Nikephoros Phokas the Elder

Nikephoros Phokas the Elder

Nikephoros Phokas (Greek: Νικηφόρος Φωκᾶς, romanized: Nikēphoros Phōkas; died 895/6 or c. 900), usually surnamed the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, was one of the most prominent Byzantine generals of the late 9th century, and the first important member of the Phokas family. As a youth he was taken into the personal retinue of Emperor Basil I the Macedonian, rising quickly to the posts of protostrator and then governor of Charsianon, whence he fought with success against the Arabs. In c. 886 he led a major expedition in southern Italy, where his victories laid the foundation for the Byzantine resurgence in the peninsula. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Nikephoros Phokas the Elder has received more than 70,507 page views. His biography is available in 16 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 15 in 2019). Nikephoros Phokas the Elder is the 1,208th most popular military personnel (down from 1,063rd in 2019).