Basil Boioannes

Basil Boioannes (Greek: Βασίλειος Βοϊωάννης), called Bugiano in Italian, was the Byzantine catapan of Italy (1017 - 1027) and one of the greatest Byzantine generals of his time. His accomplishments enabled the Empire to reestablish itself as a major force in southern Italy after centuries of decline. Yet, the Norman adventurers introduced into the power structure of the Mezzogiorno would be the eventual beneficiaries.

Upon his appointment by Emperor Basil II in December 1017, he immediately requested reinforcements from Constantinople to fight the insurgency of the Lombard general Melus of Bari and his Norman soldiery. The request was granted: a detachment of the elite Varangian Guard was sent. The two forces met on the river Ofanto near Cannae, the site of Hannibal's victory over the Romans in 216 BC. In the second Battle of Cannae, Boioannes achieved an equally decisive victory.

Boioannes protected his gains by immediately building a great fortress at the Apennine pass guarding the entrance to the Apulian plain. Troia, named after the ancient city of Asia Minor, was garrisoned by Boioannes' own contingent of Norman troops in 1019. Soon, all the Mezzogiorno had submitted to Byzantine authority, with the exception of the Duchy of Benevento, which remained faithful to the Papacy.

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