Gregory Taronites

Gregory Taronites
The death of Gregory Taronites in the Bulgarian ambush, miniature from the Madrid Skylitzes
Died	ca. 991/995
Allegiance	Byzantine Empire
Rank	doux of Thessalonica
Wars	Rebellion of Bardas Skleros, Byzantine–Bulgarian wars

Gregory Taronites (Greek: Γρηγόριος Ταρωνίτης) was an Armenian prince of Taron, who went over to Byzantine service and held senior commands and governorships under Emperor Basil II. He was killed by the Bulgarians at an ambush near Thessalonica in ca. 991 or 995.

Gregory was a son of Ashot III, prince of the region of Taron in southern Armenia. At Ashot's death in 967/8, Gregory and his brother, Bagrat (Pankratios in Greek) ceded Taron to the Byzantine Empire in exchange for extensive lands inside the Empire and the title of patrikios.

The two brothers became involved in the civil wars between Emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025) and the mighty military aristocracy of Asia Minor, led by Bardas Phokas the Younger and Bardas Skleros. When Skleros rebelled in 976, they initially supported him, but soon switched over to the Emperor's side. In 988/9, during the revolt of Bardas Phokas, according to the historian Yahya of Antioch, Gregory, by now a magistros, was sent to recruit an army at Trebizond and lead it against Phokas. He was defeated en route by Phokas' son Nikephoros and his allies, the Iberians under David of Tao.