Constantinople’s offensive against the Hamdanids advances into Syria and northern Mesopotamia in 969 under general Michael Bourtzes, the first prominent member of the Bourtzes family, originating in the upper Euphrates region, which will go on to become one of the major clans of the imperial Greek military aristocracy during the eleventh century.
He had first came to prominence in late 968, when Nikephoros II had appointed him as patrikios and strategos of the small theme of Mauron Oros ("Black Mountain") and tasked to lead the forces blockading the city of Antioch.
Acting against Nikephoros's orders not to assault the city in his absence, in the late autumn of 969, Bourtzes had persuaded a traitor inside the city to surrender one of the wall's main towers, which he then promptly occupied.
He had then defended this post against repeated attacks of the city's defenders for three days, until the reinforcements led by Peter Phokas arrived and secured the city for the Empire.
Despite his major role in this success, Bourtzes's reward is distinctly lacking: angry at him for disobeying his orders, or, according to another account, for laying fire and destroying much of the city, Emperor Nikephoros dismisses him from his post and appoints a kinsman of his, Eustathios Maleinos, as the first governor of Antioch.
Angered by this perceived injustice, Bourtzes joins a conspiracy involving a number of other prominent generals who are discontent at Nikephoros, chief among them John Tzimiskes.
Subsequently, …
