List of The Themes Between Ca. 660 and 960
This list includes the large "traditional" themes established in the period from the inception of the theme system in ca. 660 to the beginning of the great conquests in ca. 960 and the creation of the new, smaller themes.
| Theme (in Greek)1,2 | Date | Established from | Later divisions | Capital | Original territory | other cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean Sea† (thema Aigaiou Pelàgous, Θέμα του Αιγαίου Πελάγους) |
843 !by 842/843 | Cibyrrhaeots, raised from independent droungariate | possibly Mytilene or Methymna | Lesbos, Lemnos, Chios, Imbros, Tenedos, Hellespont, Sporades and Cyclades | Methymna, Mytilene, Chios, Alexandria Troas, Abydos, Lampsakos, Cyzicus, Sestos, Callipolis | |
| Anatolics (thema Anatolikōn, Θέμα των Ανατολικών) |
669 !by 669/670 | New creation | Cappadocia§ (830) | Amorium | Phrygia, Pisidia, Isauria | Iconium, Polybotos, Philomelion, Akroinon, Synnada, Sozopolis, Thebasa, Antiochia, Derbe, Laranda, Isaura, Pessinus |
| Armeniacs (thema Armeniakōn, Armeniakoi, Θέμα των Αρμενιακών) |
667 !by 667/668 | New creation | Chaldia (by 842), Charsianon§ (863), Koloneia (863), Paphlagonia (by 826) | Amasea | Pontus, Armenia Minor, northern Cappadocia | Sinope, Amisus, Euchaita, Comana Pontica |
| Bucellarians (thema Boukellarion, Boukellàrioi, Θέμα των Βουκελλαρίων) |
767 !by 767/768 | Opsicians | Paphlagonia (in part), Cappadocia (in part), Charsianon (in part) | Ancyra | Galatia, Paphlagonia | Tios, Heraclea Pontica, Claudiopolis, Cratea, Iuliopolis, Lagania, Gordion |
| Cappadocia§ (thema Kappadokias, Θέμα Καππαδοκίας) |
830 !by 830 | Armeniacs, part of the Bucellarians | Koron Fortress, later Tyana | SW Cappadocia | Podandus, Nyssa, Loulon Fortress, Tyana, Nazianzus, Heraclea Cybistra | |
| Celtzene (thema Keltzēnēs, Θέμα Κελτζήνης) |
935 !by 935 | New territory | Duchy of Mesopotamia | Celtzene | Upper Armenia | Tephrike |
| Cephallenia† (thema Kephallēnias, Θέμα Κεφαλληνίας) |
809 !by 809 | Langobardia (by 910), ?Nicopolis (by 899) | Cephallenia | Ionian Islands, Apulia | Corfu, Zakynthos, Leucate | |
| Chaldia (thema Chaldias, Θέμα Χαλδίας) |
840 !ca. 840 | Armeniacs (originally a tourma) | Duchy of Chaldia | Trebizond | Pontic coast | Rhizus, Cerasous, Polemonion, Paiperta |
| Charpezikion (thema Charpezikion, Θέμα των Χαρπεζικίων) |
949 !ca. 949 | New territory | Asmòsata | Sophene, Upper Armenia | Harput | |
| Charsianon§ (thema Charsianoù, Θέμα Χαρσιανού) |
863 !863–873 | Armeniacs (originally a tourma), part of the Bucellarians | Caesarea | NW Cappadocia | Charsianon | |
| Chozanon (thema Chozànou, Θέμα Χοζάνου) |
956 !ca. 956 | New territory | Chozanon/Tzimisca | Sophene, Upper Armenia | Karkathiocerta | |
| Cherson/Klimata (thema Chersōnos/Klimata, Θέμα Χερσώνος/τα Κλίματα) |
833 !833 | ruled by the Khazars in the 8th century, Byz. rule rest. by Theophilos | Cherson | South Crimea | Sougdea, Theodosia, Bosporos, Galita | |
| Cibyrrhaeots† (thema Kibyrrhaiotōn, Kibyrrhaiotai, Θέμα των Κυβυρραιωτών) |
697 !by 697/698 or ca. 720 | Created from the Karabisianoi fleet | Aegean Sea, Samos, Seleucia | Samos, later Attaleia | Pamphylia, Lycia, Dodecanese, Aegean Islands, Ionian coast | Rhodes, Myra, Cibyrrha, Limyra, Phaselis, Side, Selinus, Anemurium, Sagalassus, Telmissus, Patara, Halicarnassus, Iassus, Mylasa, Selge, Cnidus, Kos |
