Ali ibn al-Athir
According to Michael Attaleiates, the family descended from the ancient Roman "gens Fabia", while Ali ibn al-Athir ascribed them an Arab origin from Tarsos. Various authors have speculated on an Armenian or Georgian origin (partly to account for the frequent presence of the name "Bardas" among the family members), as well as a mixed Greek-Armenian origin, but none of these hypotheses can be conclusively proven. Whatever their origins, the Phokades appear to have settled in Cappadocia, where their estates were concentrated and which is clearly attested as their power base and the center of their activities.