Battle of Ostrobos: sudden death of Georgios Maniakes at moment of victory

Summary:
Georgios Maniakes pitched his camp two days away from Thessalonike and attacked the great imperial camp at Ostrobos late in the afternoon. He had a battle-hardened army. The enemy ranks were more spectators than opponents. He fought at the head of his troops and whoever was injured by his sword escaped with half or more of their body maimed, for he was known to be invincible and firm. He caused great harm to the emperor's soldiers, terrified them with his irrestistible attacks and blows, and had almost won the battle, acclaimed by most of the enemy soldiers, but in the end fell off his horse. He remained lying on the ground. His opponents thought this was a trick until they realised the truth, approached and found him covered in blood and injured, and thus he lost the battle. As his squire was not there, his horse ran free between the armies. His head was removed and sent to Stephanos Pergamenos, who sent it on to Konstantinos IX. There were many stories claiming that his death was the result of divine intervention; the identity of the man who killed him was still unknown as Psellos wrote 
Dates:
1043 
squire to Georgios Maniakes (Anonymus 7013)
  • He was not there when Georgios 62 fell dead and his horse ran uncontrolled and free between the two armies (:) ὅ τε ἱπποκόμος ἀπῆν Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.3-5
Georgios Maniakes (Georgios 62)
  • Pitched his camp two days away from Thessalonike and attacked the great imperial camp late in the afternoon, because he who had been sent by the emperor (Stephanos 102) with the Roman forces to oppose him had brought out his troops (:) περὶ δείλην ὀψίαν προσβάλλει τῷ μεγίστῳ βασιλικῷ στρατοπέδῳ Attaleiates: History 18.22-19.2 / 15.14-17
  • Caused great harm to the emperor's soldiers, terrified them with his irrestistible attacks and his blows, and almost won the battle, acclaimed by most of the enemy soldiers, but in the end fell off his horse (:) καταπλήξας τῇ ἀνυποίστῳ τούτου φορᾷ καὶ τοῖς οἰκειοχείροις πληγαῖς Attaleiates: History 19.3-13 / 15.17-16.4
  • Having fallen off his horse he remained lying on the ground, and his opponents thought this was a trick until they realised the truth, approached and found him covered in blood and injured, and thus he lost the battle (:) αἵματι διάβροχον καὶ καιρίαν ἔχοντα κατὰ τῆς πλευρᾶς Attaleiates: History 19.13-18 / 16.4-8
  • Fought at the head of his troops and whoever was injured by his sword escaped with half or more of their body maimed, for he was known to be invincible and firm, a big and broad-backed man terrible in appearance but an excellent leader μέγας ὁμοῦ καὶ εὐρύνωτος καὶ τὴν ὄψιν φοβερὸς καθιστάμενος Attaleiates: History 19.5-10 / 15.19-16.1
  • Defeated at Ostrobos the army of Stephanos 102, sent by Konstantinos 9 Monomachos against him, but while he was being acclaimed by his troops he suddenly dropped dead from his horse, although nobody saw who caused the lethal injury on his chest (:) μηδενὸς φανέντος τοῦ τοῦτον τρώσαντος Skylitzes 428.83-89
  • Having dropped dead from his horse following an injury on the chest, his head was chopped off and carried by Stephanos 102 to Constantinople where it was paraded on a spear through the Plateia ἀποτέμνεται μὲν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῦ Γεωργίου Skylitzes 428.87-1
  • Had his head chopped off when he fell off his horse during the battle at Ostrobos, and it was sent to the emperor (Konstantinos 9) τέμνεται τὴν κεφαλήν Glykas 594.16-18
  • When the armies engaged with one another, the army of the foe was put to flight at the hands of the chief actor, that is (Georgios 62) Maniakes (:) Zonaras 17.22.13
  • Going along the lines he was disrupting the formations and all those at whom he shouted immediaely withdrew and their close order was dissolved (:) Zonaras 17.22.14
  • Then those from the other side ran to him as he lay, and cutting off the head of the wretched man brought it to their general (Stephanos 102) Zonaras 17.22.17
  • The situation of the battle was suddenly reversed at the hands of the Providence which guides our affairs, and (Georgios 62) Maniakes' men were defeated (:) Zonaras 17.22.13
  • Suddenly he was seen to be wounded with a mortal blow; the blood flowing down from it spread a great mist over him and inflicted paralysis on his limbs, so that the bridle fell from his hand and he was thrown down to the ground from his horse Zonaras 17.22.15
  • He died at once and lay a little outside no-man's land, and the emperor's men meantime were afraid to approach him Zonaras 17.22.15
  • When the Roman army saw him lying, they still held in their bridles, afraid the sight was a trick; but as Anonymus 7013 was not there and his horse ran uncontrolled and free between the two armies, all rushed in a body on his corpse παμπληθεὶ πάντες ὁρμήσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν νεκρόν Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.1-6
  • The imperial troops slowly lined up for battle, but as spectators rather than opponents: but he prevented most from seeing, since he seemed like lightning, thundering commands, riding along the lines, confounding all who saw him (:) οἷ’ ἂν ὀφθείη ἐκταράσσων τούτους εὐθύς Psellos: Chronographia VI 84.1-6
