Chrysos

Who he is

Name

Dobromir Chrysos

Title

Lord of Prosek and Strumica

Since

1196

Born

not pinned

Family

Vlach; married (1198, or 1197 by Varzos) a daughter of the protostrator Manuel Kamytzes

Confidence

medium

Overlord

None in fact; bound to Alexios III by the peace of 1197-1198 and his marriage (see the realm record Chrysos).

What it holds

• Prosek fortress and the Vardar gorge (Demir Kapija)
• Strumica, its citadel and valley
• the Tikves basin west of the gorge (not pinned)

How it was acquired

Revolt in 1196; recognised by the emperor in 1197-1198.

Allies and rivals

Son-in-law of Manuel Kamytzes (a captive); rival of Ivanko; at peace with the emperor; later backed by Kaloyan (1201).

How things stand that morning

Holds both strongholds; at peace.

Wealth

The Vardar road and the farmland of the two basins.

Military

Prosek and Strumica; his Vlach band.

Threats

• The emperor
• Ivanko
• Kaloyan

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

In 1200

1. 1201 (Varzos; some accounts say 1200-1201)Kamytzes, freed by Chrysos's ransom and embittered by the emperor's refusal to help him, rises with his son-in-law: Chrysos takes Pelagonia (Bitola) and Prilep, and Kamytzes goes over the Tempe pass into Thessaly (Choniates p. 293).Depends on: Kamytzes released alive; the emperor still refusing to repay the ransom or restore his property; Chrysos willing to break the 1197-1198 peace. Stopped by: The emperor repaying Chrysos or restoring Kamytzes; Kamytzes dying in captivity; Chrysos choosing the emperor's favour.

Later, on the likely course

1. Autumn 1201 into 1202Alexios III takes the field. He offers Chrysos his granddaughter Theodora (Ivanko's widow); Chrysos accepts and gives up Pelagonia and Prilep, keeping Prosek and its countryside. Kamytzes refuses a pardon brought by John Oinopolites, is beaten in Thessaly, wounded, and flees to Stanos, then probably to Bulgaria (Choniates pp. 293-294; Varzos).Depends on: The revolt of 1201 happening; Ivanko already dead, so that Theodora is free. Stopped by: A different outcome in the field, or Kaloyan intervening in force.

Places of note

• Prosek: Main seat

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Choniates, through modern accounts.

On the map: Same ground as the realm record.

Primary sources for Chrysos

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• History of Niketas Choniates, Niketas Choniates (about 1185 to 1217, in stages, with a final revision in exile at Nicaea after 1204). The central narrative for the Byzantine Empire under Alexios III Angelos: the Bulgarian and Vlach war under Kaloyan, the breakaway of Ivanko in the Rhodopes and his capture by treachery in 1200, Dobromir Chrysos at Prosek and Strumica and the emperor's campaign and settlement with him, the Cuman raids into Thrace, John Komnenos the Fat's one-day revolt at Constantinople on 31 July 1200, the loosening of imperial control in the provinces and the rise of Leo Sgouros, and the court's fiscal abuses. Read online