1. Historical Framework

From the mid-9th century onwards the Arab-Byzantine conflicts in Asia Minor were for the first time connected with the firm religious policy of the Byzantine Empire against heresies. More specifically, as part of the strictly Orthodox policy adopted after the final restoration of icons in March 843, the persecutions against the Paulicians became more systematic and the latter had to move to the east of the Arab-Byzantine border, in the region of the Upper Euphrates, where they sought shelter in Arab lands. The Arab emir of Melitene, Amr al-Aqta῾, finally ceded them the region to the north of Melitene, where they settled as an autonomous political and religious community protected by the Arabs; in return, they offered the Arabs military service. Thus, the Paulicians participated in the Arab raids against the Byzantine Empire, which gradually strengthened the military, economic and political power of their state and made it an important enemy of Byzantium.

The particularly intense military activity of the Paulicians led by Chrysocheir (863-872 or 878)¹ made Emperor Basil I turn his whole attention to the eastern border and lead a campaign against the Paulician capital, Tephrike, during which he narrowly escaped being captured (spring 871). Encouraged by this failure of the Byzantine emperor, Chrysocheir campaigned against the Byzantine lands in Asia Minor the following years, reaching as far as Ankyra² and the region of Kommata, between Ankyra and Lake Tatta (modern Tuz Golu) in southern Galatia, which he plundered. After taking rich spoils, the Paulicians took their way back, following the route which led from Ankyra to Sebasteia via Tabia.³ Basil I had been informed of the raids and ordered his brother-in-law and domestikos ton scholon, Christopher,⁴ to pursue Chrysocheir on his way back to the Paulician capital, Tephrike.⁵ Chrysocheir’s forces had already camped at Agranai (near modern Muşalem Kale) when the Byzantines reached Siboron (modern Karamadara), to the west of Agranai. Christopher split his forces and ordered the strategoi of the themes of Armeniakon and Charsianon to follow the Paulicians as far as Vathys Ryax (modern Kalınırmak pass) in northern Cappadocia, to the west of Sebasteia, and to inform him whether Chrysocheir was sending forces against the two themes.

2. The Battle

Chrysocheir had already camped at Vathys Ryax when the two strategoi arrived at night with their force at the wood that covered the hill of Zogoloenos, above the Paulician camp. Taking advantage of their men’s enthusiasm (the soldiers of the two themes conflicted bitterly over the title of the bravest corps in battle), they attacked before dawn, although they had been ordered to return without fighting. According to the plan of the two strategoi, the two of them along with a special corps of 600 men would attack the Paulician camp, while the rest of the soldiers had been ordered to remain in their place and keep shouting all through the battle so that the enemies would think that the main part of the Byzantine army was moving to reinforce the attacking forces. The plan worked out perfectly. The Paulicians were taken aback by the unexpected Byzantine attack and fled in disorder. The Byzantines chased them for around 50 km to the northeast as far as the hill of Konstantinou Bounos (probably identified with modern Yildiz Dagi), near Sebasteia. Many Paulicians were killed during the pursuit. Chrysocheir tried to escape but was cought up at Konstantinou Bounos by Poullades, a Byzantine soldier who had lived in Tephrike as a captive of Chrysocheir and now sought revenge. Chrysocheir was fatally wounded by Poullades while trying to cross a ditch and, despite the pleads of his loyal servant, Diakonitzis, the overhauling Byzantines beheaded him. His head was sent to Emperor Basil I in Constantinople.

3. Consequences

The defeat of the Paulicians at Vathys Ryax in 872 or, according to others, in 878,⁶ not only prevented them from realising the target of their campaign – tp strengthen their presence in Asia Minor –, but also had a catastrophic effect, as their military forces suffered serious damage and their leader was fatally wounded. The death of Chrysocheir disorganised the Paulician state and weakened it extremely rapidly, which gave Basil I the opportunity to immediately follow a vigorous offensive policy on the eastern border of the Byzantine Empire. He undertook and led himself a series of successful campaigns against both the Paulicians and their Arab allies.⁷ The apex of his military venture was the capture and sack of the Paulician capital a few years later, in the spring-summer of 878⁸ or in the summer of 879.⁹ After the Byzantines had occupied Tephrike, the Paulician state actually collapsed and the military threat against the Byzantine Empire disappeared. However, the religious community of the Paulicians was not utterly eliminated, as there is evidence that it survived until the 10th and 11th century.