Nothing is known about Himerios's early life. He was married to the sister of
Zoe Karbonopsina, the mistress and later wife of Emperor
Leo VI the Wise (r. 886–912), and his career was the direct result of this relationship. Initially a
protasēkrētis, Himerios was given command of the Byzantine fleet in 904. A Muslim fleet under
Leo of Tripoli was heading towards
Constantinople and had already driven back the Byzantines under the
Droungarios of the Fleet Eustathios Argyros.
Eustathios was replaced by Himerios, who, however, did not have to fight, as the
Arabs withdrew on their own. The two fleets encountered each other off
Thasos, but the Byzantines chose not to give battle. As a result, the Arabs were able to
besiege and sack Thessalonica, the Byzantine Empire's second-largest city, and sail home unopposed. On
St. Thomas's day (6 October) in 906, Himerios scored his first victory over the Arabs, and it was probably then that he was awarded the high state office of
logothetēs tou dromou (effectively foreign minister). Another victory followed in 909, and in the next year, he led an expedition on the
Syrian coast:
Laodicea was sacked, its hinterland plundered, and many prisoners captured, with minimal losses. In the autumn of 911, Himerios had set out on a new attempt to retake
Crete. He commanded a fleet of 177
dromons with 43,000 men, ==References==