Sophia Phokaina

MedLands

1. LEON Fokas, son of BARDAS Fokas & his wife --- (-[969/70]). m ---. The name of the wife of Leon Fokas is not known. Leon Fokas & his wife had three children:
   1. NIKEFOROS Fokas (-[969/70]).
   2. BARDAS Fokas (-Abydos 13 Apr 989).
   3. SOFIA Fokas . Leo Diaconus records that "Constantinus patricius Scleri frater" was the husband of "sororem Phocæ"[1385]. Her name is confirmed by Cedrenus who records that "Sophia Phocæ soror" married "Constantino Duri fratri"[1386]. m KONSTANTINOS Skleros, son of PANTHERIOS Skleros & his wife Gregoria ---.

From Wikipedia (English):

Phokas or Phocas (Greek: Φωκᾶς), feminine form Phokaina (Greek: Φώκαινα), was the name of a Byzantine aristocratic clan from Cappadocia, which in the 9th and 10th centuries provided a series of high-ranking generals and an emperor, Nikephoros II Phokas (r. 963–969). Its members and their clients monopolized the high command positions of the Byzantine army for much of the 10th century and led the successful Byzantine offensive against the Arabs in the East. As one of the leading families of the Anatolian military aristocracy, the Phokades were also involved in a series of rebellions that laid claim to power and challenged the emperors at Constantinople. Their power was eventually broken by Basil II (r. 976–1025), and the family declined in importance after the 11th century.

Nikephoros's regime, however, quickly became unpopular, both due to his focus on military affairs to the detriment of the economy and for his religious policies. In December 969, he was murdered by a group of disaffected generals led by his nephew and one-time protégé John Tzimiskes, with the connivance of Empress Theophano. The Phokades were dismissed from their posts and titles and exiled by the new regime. Bardas Phokas the Younger, the younger son of the kouropalates Leo and former doux of Chaldia, escaped and rose up in revolt in 970, but was defeated, tonsured, and exiled to Chios, while in 971 Leo and his eldest son the patrikios Nikephoros were blinded and their property confiscated. One member of the family had a different fate: Leo's daughter Sophia Phokaina had married Constantine Skleros, the brother of Bardas Skleros. Constantine was Tzimiskes's brother-in-law from his first marriage and a close ally of the new emperor. Their daughter, Theophano, was married in 972 to the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II (r. 973–983)

Sources

• https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D0%A4...
• https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fam%C3%ADlia_Focas
• http://finnholbek.dk/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I15283&tree=2
• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BYZANTIUM.htm#SophiaPhokasMKonstant...

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