Niketas 2

Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire
SexM
FloruitE VIII
Dates718 (taq) / 718 (tpq)
PmbZ No.5371
LocationsConstantinople (officeplace);
Constantinople (residence);
Constantinople
TitlesKomes, Teichion (office)
Textual SourcesNicephorus, Breviarium Historiae, ed. C. Mango, Nikephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople: Short History; prev. ed. C. de Boor Nicephori ArchiepiscopiConstantinopolitani Opuscula Historica Leipzig 1880 (history);
Theophanes Confessor, Chronographia, ed. C. de Boor, 2 vols. (Leipzig, 1883-85, repr. Hildesheim/NewYork, 1980); tr. and comm. C. Mango and R. Scott, The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor, Oxford 1997 (chronicle)

Nicknamed Anthrax, Niketas 2 was commander of the Walls in 718: Nic. Brev. de Boor 56, Mango 57:13-14 (Νικήταν ἐπίκλην Ἄνθρακα ἄρχοντα τειχῶν), Theoph. AM 6211 (Νικήταν τὸν Ἄνθρακα καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ τειχίου; two MSS have τοῦ τείχους, and the Latin translation by Anastasius has "Nicetam Anthracem et comitem Titichei". In 718 Niketas 2 was invited by Artemios (the exiled former emperor Anastasius II, Anastasios 6), as an old acquaintance, to help him to regain the throne; he was arrested and tortured to make him confess his part in the plot, and his property was then confiscated and he was sent into exile: Nic. Brev. de Boor 56, Mango 57. Theophanes records that he was one of the friends and colleagues (ὡς φίλους καὶ συνδρόμους αὐτοῦ) of Artemios (Anastasios 6) (along with Theoktistos 1 and Isoes 1) who were executed by Leo III (Leo 3) after the attempt failed: Theoph. AM 6211, cf. Leo Gramm. 179, Theod. Mel. 123-124, Symeon Slav. 78, Cedr. I 792-793, Zon. XV 2. 15-19 (referring to the same events). See also Rochow, Theophanes, p.102.

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