Dalassenos

Dalassenos (Greek: Δαλασσηνός), feminine form Dalassene or Dalassena (Greek: Δαλασσηνή), was a Byzantine aristocratic family prominent in the 11th century.

The family's name derives from their ancestral home, the city of Dalassa, modern Talas in eastern Turkey. The ethnic origin of the family is unknown; Nicholas Adontz identified them as Armenians, but their names are not Armenian, and most scholars hesitate to accept Adontz's suggestion.

The first prominent member of the family was the magistros Damian Dalassenos, who held the important post of doux of Antioch in 995/996–998. His sons also reached senior offices: two of them, Constantine and Theophylaktos, also occupied the post of doux of Antioch, while Romanos Dalassenos was katepano of Iberia. The East, and Antioch in particular, seem to have been the preserve and main power-base of the family during the first decades of the 11th century.

Constantine in particular was a favourite of Emperor Constantine VIII (r. 1025–1028), who reportedly considered naming him his heir shortly before his death. Under Romanos III Argyros (r. 1028–1034) the family remained loyal, at least outwardly. Constantine, however, is accused in some sources of having played a role in the failure of Romanos's campaign against Aleppo in 1030. Constantine then emerged as the leader of the aristocratic opposition during the reigns of Michael IV the Paphlagonian (r. 1034–1041) and Michael V (r. 1041–1042). This led to repressive measures and the imprisonment and exile of most of the family by Michael IV's minister John the Orphanotrophos. After the overthrow of Michael V in 1042, Constantine was again considered as a potential emperor by the Empress Zoe (r. 1028–1050); the Empress, however, saw Constantine as a man of austere principles and ultimately chose Constantine IX Monomachos (r. 1042–1055).

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