| John Tekmanios | |
| Fictional Character | |
| Agent of Byzantium POD: c. AD 597 | |
| Appearance(s): | "The Eyes of Argos" |
| Type of Appearance: | Direct |
| Nationality: | Armenian citizen of the Roman Empire |
| Religion: | Eastern Orthodox |
| Date of Birth: | 13th century |
| Occupation: | Soldier |
John Tekmanios was a general in the army of the Roman Empire. Like many officers of the Roman army, Tekmanios was an Armenian. In Etos Kosmou 6814 (1305 AD), Tekmanios commanded a punitive mission on the Danube frontier against the Jurchens for their raids into the territory of the Empire. His hypostrategos was Andreas Hermoniakos.[1]
The army's initial attack on the Jurchens proved a disaster. The Roman scouts under Basil Argyros skirmished with the Jurchens, exchanging hails of arrows, and briefly engaging in hand to hand combat before the approaching Jurchen army forced the Romans to retreat.[2] Tekmanios led the army to outflank the Jurchens from what should have been a hidden position. However, the Jurchens shifted their own position to meet the Roman advance. Argyros saw what the Jurchens were doing, but despite his efforts to warn Tekmanios, the Jurchens attacked Tekmanios' men, and were able to meet every one of Tekmanios' counter-measures. Finally, Tekmanios retreated. Argyros and the scouts also had to retreat now that the Jurchen were between them and Tekmanios. Taking a wide path, they reached the camp before Tekmanios' men, but the Jurchen soon followed, beginning a siege.[3]
The Jurchens besieged the camp for three days until their resources ran out. Once it was clear that the Jurchens had indeed withdraw, Tekmanios then an officers' council to determine what happened during the attack, and suggested a retreat back south of the Danube. Constantine Doukas, the merarch who commanded the right division, added that the devil was probably telling the khan what the Roman troops were doing, because the Jurchen were carrying out movements that apparently showed foreknowledge of the Roman army's movements. When Hermoniakos retorted that some people blame the devil to cover their own shortcomings, Argyros spoke up in support of Doukas, reporting the presence of a white-haired Jurchen shaman who pointed a tube at the Roman army as it maneuvered. Argyros suggested that the tube might use some sort of magic involving the evil eye. Tekmanios and Hermoniakos agreed that the secret behind this strange magic had to be discovered. The task fell to Argyros.[4]
After Hermoniakos publicly demoted Argyros, Argyros "defected" to the Jurchens.[5] When he returned weeks later, he had the tube. Ironically, he was very nearly killed by his own men who believed he'd been a deserter. Impressed by Argyros' skill, and realizing that Argyros should probably not be returned to command the men who nearly killed him, Tekmanios offered to send him to Constantinople with a letter urging his admission, Roman secret agency, the Magistrianoi. Tekmanios was related to the Master of Office, George Lakhanodrakon, by marriage. Argyros accepted the offer.[6]
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