| Crete† (thema Krētēs, Θέμα Κρήτης) |
767 !by 767 (?), again in 961 | Arab emirate from ca. 828 until Byz. reconquest in 961 | Chandax | Crete | Rethymnon, Gortys | |
| Cyprus† (thema Kyprou, Θέμα Κύπρου) |
965 | Byzantine-Arab condominium from 688 until Byz. reconquest in 965 | Leukosia | Cyprus | Citium, Lemessos, Paphos, Keryneia, Constantia, Arsinoe, Soli | |
| Dalmatia (thema Dalmatias, Θέμα Δαλματίας) |
899 !by 899 | New territory | Idassa/Iadera | Ragousa, Aspalathos, Polae, Tragyrion, Scardona | ||
| Dyrrhachium (thema Dyrrhachiou, Θέμα Δυρραχίου) |
842 !by 842 | New territory | Dyrrhachium | Albanian coast | Aulon, Apollonia, Lissos | |
| Edessa (thema Edēssēs, Θέμα Εδέσσης) |
940 !ca. 940 | New territory | Edessa | Osroene, Mesopotamia | ||
| Hellas (thema Hellàdos, Helladikoi, Θέμα της Ελλάδος/Ελλαδικών) |
690 !ca. 690 | Karabisianoi | Cephallenia (by 809), Peloponnese (by 811) | Corinth, later Thebes (after 809) | Initially E. Peloponnese and Attica, after 809 eastern Central Greece and Thessaly | (after 809) Athens, Larissa, Pharsala, Lamia, Thermopylae, Plataeae, Euripus, Demetrias, Stagoi |
| Koloneia§ (thema Kolōneias, Θέμα Κολωνείας) |
863 !by 863, probably ca. 842 | Armeniacs, kleisoura by early 9th cent. | Duchy of Chaldia | Koloneia | North Armenia Minor | Satala, Nicopolis, Neocaesarea |
| Longobardia (thema Longobardias, Θέμα Λογγοβαρδίας) |
892 !by 892 | Cephallenia (originally a tourma) | Barion | Apulia | Tarantas, Brindesion, Hydrus, Callipolis | |
| Lykandos (thema Lykàndou, Θέμα Λυκάνδου) |
916 !by 916 | New territory | Lykandos Fortress | SE Cappadocia | Arabissos, Cocyssos, Comana | |
| Macedonia (thema Makedonias, Θέμα Μακεδονίας) |
802 !by 802 | Thrace | Strymon | Adrianopolis | Western Thrace | Didymoteicho, Mosynopolis, Aenos, Maronia |
| Melitene (thema Melitēnēs, Θέμα Μελιτήνης) |
935 !by 935 | New territory | Duchy of Mesopotamia | Melitene | upper Euphrates and Upper Armenia | Sozopetra |
| Mesopotamia (thema Mesopotamias, Θέμα Μεσοποταμίας) |
899 !by 899-911 | New territory | Duchy of Mesopotamia | Kamacha | upper Euphrates | |
| Nicopolis (thema Nikopoleōs, Θέμα Νικοπόλεως) |
899 !by 899 | probably raised from tourma of the Peloponnese | Naupaktos | Epirus, Aetolia, Acarnania | Ioannina, Buthrotum, Rogoi, Dryinoupolis, Nicopolis, Himarra | |
| Opsician (Thema Opsikion, Θέμα των Οψικίων) |
680 !by 680 | New creation | Bucellarians (by 768), Optimates (by 775) | Nicaea | Prussa, Kios, Malagina, Dorylaion, Nakoleia, Krasos, Kotyaion, Midaeum | |
| Optimates (thema Optimàtōn, Optimatoi, Θέμα των Οπτιμάτων) |
775 !by 775 | Opsicians | Nicomedia | Bithynia opposite Constantinople | Chalcedon, Chrysopolis | |
| Paphlagonia (thema Paphlagonias, Θέμα Παφλαγονίας) |
826 !by 826, prob. ca. 820 | Armeniacs, Bucellarians (in part) | Gangra | Amastris, Ionopolis, Kastamonè, Pompeiopolis | ||
| Pareuphrates Cities (thema Pareuphratidōn Poleōn, Θέμα των Παρευφράτιδων Πόλεων) |
936 !ca. 936 | New territory | Duchy of Mesopotamia | Samosata | Upper Armenia, Mesopotamia | |
| Peloponnese (thema Peloponnēsou, Θέμα Πελοποννήσου) |