  • Knowing that victories are won not by numbers but by skill and experience he selected those most experienced in war with whom he had besieged many cities and acquired great wealth and many prisoners (:) μὴ τοῖς πλήθεσιν, ἀλλὰ ταῖς τέχναις καὶ ταῖς ἐμπειρίαις ᾔδει τὰ τρόπαια κατορθούμενα Psellos: Chronographia VI 83.4-8
  • Seeing him and being amazed how much ground his body lay stretched over, the men cut off his head and brought it to Stephanos 102; many claimed to have killed him and accounts of it were composed and fabricated θαυμάσαντες ὁπόσον μέρος τῆς γῆς ἐπεῖχεν ἐκτεταμένος Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.6-10
  • His nobility vanquished the throng from the beginning, but he was defeated by divine governance, whose reasoning we do not understand (:) ἡττᾶται δὲ τῶν ἄνωθεν διοικήσεων Psellos: Chronographia VI 84.6-8
  • As it was impossible to prove what was said, the story was invented that unknown riders had rushed against him and beheaded him; many such tales were told, but it was impossible to prove any ἀγνώστους τινὰς ἱππέας ἐπ᾿ ἄντην ὡρμηκότας Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.10-13
  • As he was throwing the army into confusion - wherever he rushed the ranks were broken and the wall of the army withdrew, their unity fragmented - suddenly he was hit in the right side, not superficially but deeply, with great loss of blood οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς βάθος, ὅθεν ἀθρόον πλεῖστον ἐκεῖθεν αἷμα κατέρρει Psellos: Chronographia VI 84.8-15
  • Learning that the whole Roman army was moving against him, he feared neither their number nor their advance; putting his plans for usurpation first, he tried to catch them in disorder and with light-armed troops attacked before expected (:) πάντα κατόπιν τῶν τυραννικῶν πεποιηκὼς λογισμῶν Psellos: Chronographia VI 83.13-18
  • He was not caught at Otranto by Argyros 10101 and Basileios 105 because he had already crossed to Bulgaria; he then fought a battle with Stephanos 102 the sevastophoros, and was defeated; his head was cut off and sent to the emperor Konstantinos 9 (: ) Anonymus Barensis 151
  • Was found dead among the frontline troops (?), not killed by anyone but brought down by a powerful angel Ի մէջ ճակատուն գտին զնա անկեալ, հզօր հրեշտակի աւանդեալ զոգի նորա Aristakes 53.2-3 (43)
  • 1043 summary: he attacked Stepahnos 102 with his cavalry, fighting in person, causing heavy losses, and almost completing a victory; but as he approached Stephanos 102 he fell dead without a wound; his defeated enemies rallied and won (:) Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 737-749
  • He had success in capturing castles and cities, attacking like some mythical beast; but Konstantinos 9 stood firm, protected by God, and the terrible beast was struck in the side and perished (:) ἐγένετο πλευρότρωτον Manasses, Chronicle 6203-6216
Emperor Konstantinos IX Monomachos (Konstantinos 9)
  • Put in charge of the army none of the nobility nor those numbered in commands, afraid lest such a one too would dare to do the same [as Georgios 62], but a eunuch attendant from the bedchamber (Stephanos 102), who was, however, loyal to him (:) Zonaras 17.22.11
  • Civil war came upon the emperor (Konstantinos 9) (:) Zonaras 17.22.1
  • He did not give the troops one of the more noble (leaders) but set over them a eunuch, loyal to him and arrogant to no one at all (Stephanos 102) (:) τῶν μὲν γενναιοτέρων οὐδένα ταῖς τάξεσι δίδωσιν Psellos: Chronographia VI 83.11-13
  • He was sent by Stephanos 102 the head of the defeated Georgios 62 Maniakes (: ) Anonymus Barensis 151
  • He stood firm, protected by God, against the mythical beast Georgios 62, who had succeeded in capturing castles and cities; and the terrible beast was struck in the side and perished (:) ἐγένετο πλευρότρωτον Manasses, Chronicle 6203-6216
Michael Psellos (named Konstantinos till tonsure in 1054) (Michael 61)
  • As Georgios 62 was wounded in the side it was alleged that it the wound was from a lance, but the one who inflicted the wound is unknown to the time that his history was written ὁ δὲ τρώσας ἀφανὴς τέως ἐστὶν ἄχρι τῆσδε τῆς συγγραφῆς Psellos: Chronographia VI 85.14-16
Stephanos Pergamenos, sebastophoros, victor over Georgios Maniakes (Stephanos 102)
  • The head of the wretched man (Georgios 62) brought it to him (Stephanos 102) by his men (:) Zonaras 17.22.17
  • Made strategos autokrator by Konstantinos 9 Monomachos he was sent at the head of the army against the rebel Georgios 62 Maniakes whose forces he encountered at Ostrobos, and was defeated (:) Skylitzes 428.80-85
  • He fought a battle against Georgios 62 and defeated him; he cut off his head and sent it to Konstantinos 9 Monomachos (: ) Anonymus Barensis 151
  • 1043 summary: he waited unafraid as the cavalry onslaught of Georgios 62 caused him heavy losses and almost won the battle; but Georgios'’ death changed the fate of the battle; Stephanos'’ forces, near defeat, rallied and won (:) Psellos Orationes panegyricae II, 737-749