Minor Fictional Characters in Agent of Byzantium

This article lists the various minor fictional characters who appear in the Agent of Byzantium stories. These characters are identified by name or profession, but play at best a peripheral role in the series. Some were simply mentioned or had a very brief, unimportant speaking role that did not impact the plot, and never appeared again.

Buka

("The Eyes of Argos")

Buka was a warrior in the Jurchen horde, and was not renowned for his brains. Basil Argyros, when deserting from the Jurchens to rejoin the Romans, used the pretense of delivering weapons to the forgetful Buka as an excuse to be out and about.

Demetrios

(EoA)

Demetrios was a scout in the army of the Roman Empire. He was a handsome blond man in his early 20s, born in Thessalonike.

Demetrios was serving on the Danube frontier in 1305 AD when hypostrategos Andreas Hermoniakos ordered the army to cross north into the steppe country for a punitive mission against the Jurchens. He and his commanding officer, Basil Argyros, were scouting ahead and found the hoof prints of a half dozen unshod horses, indicating a Jurchen scouting party. On reporting this, the army went on alert in preparation for battle.

Demetrios, along with the rest of the scouts, rode ahead of the army to find the enemy. He was the first to spot the grey-brown smudge to the northeast caused by the horses of the Jurchens. He joined in the attack on the Jurchen scouts on a hilltop and broke through the picket line that tried to block them. With much courage but not much wisdom, he attempted to attack the Jurchen wizard and his body guards on the top of the hill by himself. He and his horse were killed by Jurchen arrows before he got within 50 yards of them.

Gregory

(EoA)

Gregory was a scout under the command of Basil Argyros during the Roman Empire's expedition to punish the Jurchens in Etos Kosmou 6814 (1305 AD). During the initial stages of the fight, Argyros attempted to send Gregory to warn John Tekmanios that the Jurchen were aware of his efforts to outflank him, but Gregory didn't get there in time.

Harlot of Alexandria

("Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire")

A harlot called out to the magistrianos Basil Argyros during his business trip to Alexandria, offering her service for 20 folleis. Argyros, who had remained chaste since the death of his wife Helen two years earlier, and suspected that a married woman named Zois had contemplated seducing him, was in a mood to be tempted, and thus took up the offer. He spent himself prematurely, and had to pay extra for another round. He gave her an entire silver milliaresion at the end. Argyros left the encounter certain that he was not suited for a monastic life, which he had briefly thought when he was newly widowed.

Kaidu

(EoA)

Kaidu was a warrior in the Jurchen horde. Basil Argyros, when deserting from the Jurchens to rejoin the Romans, used the pretense of running an errand for Kaidu as an excuse to be out and about.

Lukra

(PoCPoF)

Lukra (b. ca. 1294) was a serving girl in the household of Khesphmois, master carpenter of Alexandria. As Khesphmois' wife Zois was barren, he sired a child on Lukra in 1309. This was a sore point for Zois, who then seduced the visiting magistrianos Basil Argyros as an act of spite.