NICEPHORUS II. (Phocas), emperor of Constantinople from 963 to 969, was member of a brave Cappadocian family which had previously furnished more than one distinguished general to the empire. He was born about 912, joined the army at an early age, and under Constantine VII., Porphyrogenitus, attained the high rank of magnus domesticus, or general of the East (954). In the almost continual struggle with the Saracens which this post implied he sustained severe defeat in 956, but retrieved his fame in 958 and again in 959 in Syria; and in July 960 he led the expedition against Crete which compelled Candia to surrender after a siege of ten months, and again brought the whole island under Byzantine rule. The long extinct honours of a triumph were revived to reward him on his return to Constantinople. In 962 he again set out with a large army against Syria; after forcing his way through the narrow passes of Mount Amanus, and compelling the principal cities to open their gates, he was pushing on towards the Euphrates when intelligence reached him in 963 that the emperor Romanus II. had died, leaving the empress Theophano regent for her infant sons. Justly fearing the intrigues of the able minister Joseph Bringas, he returned to Constantinople, after having previously obtained from Theophano and the patriarch Polyeuctes a guarantee for his personal safety; he then, with the help of the patriarch, procured for himself the supreme command of the army during the minority of the princes, and, after gaining over the officers and soldiers to his interest, consented to allow himself to be proclaimed emperor. He was crowned on August 16, and soon afterwards married Theophano, though the union was discountenanced by the patriarch on the alleged ground of a spiritual affinity. In 964 he ...

NICEPHORUS III. (Botaniates), emperor of Constantinople from 1078 to 1081, belonged to a family which claimed descent from the Roman Fabii. He served in the army, and rose to be commander of the forces in Asia. In 1078 he assumed the purple at Nicaea, almost simultaneously with Nicephorus Bryennius (father or uncle of the historian of that name), who had revolted against Michael VII. at Adrianople; the aristocracy and clergy of the capital supported the claims of Botaniates, who was crowned on March 25, 1078. With the able help of Alexius Comnenus, the recalcitrant generals Ursel, Bryennius, and Basilacius were successively driven from the field, but soon afterwards the wakeful jealousy of the emperor was turned upon their conqueror, who was compelled to flee the court. Alexius, however, had hold of the army, and on April 1, 1081, ascended the throne, Nicephorus being forced to abdicate and become a monk of St Basil. He died in obscurity.