Catepanate of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Catepanate of Ras or Serbia was a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...

 province established between 971–976, during the rule of John Tzimiskes (r. 969–976). It comprised the Principality of Serbia; the Ras region; the seat of the Serbian bishopric (Bishopric of Ras) and state (Stari Ras, the capital).

Data on the katepano of Ras during Tzimiskes' reign is missing.

Tzimiskes conquered the area with vigorous resistance.

A seal of a strategos
Strategos
Strategos, plural strategoi, is used in Greek to mean "general". In the Hellenistic and Byzantine Empires the term was also used to describe a military governor...

of Ras has been dated to Tzimiskes' reign, making it possible for Tzimiskes' predecessor Nikephoros II Phokas to have enjoyed recognition in Rascia. The protospatharios and katepano of Ras was a Byzantine governor named John.

Byzantine military presence ended soon thereafter with the wars with Bulgaria
Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria
The Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria lasted from 968 to 1018, and was a military conflict that marked the beginning of the second apogee of the Byzantine Empire, which managed to incorporate most of the Balkan Peninsula, controlled by the First Bulgarian Empire, ridding itself of one of its most...

, and was re-established only ca. 1018 with the short-lived Theme of Sirmium, which however did not extend much into Rascia proper.

Sources

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