Melias
Sign in to saveMelias () or Mleh (, often Mleh-mec, "Mleh the Great" in Armenian sources) was an Armenian prince who entered Byzantine service and became a distinguished general, founding the theme of Lykandos and participating in the campaigns of John Kourkouas against the Arabs.
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 89
- Total plays
- 407
<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Melias">Read more on Last.fm</a>
via Last.fm · Melias
Key facts
- Military person.name
- Melias
- Military person.death_date
- 934
- Military person.allegiance
- Byzantine Empire
- Military person.serviceyears
- 890–905, 907/8–934
- Military person.rank
- Strategos of Lykandos
- Military person.battles
- Arab–Byzantine wars in the East and Byzantine–Bulgarian wars
- Military person.battles_label
- Wars
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Origin and early career
- Foundation of Lykandos
- References
- Sources
Melias () or Mleh (, often Mleh-mec, "Mleh the Great" in Armenian sources) was an Armenian prince who entered Byzantine service and became a distinguished general, founding the theme of Lykandos and participating in the campaigns of John Kourkouas against the Arabs.
==Origin and early career== Melias was a member of the lower naxarar nobility, possibly from the Varazhnuni clan; he was possibly a grandson of Mliah, the prince of Varazhnunik, who was killed by the Arabs in 853. Melias first appears in historical sources as a vassal of Ashot the Long-armed, an Armenian prince (possibly a Bagratid from Taron) who entered Byzantine imperial service in circa 890. As part of Ashot's Armenian contingent, he fought on the Byzantine side at the disastrous Battle of Bulgarophygon against the Bulgarians. Ashot himself perished in this battle, along with the larger part of the Byzantine force.