Which Romans Are You Called the Emperor? Remarks on Theodore Daphnopates’ Correspondence to Tsar Symeon I (893 – 927) Concerning Byzantines in Bulgarian Captivity

Abstract

The letters composed by the high Byzantine dignitary Theodore Daphnopates and sent to Bulgarian Tsar Symeon (r. 893–927; d. May 27, 927) on behalf of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos (r. 920–944; d. June 15, 948) in the final phase of the prolonged Byzantine-Bulgarian war of 913–927 are well known. Daphnopates’ corre-spondence has provoked and will probably continue to provoke the research activity, due to its focus either on the aspects of the Byzantine political ideology and concepts or on the Bulgarian claims in the early 10th century. This text focuses on information concerning Byzantine civilians and their fate under the pressure of advancing enemy troops. Attention is paid to their capture and abduction. The main focus is on the often overlooked or overtly neglected touches that Daphnopathes offers on enslavement, slave trafficking, and the Byzantine authorities' efforts to bring at least some of their subjects back to the Empire through the familiar practice of exchanging prisoners of war.