Nikephoros II Phokas
Byzantine emperor from 963 to 969 · Turkey · On the map · Lived 912 to 969 · aged 57
Byzantine emperor who drove deep into enemy territory in the 10th century, reclaiming Crete, Cyprus, and Cilicia from Arab control - his string of eastern victories earned him the name "pale death of the Saracens."
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Nikiphoros Phokas.png?width=1200)
121 - Nikephoros II Phokas (Mutinensis - color)
21.Agios Titos Titos Ikone
Byzantines under Nikephoros Phokas besiege Chandax
Capture of Berroia by the Byzantines
Delft Maskerade 1903 - 125185
Delft Maskerade 1903 - 56991_into_Constantinople_in_963_from_the_Chronicle_of_John_Skylitzes.jpg?width=1200)
Entrance of the emperor Nikephoros Phocas (963-969) into Constantinople in 963 from the Chronicle of John SkylitzesAbout this person
Nikephoros II Phokas became Byzantine emperor in 963, at the height of a military career that had already begun reshaping the empire's fortunes. Born around 912, he rose through the ranks during a period when Byzantium was clawing back ground lost to Arab powers. His campaigns completed the conquest of Cilicia and retook the islands of Crete and Cyprus, clearing the way for Byzantine forces to push into Upper Mesopotamia and the Levant. The string of successes in the east restored imperial reach and morale, even as his record in statecraft proved uneven. He ruled until 11 December 969, when his reign ended abruptly - his legacy measured less in political finesse than in the territory he returned to Constantinople's grip.