George Maniakes (; ; died 1043) was a prominent general of the Byzantine Empire during the 11th century.
Biography
Maniakes was a
Byzantine Greeks general of the Byzantine Empire,
who first came to prominence during a campaign in 1030–1031 when the Byzantine army was defeated at
Aleppo, but went on to capture Edessa from the Arabs. His greatest achievement was the partial reconquest of
Sicily from the
beginning in 1038.
He was aided by the
Varangian Guard, then led by Harald Hardrada, who later became King of Norway.
Also with him were
Normans mercenaries under William de Hauteville, who earned his nickname
Iron Arm by defeating the
Emir of Syracuse in single combat. However, he soon ostracized his admiral, Stephen, whose wife was the sister of John the Eunuch, the highest-ranking man at court. He then publicly humiliated Arduin, the leader of the
Lombards contingent, causing them to desert along with the Normans and Norsemen. In response, he was recalled by Emperor Michael IV, who was also Stephen's brother-in-law. Although the Arabs soon recaptured the island, Maniakes' successes there later inspired the Normans to invade Sicily themselves.
Maniakes' achievements in Sicily were largely ignored by the emperor, and he revolted against
Constantine IX in 1042, despite having been appointed catepan of Italy. The person most responsible for inciting Maniakes to revolt was one Romanus Sclerus. Sclerus, like Maniakes, was one of the immensely wealthy landowners who owned large areas of Anatolia - his estates bordered Maniakes', and the two were rumored to have attacked each other in a dispute over land. Sclerus owed his influence with the emperor to his famously charming sister,
Maria Skleraina, who had a very positive influence on Constantine in most areas. Finding himself in a position of power, Sclerus used it to poison Constantine against Maniakes - ransacking his house and even seducing his wife, using the charm for which his family was famous. Maniakes' response to Sclerus' demand that he surrender command of the Empire's forces in Apulia was to torture him brutally; sealing his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth with excrement.
[Bradbury, Jim. (2004) Routledge Companion to Medieval Warfare. Routledge, p. 65] Maniakes was then proclaimed emperor by his troops (including the Varangians) and marched on
Constantinople. In 1043 his army clashed with troops loyal to Constantine near
Thessaloniki, and although initially successful, Maniakes was killed in the melee after receiving a fatal wound (according to Psellus' account). Constantine's extravagant punishment of the surviving rebels was to parade them in the hippodrome, sitting backwards on donkeys. His death put an end to the rebellion. In Sicily, the town of
Maniace and the Syracusan fortress
Castello Maniace are named after him.
In popular culture
In the historical drama series
, George Maniakes is played by actor
Florian Munteanu.
His portrayal in the series is highly fictionalized, with major deviations from historicity. As an example, George Maniakes rebelled against Emperor Constantine IX, not Emperor Romanos as depicted in the series.
Notes
