Andronikos Doukas is the first prominent member…

Andronikos Doukas is the first prominent member of the Doukas family whose life is known in some detail.He was possibly the son of the first recorded Doukas, an official active circa 855, but nothing is known of his origin and early life.

Andronikos first appears in the sources in 904, already a holder of the exalted title of patrikios and a general.

In November or December of this year, along with Eustathios Argyros, he campaigns against the Arabs and wins a major victory over the combined forces of Mopsuestia and Tarsos near Germanikeia.

Alexander Vasiliev suggested that this campaign was possibly waged in retaliation of the Arab sack of Thessalonica, the Empire's second-largest city, a few months earlier.

Probably after his victory, he had been raised to the rank of Domestic of the Schools, i.e.

commander-in-chief of the Empire's army.