Kekaumenos

Kekaumenos, born in the year one thousand twenty, was a notable Byzantine writer and military personnel. He is best known for his authorship of the Strategikon, a comprehensive manual on military and household affairs, which he composed around the year one thousand seventy-eight. His work reflects a deep understanding of the complexities of military strategy and domestic management during a tumultuous period in Byzantine history.

Of Georgian-Armenian descent, Kekaumenos was the grandson of the doux of Hellas, a title indicating his family's noble status. His connections extended into the political landscape of the time, as his father-in-law, Nikulitzas Delphinas, was a prominent lord of Larissa involved in the Vlach revolt in Thessaly in the year one thousand sixty-six. This familial link highlights the intertwining of military and political affairs in Kekaumenos's life.

In his writings, Kekaumenos provided insights into the Vlach people, describing their homeland as situated near the Danube and the Sava rivers, areas that were also inhabited by the Serbians. He controversially associated the Vlachs with the ancient Dacians and the Bessi, characterizing them as an 'unfaithful and undisciplined race.' His observations were framed in the archaic style of his time, reflecting the cultural and ethnic complexities of the Balkan region.