Resumen de „Die mordlustige Gesinnung der üblen Nachbarn“ – zu Symeon Magistros, Ep. 79
This letter was written by Symeon Magistros on behalf of the unnamed bishop of Eumeneia in Phrygia in Asia Minor, presumably in the 980s. It is essentially a petition addressed to the patriarch of Constantinople, probably Nikolaos II Chrysoberges, complaining about the infringements of certain “neighbours”. These “neighbours” are probably neighbouring land-owners in the bishopric of Eumeneia maintaining military units who comitted these infringements or even crimes. These troops were obviously not units of the imperial field army but thematic troops levied and put in stand-by by the land-owners who also were their commanders. Probably in search of provisions these troops did not behave properly, so the author on behalf of the bishop of Eumeneia complains about this and asks the patriarch of Constantinople to turn to the emperor Basil II in order to reprimand the commanders and their troops and to end the infringements. This shows that not only incursions by the Arabs posed a problem to the inhabitants of Asia Minor at that time, but the frequent presence and maintenance of thematic troops was sometimes also a burden and an annoyance for the local population.
