Under Michael III '' manuscript. Nothing is known of Niketas Ooryphas's early life. Several people surnamed Ooryphas are recorded in sources during the first half of the 9th century, all of them in high naval positions, but any family relation is conjectural. Niketas Ooryphas first appears in our sources in 860, as
urban prefect of
Constantinople, when a
Rus' fleet
suddenly appeared in the entrance to the
Bosporus and started pillaging the city's suburbs. In his capacity as urban prefect, Ooryphas made a report to Emperor Michael III, who was campaigning against the
Arabs in
Asia Minor. At a subsequent date, he was appointed in a position in the
Byzantine navy, and in 867 he was in charge of the Imperial Fleet (
droungarios tou ploïmou). It is, however, possible that Ooryphas already had naval experience, as he may be identifiable with one of the commanders of the
853 attack on
Damietta.
Under Basil the Macedonian Although he had risen to high rank under Michael III and had protested the usurpation of the Byzantine throne by Basil I the Macedonian in 867, Ooryphas was quickly won over and retained in office by the latter, In 869, Ooryphas led the Byzantine fleet that sailed in support of
Louis II who was
besieging Bari, but on arriving there, he found the
Frankish army dispersed in winter quarters, and caused a diplomatic episode by referring to Louis, who claimed the title of
Emperor of the Romans, merely as "king". As a result of the quarrel, the main part of the Byzantine force left, without participating in the siege of the city. In , Ooryphas
defeated the
Cretan Saracens in the
Gulf of Saros, and soon after followed this success with another: while the Saracens were campaigning off the western coasts of
Greece, he had his men drag his ships overland across the
Isthmus of Corinth, thereby surprising the Saracen fleet in the
Corinthian Gulf and
defeating them. Ooryphas subsequently disappears from the scene, although he may have led the Imperial Fleet in its actions for a few years before being replaced by the
droungarios Nasar, including the recapture of Bari and, briefly, of
Cyprus. ==References==