«Тахиййат»: Сборник статей в честь Н. Н. Дьякова

m 70 n Dimitrios G. Letsios Information involving the Mardaites in later byzantine military campaigns is included in the second book of Constantine’s work De cerimoniis , in the chap- ters 44 and 45. These reports are a contribution to two major events, namely the failed expeditions against Crete in 911AD, during the reign of the author’s father Leon VI, and the second during the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrigenitus, the author himself, in 949 AD 1 . The Mardait units referred to have participated in those campaigns should have been based in the western parts of the Empire. However, there is not always a clear distinction between them and the Mardait units coming from Pamphylia, their commander and their payment. Further, it is not obvious which one of the two expeditions the concrete elements reflect. Constantine VII’s references to the Mardaites in his work De administran- do imperio are included in chapters 21, 22 and 50; they reflect previous events and are partly derived from Theophanes’ Chronography. 2 This information is mainly a contribution to the administrative status of the Mardaites’ units and their relationship with the other marine units of Asia Minor, at first place the Kibyrrhaeot fleet 3 . The commander of the Mardaites in Asia Minor seems to have been directly appointed by the emperor and was independent from the general, commanding the Kibyrrhaiot fleet 4 . In Porhyrogenitus’ reports about the two expeditions against Crete the Mar- daites’ units are referred to come from the western Themes, i. e. Nikopolis, Cephalonia and Peloponnese, which means that they were independent or at least distinguished from the regular local marine units; they are listed parallel with the Mardaites of Pamphylia. We have here concrete information on the numbers of the marine soldiers coming from the western part of the Empire and their payment as well as for those coming from Asia Minor. For soldiers who were enlisted on circumstantial basis, possibly for the Mardaites, it is as- sumed that they were paid on monthly basis, in order to assure their participa- tion in the army throughout the campaign 5 . A question to be asked is how and when these Mardaites appear at the west- ern front of the Empire. Here again there is an open space for assumptions, since our sources do not provide a solid point for departure. It seems in this 1 Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De cerimoniis 654, 1–6, 655, 4–11, 656–660, 665–19–21; Vasiliev and Canard (1968) 320–341. 2 Constantine Porphyrogenitus, De administrando imperio 21, 3–16 (commentary, vol. II 75). The passage reproduces Theophanes 355, 6–356, 2. De administrando imperio 22, 9–24 (commentary, vol. II 79). Again a quotation from Theophanes 363, 6–20; De administrando imperio , chap. 50, 169–221 (commentary, vol. II 192f.). 3 On the discussion about the termini carabisiani vs. Kibyrrhaiotes , their possible estab- lishment as administrative units and date, cf. Koder (1998) 78f.; Brandes ( 2002) 61, with additional literature. 4 Ditten (1993) 152f., with n. 174. 5 Oikonomides (2002) 1014.