ABSTRACT
As we have seen, Theophilos was godson of the Armenian emperor Leo. He was also born of and married to Armenian women (Thekla and Theodora) and had close links with other Armenian relatives of his wife Theodora ( Chapter 4.2). Most important, these relatives continued to figure prominently in his reign after his father’s death in 829. This was the case with:
Manuel the Armenian, as we will see in Chapter 8.2;
Bardas, Theodora’s brother, who led an expedition in Abasgia during Theophilos’ reign; see Chapter 12.2; 1
Petronas, another brother of Theodora, who was droungarios of the watch and later charged by the emperor with the delicate mission of executing Theophobos; 2
John the Grammarian, who, as we saw in Chapter 4.3, was godfather to Theodora’s children and appointed patriarch towards the end of Theophilos’ reign;
the patrician Constantine Baboutzikos (probably a member of a noble Georgian family and married to Theodora’s sister Sophia), who took an active part as droungarios (of the watch?) in the defence of Amorion in 838 (see Chapter 12.2); 3
Theodosios Baboutzikos, who was probably the brother of the above-mentioned Constantine, and was sent as ambassador at least twice during the years 840–842 to Venice and the Frankish court to obtain support against the Muslims and arrange the betrothal of Louis II (Lothair’s eldest son and king of Italy) to one of Theophilos’ daughters (see Chapter 18.2); 4
“the son of his maternal uncle”, whom Theophilos, before departing for Anzes to join battle with Afshīn in 838, left in charge of the main Byzantine army on the Halys and executed later for not having been able to cope with the mutiny among the troops; 5
the Martinakios who is referred to as a person close to the emperor “through certain kinship” (προσῳκειωμένον αὐτῷ πως κατὰ συγγένειαν) and was tonsured by Theophilos because of a dubious prophecy which accused his family of claiming the imperial throne. 6
