Person:Leon Phokas the Younger (1)

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Leo Phokas or Phocas (c. 915–920after 971) was a prominent Byzantine general who scored a number of successes in the eastern frontier in the mid-10th century alongside his older brother, the Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas. He served as chief minister during his brother's reign, but was dismissed and imprisoned by his successor, John Tzimiskes.

Leo was the younger son of Bardas Phokas the Elder, a noted general and longtime commander of the eastern armies under Constantine VII, and of an unnamed lady from the Maleinos clan. Leo was first appointed as strategos of the thema of Cappadocia in 945, and about ten years later, he was promoted to the post of strategos of the prestigious Anatolic Theme. Under Romanos II, he was named Domestic of the Schools of the West, i.e. commander of the western armies in the Balkans, and raised to the rank of magistros. When his older brother Nikephoros was detailed to assault the Emirate of Crete in 960, Leo replaced him as domestikos of the West, a new institution. From this position, he scored a notable victory against the Empire's old adversary, the emir of Aleppo Sayf al-Daula, whose army had invaded Byzantine Asia Minor, made good progress, and was retiring laden with booty and prisoners. Leo waylaid him in a rocky defile, and destroyed most of the Arab army, while Sayf al-Daula barely managed to flee. Due to his record of successful service in the Byzantine-Arab frontier, he has been suggested as the possible author of the treatise De velitatione bellica ("On skirmishing warfare").

When Nikephoros ascended the throne in 963, Leo was named kouropalates and assumed the post of logothetes tou dromou, remaining his brother's chief minister until the overthrow and murder of Nikephoros by Tzimiskes in 969. In 970, Leo unsuccessfully tried to rebel against Tzimiskes, and was exiled to Lesbos. After another failed attempt at rebellion in 971 however, he was banished to the island of Prote and blinded. The date of his death is unknown.

Leo was the father of Bardas Phokas the Younger and Sophia Phokaina, wife of Constantine Skleros and mother of Otto II's wife Theophanu.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Leo Phokas the Younger, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 LEON Fokas, in Cawley, Charles. Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Biografie auf Wikipedia DE, in Wikipedia
   [[1]]], gefunden 2016.

   Leon Phokas (mittelgriechisch Λέων ὁ Φωκᾶς, * 915/920, † nach 971), zur Unterscheidung von seinem gleichnamigen Onkel der Jüngere genannt, war ein prominenter byzantinischer Feldherr, der gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder Nikephoros Phokas erfolgreich im Osten des Reiches gegen das Vordringen des islamischen Kalifates kämpfte. Nach der Thronbesteigung seines Bruders als Kaiser Nikephoros II. (963–969) wurde er von diesem 963 zum Kuropalates (etwa Obersthofmeister) und Logothetes tou dromu (etwa: leitender Minister) ernannt und fungierte während dessen Herrschaft als sein wichtigster Berater. Nach der Ermordung seines Bruders durch seinen Neffen Johannes I., der als 969 als Kaiser von Byzanz nachfolgte, wurde er verbannt. Zweimal versuchte er die Macht für sein Haus zurückzugewinnen, scheiterte jedoch und starb geblendet in der Verbannung. Durch seine Enkelin Theophano Skleraina (* um 955/60; † 15. Juni 991), die Gemahlin des Römisch-deutschen Kaisers Otto II. hinterließ er in Europa eine dauerhafte Nachkommenschaft.