Bardas Skleros Bardas Skleros ( Greek : Βάρδας Σκληρός ) or Sclerus was a Byzantine general who led a wide - scale Asian rebellion against Emperor Basil II in 976 – 979 . Background . Bardas belonged to the great family of the Skleroi , which owned enormous estates at the eastern outskirts of Asia Minor . His mother Gregoria descended from Basil I ' s brother Bardas . The greatest coup of his early career was a brilliant defense of Constantinople against the army of Svyatoslav I of Kiev in 970 . During the Battle of Arcadiopolis , he reportedly managed to inflict as many as 20 , 000 casualties on the Russians , while the campaign claimed the lives of merely 25 Greek soldiers . After he had shown himself equal to dealing with the fiercest enemies of Byzantium , Bardas became a trusted advisor to John I Tzimiskes , who was likewise of Armenian stock and his brother - in - law . Upon John ' s death , Skleros aspired to replace him as an acting emperor . The eunuch Basil Lekapenos , who actually led the imperial government , entertained other plans , however , deposing Bardas from his key post of general in the East ( Domestic of the Schools ) in 975 . According to Michael Psellos , Skleros was " a man who was not only a competent planner , but extremely clever in carrying out his schemes , possessed of vast wealth ( no mean asset in one who aimed at a throne ) , with the prestige of royal blood and of success in great wars , with all the military caste at his side to help on his enterprise " . Rebellion . Upon hearing the news of his deposition , Skleros came to an agreement with local Armenia n , Georgia n and even Muslim rulers who all vowed to support his claims to the imperial crown . He successfully stirred up rebellion among his relatives and adherents in the Asian provinces , rapidly making himself master of Caesaria , Antioch , and most of Asia Minor . After several navy commanders defected to Skleros ' s side , he dashed to Constantinople , threatening to blockade the Dardanelles . The rebels made their first mistake when they dispatched their navy to follow Basil ' s fleet to Greece , where their ships were scattered without difficulty . Having lost supremacy at sea , Skleros at once laid siege to the town of Nicaea , which was considered a key to the capital . The town was fortified by a certain Manuel Erotikos , father of the future emperor Isaac Komnenos and progenitor of the Komnenoi dynasty . Meanwhile , Basil recalled from exile Bardas Phokas the Younger , a general who had revolted in the previous reign and been interned in a monastery for seven years . Phokas proceeded to Sebastea in the East , where his family demesnes were situated . He came to an understanding with David III Kuropalates of Tao / Taik , who pledged 12 , 000 Georgian horsemen under the command of Tornikios to Phokas ' aid . Skleros instantly left Nicaea for the East and defeated Phokas in two battles , but the latter was victorious in a third . On March 24 , 979 two leaders clashed in a single combat , with Sklerus cutting the right ear of Phocas ' horse with his lance before sustaining a grave wound in the head . The rumour of his death put his army to flight , but Skleros himself found shelter with his Muslim allies . Thereupon the rebellion was subdued without difficulty . Later years . After the Asian potentates refused to support his further operations against Constantinople , Skleros and his family retreated to Baghdad in 980 . They resided in honourable captivity at the caliph ' s court for six years , dreaming about the invasion of Byzantium . In 987 Skleros was finally recalled to his homeland by Phokas , who took advantage of the Bulgarian wars to aim at the crown . Skleros promptly mustered an army to support Phokas ' s cause , but his plans of profiting from the attendant disorders were frustrated when Phokas had him committed to prison . Upon Phokas ' death at Abydos ( 989 ) , Skleros succeeded him as the leader of the rebellion : " The truth was , the men who had enrolled in Skleros ' s army were no longer divided in their loyalties : every one of them was a declared rebel . Their leader inspired them with his own resolute determination and bound them into one coherent body . By favours he won their loyalty , by his kindliness he earned their devotion . He reconciled their differences , ate at the same table as his men , drank from the same cup , called them by name , and by his flattery bound them to his allegiance " ( Michael Psellos ) . The date of his surrender to the authorities is disputed , as are the circumstances . In 991 Skleros , a blinded and broken man , then residing in semi - captivity in Thrace , was visited by Emperor Basil II on his way to Bulgaria . The famous rebel accepted the title of curopalates and died several days later , presumably on April 2 . His bloodline continued , however . A grandson , Basil Skleros , was married to a sister of Emperor Romanos III . One of Basil ' s daughters married Constantine Monomachos , who would become Emperor , while Basil ' s granddaughter became mistress of Constantine . One of these women was the grandmother of Vladimir Monomakh .