# Fame.am profile — machine-readable export
# Canonical URL: https://fame.am/person/nikephoros-phokas-the-elder
# Generated: 2026-08-14T16:37:45.029Z

schema: https://schema.org/Person
url: "https://fame.am/person/nikephoros-phokas-the-elder"
name: "Nikephoros Phokas the Elder"
slug: "nikephoros-phokas-the-elder"
description: "Nikephoros Phokas, usually surnamed the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, was one of the most prominent Byzantine generals of the late 9th century, and the first important member of the Phokas family. As a youth he was taken into the personal retinue of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian, rising quickly to the posts of protostrator and then governor of Charsianon, whence he fought with success against the Arabs. In c. 886 he led a major expedition in southern Italy, where his victories laid the foundation for the Byzantine resurgence in the peninsula. After his return, he was raised to the post of Domestic of the Schools, in effect commander-in-chief of the army, which he led with success against the Arabs in the east and the Bulgarians of Tsar Simeon in the Balkans. He died either in 895/6 or, less likely, sometime c. 900. Contemporaries and later historians lauded him for his military ability and character. Both of his sons later succeeded him as Domestics of the Schools. His grandsons Nikephoros and Leo were likewise distinguished generals, while the former became emperor in 963–969, spearheading the recovery of several lost provinces from the Arabs."
tagline: "Byzantine general"
gender: "male"
birthDate: "850"
deathDate: "890"
livingStatus: "DECEASED"
scores:
  popularity:           47.15
  momentum:             0
  historical:           14.02808
  currentAttention:     0
  sourceConfidence:     60
  profileCompleteness:  25
  trendDirection:       "FALLING"
ranks:
  global:   null
  country:  null
  category: null
sources:
  - url: "https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%80%81%E5%B0%BC%E5%9F%BA%E5%BC%97%E9%B2%81%E6%96%AF%C2%B7%E7%A6%8F%E5%8D%A1%E6%96%AF"
    title: "老尼基弗鲁斯·福卡斯"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%A4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0"
    title: "Никифор Фока"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic%C3%A8for_Focas_el_Vell"
    title: "Nicèfor Focas el Vell"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikephoros_Phokas_der_%C3%84ltere"
    title: "Nikephoros Phokas der Ältere"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9D%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%B7%CF%86%CF%8C%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%A6%CF%89%CE%BA%CE%AC%CF%82_%CE%BF_%CF%80%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B2%CF%8D%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82"
    title: "Νικηφόρος Φωκάς ο πρεσβύτερος"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikephoros_Phokas_the_Elder"
    title: "Nikephoros Phokas the Elder"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic%C3%A9foro_Focas_el_Viejo"
    title: "Nicéforo Focas el Viejo"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizeforo_Fokas_Zaharra"
    title: "Nizeforo Fokas Zaharra"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic%C3%A9phore_Phocas_l'A%C3%AEn%C3%A9"
    title: "Nicéphore Phocas l'Aîné"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%86%D5%AB%D5%AF%D5%A5%D6%83%D5%B8%D6%80%D5%B8%D5%BD_%D5%93%D5%B8%D5%AF%D5%A1%D5%BD_%D4%B1%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%A3"
    title: "Նիկեփորոս Փոկաս Ավագ"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niceforo_Foca_il_vecchio"
    title: "Niceforo Foca il vecchio"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic%C3%A9foro_Focas%2C_o_Velho"
    title: "Nicéforo Focas, o Velho"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicefor_Focas_cel_B%C4%83tr%C3%A2n"
    title: "Nicefor Focas cel Bătrân"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%A4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B9"
    title: "Никифор Фока Старший"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B8%D1%9B%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%A4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B8"
    title: "Нићифор Фока Старији"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikiforos_Fokas_(ya%C5%9Fl%C4%B1)"
    title: "Nikiforos Fokas (yaşlı)"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80_%D0%A4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%88%D0%B8%D0%B9"
    title: "Никифор Фока Старший"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q211668"
    title: "Wikidata"
    type:  "WIKIDATA"

# bio (long form, separated for readability)
bio: |
  Imported from discovery source: wikidata-dump