The Armeniac Theme was one of the four original themes, established sometime in the mid-7th century out of the territory of
Lesser Armenia (also known as "Armenia Minor"). Although the mention of a "George,
tourmarchēs of the Armeniacs" in 629, during the
Persian campaigns of Emperor
Heraclius (r. 610–641), may suggest the existence of the theme at such an early date, the first unambiguous reference to it in literary sources occurs during the revolt of its general,
Saborios, in 667/668. It is next mentioned on a seal of 717/718. Together with the other themes, it was created from the remnants of one of the field armies of the old
East Roman army following the disastrous defeats suffered during the first wave of the
Muslim conquests, a process probably complete by the late 640s. Thus, the army of the
magister militum per Armeniae (the "Armeniacs") was withdrawn and settled in the areas of
Pontus,
Paphlagonia and
Cappadocia, giving its name to the region. The theme's capital was at
Amaseia, and it was governed by a
stratēgos, who ranked, together with the
stratēgoi of the
Anatolic and
Thracesian themes, in the first tier of
stratēgoi, drawing an annual salary of 40 gold pounds. The theme remained in Byzantine hands until the late 11th century. In 1073, however, following the disastrous
Battle of Manzikert,
Frankish mercenaries under
Roussel de Bailleul seized control and governed the region, until Byzantine authority was restored by future emperor
Alexios Komnenos in 1075. Shortly after, the region was overrun by the
Seljuk Turks, with only a few coastal forts holding out. The
Komnenian emperors managed to recover the coastal regions for the Empire, but the Armeniac theme was not restored. ==References==