# Theophylact Botaneiates

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'''Theophylact Botaneiates''' ({{langx|el|Θεοφύλακτος Βοτανειάτης}}, ''Theophylaktos Botaneiates'') was an 11th-century [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine) general and governor of [Thessalonica](/source/Thessalonica) of the [Botaneiates](/source/Botaneiates) family.

== Life ==
Theophylact Botaneiates is only mentioned in the history of [John Skylitzes](/source/John_Skylitzes) for the year 1014, during Emperor [Basil II](/source/Basil_II)'s [wars against Bulgaria](/source/Byzantine_conquest_of_Bulgaria). In that year, or shortly before, he was appointed governor (''[doux](/source/dux)'') of [Thessalonica](/source/Thessalonica_(theme)) as successor to [David Arianites](/source/David_Arianites).{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=Theophylaktos Botaneiates (#28251)}} In that year, Emperor Basil II was assaulting the Bulgarian positions in the pass of [Klyuch](/source/Klyuch) (Kleidion in Greek). To distract his attention, the Bulgarian tsar [Samuel](/source/Samuel_of_Bulgaria) sent a large army under [Nestoritsa](/source/Nestoritsa) towards Thessalonica. Botaneiates and his son Michael met the Bulgarians and [defeated them](/source/Battle_of_Thessalonica_(1014)) in the vicinity of the city, after which he joined the main imperial army.{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=Theophylaktos Botaneiates (#28251)}}{{sfn|Zlatarski|1971|pp=732–734}} 

After the Byzantine victory in the subsequent [Battle of Kleidion](/source/Battle_of_Kleidion), Botaneiates was sent with an army to clear the area around [Strumitza](/source/Strumitza). He carried out his mission with success, but on his way back to the Emperor's camp his army was [ambushed by the Bulgarians](/source/Battle_of_Strumitsa) and Botaneiates himself was killed, either by arrows and stones, according to Skylitzes' account, or run through by the spear of Samuel's son [Gavril Radomir](/source/Gavril_Radomir_of_Bulgaria), as reported in a side note to the original manuscript of Skylitzes.{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=Theophylaktos Botaneiates (#28251)}}{{sfn|Zlatarski|1971|p=738}} Theophylact's son Michael is not attested thereafter, so he may have perished as well in the ambush.{{sfn|PmbZ|loc=Michael Botaneiates (#25357)}}

According to Skylitzes, the death of Botaneiates alongside most of his men greatly disheartened Basil, so that the emperor, despite his victory at Kleidion, halted his campaign and turned back to his base, [Mosynopolis](/source/Mosynopolis). It was only after reaching Mosynopolis and learning of Samuel's death that he turned back and continued his campaign.{{sfn|Holmes|2005|p=26}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book|last=Holmes|first=Catherine|title=Basil II and the Governance of Empire (976–1025)|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-19-927968-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_h3_c0U1jVoC}}
* {{PMBZ | volume=online | url = http://www.degruyter.com/view/db/pmbz}}
* {{cite book | last = Zlatarski | first = Vasil | title = История на българската държава през средните векове. Том I. История на Първото българско царство, Част II. От славянизацията на държавата до падането на Първото царство (852—1018) |trans-title=History of Bulgaria in the Middle Ages. Vol. 1. History of the First Bulgarian Empire, Part 2.From the Slavicization of the state to the fall of the First Empire (852—1018) | publisher = Nauka i izkustvo | location = Sofia | year = 1971 | orig-year = 1927 | oclc = 67080314 | url = http://www.promacedonia.org/vz1b/index.html }}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[David Arianites](/source/David_Arianites)}}
{{s-ttl|title=''[doux](/source/dux)'' of [Thessalonica](/source/Thessalonica_(theme))| years=ca. 1014}}
{{s-aft|after=[Constantine Diogenes](/source/Constantine_Diogenes)}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Botaneiates, Theophylact}}
Category:11th-century Byzantine military personnel
Category:10th-century births
Category:1014 deaths
Category:Byzantine governors of Thessalonica
Category:Byzantines killed in battle
Category:Byzantine people of the Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars
Category:Generals of Basil II

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Theophylact Botaneiates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophylact_Botaneiates) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theophylact_Botaneiates?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.