811 !by 811 | Hellas in part, in part new territory | ?Nicopolis (by 899) | Corinth | Peloponnese | Patrae, Argos, Lacedaemon, Korinthos, Helos, Methòne, Elis, Monemvasia |
| Phasiane (Derzene) (thema Phasianēs/Derzēnēs, Θέμα Φασιανής/Δερζένης) |
935 !by 935 | New territory and Theme of Mesopotamia | Duchy of Mesopotamia | Arsamosata | Upper Armenia | |
| Samos† (thema Samou, Θέμα Σάμου) |
899 !by 899 | Cibyrrhaeots, raised from independent drungariate of the Gulf | Smyrna | Southeastern Aegean islands, Ionian coast (shared with Thracesians) | Samos, Ephesos, Miletus, Magnesia, Tralles, Lebedos, Teos, Clazomenae, Phocaea, Pergamon, Adramyttion | |
| Sebasteia§ (thema Sebasteias, Θέμα Σεβαστείας) |
911 !by 911 | Armeniacs, kleisoura by ca. 900 | Sebasteia | Dazimon | ||
| Seleucia§ (thema Seleukeias, Θέμα Σελευκείας) |
934 !by 934 | Cibyrrhaeots, from early 9th cent. a kleisoura | Seleucia | Claudiopolis | ||
| Sicily (thema Sikelias, Θέμα Σικελίας) |
700 !by 700 | Calabria (remaining territory after Muslim conquest of Sicily) | Syracuse | Sicily and Calabria | Katàne, Tavromènion, Panormos, Akragas, Leontini, Himera, Mazzara, Lilybaeum, Drepanum | |
| Strymon§ (thema Strymōnos, Θέμα Στρυμώνος) |
899 !by 899, probably 840s | Macedonia, raised from kleisoura (709) | Neàpolis | roughly modern Greek Eastern Macedonia | Serres | |
| Tephrike/Leontokome (thema Tephrikēs/Leontokōmēs, Θέμα Τεφρικής/Λεωντοκώμης) |
879 !by 879 | New territory | formed after the Byzantine conquest of the Paulician principality of Tephrike | Tephrike | Upper Armenia | |
| Theodosiopolis (thema Theodosioupoleōs, Θέμα Θεοδωσιουπόλεως) |
949 !949-1000 | Iberia | Theodosiopolis | Upper Armenia | ||
| Thessalonica (thema Thessalonikēs, Θέμα Θεσσαλονίκης) |
824 !by 824 | Thessalonica | roughly modern Greek Central Macedonia | Beroia, Edessa, Dion, Ierissos, Moglena, Diocletianopolis, Servia | ||
| Thrace (thema Thrakēs, Θέμα Θράκης/Θρακώον) |
680 !by 680 | ?Opsicians | Macedonia | Arcadiopolis | Eastern Thrace, except Constantinople | Selymbria, Bizye, Perinthus, Rhaedestus |
| Thracesians (thema Thrakēsiōn, Thrakēsioi, Θέμα Θρακησίων) |
687 !by 687 | New creation | Chonae | Hierapolis, Sardeis, Thyatira, Laodikea |
Notes:
† naval theme (in Greek thema naphtikòn, θέμα ναυτικόν)
§ Originally established as a kleisoura
1 The western regions of the Byzantine Empire were still governed by an exarch like the Exarchate of Ravenna (584–751, organised into a group of duchies; Duchy of Rome, Duchy of Venetia, Duchy of Calabria, Duchy of Naples, Duchy of Perugia, Pentapolis, Lucania etc.) and the Exarchate of Africa (585/590–698, including Corsica and Sardinia).
2 The territories of the Eastern Mediterrenean Sea, the Diocese of the East (314 – 638) and the Diocese of Egypt (380 – 642) were overrun by the Muslim conquest.
Read more about this topic: Theme (Byzantine District)
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“In economics, we borrowed from the Bourbons; in foreign policy, we drew on themes fashioned by the nomad warriors of the Eurasian steppes. In spiritual matters, we emulated the braying intolerance of our archenemies, the Shi’ite fundamentalists.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)