Alexios Mosele (Caesar): Difference between revisions

[[File:Theophilus follis.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Copper ''[[follis]]'' minted in celebration of Emperor Theophilos's (r. 829–842) victories against the Arabs from circa 835 on.]]

Alexios was possibly the son or the grandson of the general [[Alexios Mosele (general)|Alexios Mosele]], who had been active under [[Constantine VI]] (r. 780–797), although Byzantine chroniclers record that he was descended from the [[Krenites]] family. A brother named Theodosios, who held the high court title of ''[[patrikios]]'', is also recorded.<ref name="Charanis">{{harvnb|Charanis|1963|p=25}}.</ref><ref name="PBZ59">{{harvnb|Winkelmann|Lilie|Ludwig|Pratsch|Zielke|1999|p=59}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|pp=289, 368}}.</ref>

Sometime between 836838 and 839, Alexios was engaged to the princess Maria, Emperor Theophilos's youngest and favourite daughter, despite the fact that she was an [[infant]]. Theophilos had no male heir at the time, and this move was evidently intended as marking out Alexios as his heir apparent. He was progressively promoted to ''patrikios'' and ''[[anthypatos]]'', then to ''[[magistros]]'' and eventually to ''[[Caesar (title)|Caesar]]''.<ref name="PBZ59"/><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|pp=289–290, 292}}.</ref><ref name="ODB">{{harvnb|Kazhdan|1991|p=1416}}.</ref> He was the only person known to have been promoted to the rank during Theophilos's reign, and may indeed have been raised to it as early as 831, when the presence of an unnamed ''Caesar'' is attested at an imperial triumph. Alternatively, it may be a reference to another, otherwise unknown, holder of the title, who probably died shortly after.<ref name="PBZ">{{harvnb|Winkelmann|Lilie|Ludwig|Pratsch|Zielke|1999|pp=59–60}}.</ref>

In summer 836, Mosele, recently promoted to ''Caesar'', was dispatched with an army against the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgars]] in [[Thrace]]. Instead of confronting them, however, he focused on recovering for the Byzantine Empire the coastal strip between the rivers [[Nestos (river)|Nestos]] and [[Struma (river)|Strymon]], which had been abandoned to the local Slavs by the Byzantine-Bulgarian Treaty of 816. In this way, he restored the direct land connection between Thrace and [[Thessalonica]], the Empire's major Balkan city. After founding a new city, named ''[[Caesaropolis]]'' after himself, he returned to Constantinople.<ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|p=292}}.</ref>

Alexios may have participated in Theophilos's successful campaign against [[Melitene]] in 837, as he is recorded to have participated in the triumph that followed the emperor's return. This, however, is disputed by some scholars.<ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|pp=293–295, 434 (Note #380)}}.</ref> In 838, Mosele was sent on an expedition against the Arabs in [[Sicily]]. There, he achieved a number of successes, forcing the Arabs to raise their siege of [[Cephaloedium]], and inflicted several defeats upon their forces. His forces, however, were insufficient to evict the Arabs altogether from their holdings in the western part of the island, and in late 838 he suffered a defeat at the hands of fresh Arab reinforcements.<ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|pp=296, 306, 312}}.</ref>

AtIn the842 same time, Alexios's betrothed Maria died, age four, and his connection to Theophilos became tenuous. Hehe was also accused by some Sicilians of colluding with the Arabs and planning to become emperor himself. To avoid forcing his ''Caesar'' into a corner, Theophilos sent Theodore Crithinus, [[Archbishop of Syracuse]], to recall him under guarantees of personal safety. Nevertheless, upon his arrival in the capital, Alexios was stripped of his titles, beaten, and imprisoned.<ref name="PBZ59"/><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|pp=312–313}}.</ref> Theodore Crithinus publicly confronted the emperor for his breach of his word at the [[Church of St. Mary of Blachernae (Istanbul)|Church of St. Mary of Blachernae]], but the enraged Theophilos had him beaten and exiled as well. Soon, however, the [[Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch]] [[Patriarch John VII of Constantinople|John the Grammarian]] too publicly berated Theophilos. The emperor relented, released both Theodore and Alexios, and restored the latter to his rank and property.<ref name="PBZ59"/><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|p=313}}.</ref>

His relations with the emperor, however, cooled considerably, particularly after the death of Maria and the birth, in 840, of Theophilos'Ss son, [[Michael III]] (r. 842–867). By 842, Mosele had retired to a monastery at the quarter of ''ta Anthemiou'' in [[Üsküdar#Chrysopolis|Chrysopolis]], which he himself had founded. Nothing is known of him thereafter.<ref name="Charanis"/><ref name="PBZ59"/><ref name="ODB"/><ref>{{harvnb|Treadgold|19911988|p=319}}.</ref>

* {{cite book|last=Charanis|first=Peter|authorlink=Peter Charanis|title=The Armenians in the Byzantine Empire|year=1963|location=Lisbon, Portugal|publisher=[[Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation|Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian]] Armenian Library|url=http://bookswww.googleattalus.comorg/books?id=bFVoAAAAMAAJarmenian/chartoc.html|refoclc=harv17186882}}

[[Category:9th-century Byzantine peoplemilitary personnel]]

[[Category:Byzantine Armenianspeople of Armenian descent]]

[[Category:CaesaresCaesars (heirs apparent)]]

[[Category:Byzantine people of the Arab–Byzantine Warswars]]