatia, Bryennios, that was dated to the 40s of the 9th century by Schlubmerger, and which was disputed by Ferluga, was later on supported by Oikonomides. In addition to the said crucial arguments, there is a series of details pointing to the necessity to review the existing dating of Uspenski’s Taktikon. It may be concluded that after the Peace of Aachen, i.e. after June 812, the Byzantines drew up a Taktikon which reflected the new state of affairs. However, all these changes did not happen during the rule of Michael I, but Nicephor I, whose untimely death prevented him from realising his plan of broad administrative changes throughout the empire. The changes included: 1) the abolishment of the theme of Strymon; 2) the establishment of the theme of Dyrrachion, 3) the establishment of the theme of Chaldia (around 811); 4) the reestablishment of the archontia of Dalmatia, 5) the creation of the theme of Creta (before 811). 6) the establishment of the theme of Klimata.

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