Apoganem
Other name forms: Abułanam (Armenian); Abū Ġānim (Arabic). Apoganem may be an Arabic nickname rather than his proper name.
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Death: probably between 906 and 912.
The estimated date is given by the PdmZO.
Place of Death: Taron.
According to Constantine Porphyrogenitus (DAI p. 193), Apoganem died a few days after returning to “his country” from Constantinople.
Relationships
Father: Tornik (Derenik).
The PdmZO notes that Constantine Porphyrogenitus states that Apoganem is the brother of Grigor I of Taron, and it states that Grigor’s father was Derenik/Tornik. Adontz (1935, p. 541) notes that Arab sources refer to an Ibn Tornik in power in Taron in 936-940, who must have been Bagrat, a son of Apoganem’s brother Grigor. He supposes that Grigor’s father was Tornik, and that the patronymic was either an error (grandfather for father), or intentionally using his grandfather for the patronymic. “Tornik” is known by other evidence to have been a son of Bagrat Bagratuni, prince of Taron (see his page for more information).
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: unknown.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
probably other sons.
Evidence
from De Administrando Imperio [pp. 191-3]
The same Constantine [Lips, keeper of the imperial plate] took thence Apoganem, brother of Krikorikios, prince of Taron, and brought him to the emperor, of blessed memory, together with the two sons of Arkaïkas; and him too the emperor honoured with the rank of protospatharius and many times bounteously entertained him, and sent him back again, in conduct of the same Constantine, to his country and his brother….
…
After this, Apoganem came once more to the emperor, of blessed memory, and was advanced by him to the rank of patrician ; and he was also permitted to take to wife the daughter of the said Constantine, and on this ground he asked for a house as well and he too received the house of Barbaros, without a golden bull. After receiving the emperor’s bounty, he then returned to his country, with intent to come again and complete the celebration of his marriage ; but no sooner was he escorted back to his country than he ended his life, a few days afterwards.
References
Adontz, N. “Les Taronites a Byzance” in Byzantion v. 9, no. 2 (1934) pp. 715-738, v. 10, no. 2 (1935) pp. 531-551; v. 11, no. 1 (1936), pp. 21-42.
Constantine Porphyrogenitus. De Administrando Imperio. (Dumbarton Oaks Texts, 1967).
Lilie, Ralph-Johannes, Claudia Ludwig, Beate Zielke, and Thomas Pratsch. “Apoganem” in Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online (2013).
Lilie, Ralph-Johannes, Claudia Ludwig, Beate Zielke, and Thomas Pratsch. “Grigor I. (von Taron)” in Prosopographie der mittelbyzantinischen Zeit Online (2013).
Stone, D C and Charles R Owens. “[Eirene?], First Wife of Emperor Isaakios II Angelos, is a Probable Tornikina and Gateway to Antiquity” in Foundations (Jan. 2011).