The History
His Majesty Al-Harith the Ghassanid King
of the Arab in Arab folktales and Sagas
Right, the Roman Emperor Phillip
The Arab, and left the martyr
St.Gurias of Edessa
The Cruzader Castle and an overview of Byblos (actual Jbeil in Lebanon)
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Left, the coins with Byzantine Emperors Nicephorus and
Staurakios Logothetes. the blazon of Byzantine Emperor Michael I Rangabe. Up, the coin with Philip the Arab of the "Roman Millenium"
Staurakios Logothetes. the blazon of Byzantine Emperor Michael I Rangabe. Up, the coin with Philip the Arab of the "Roman Millenium"
The Byzantine Emperors
It's unanimously agreed by scholars that all the emperors from the Nikephorus Dynasty were from the Ghassanid Royal Family. As stated above, for sure, the Gharios and Ghassan Dynasty is related to the emperors: Nikephorus I (or Nicephorus) Logothetes (reigned from 802 to 811 A.D.), Staurakios (son of Nikephorus, reigned in 811 A.D.), the empress Prokopia (daughter of Nikephorus I) and Michael I Rangabe (Prokopia's husband, reigned from 811 to 813 A.D.).According with many scholars, including Dr. David Huges, the Emperor Michael I and the Empress Prokopia (daughter of Nikephorus I) were the ancestors to later Byzantine Emperors. They had a son, the co-emperor Theophylaktos (co-reigned with Michael I from 812 to 813 AD), and he was father to a daughter named Melissena (later became Martinakia) who married Inger Martinakios. They had a daughter named Eudokia Ingerina who was empress consort of emperor Basil I and mother of the emperor Leo VI the Wise, also the emperor Alexander III and the Patriarch Stephen I of Constantinople. By that link, the Gharios and Ghassan Dynasty is also blood related to the Macedonian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire and therefore, with the following Byzantine Emperors:
" Basil I the Macedonian (811-886, ruled 867-886) - married the Varangian Eudokia Ingerina
" Leo VI the Wise (866-912, ruled 886-912) - son of Eudokia Ingerina, legal son and heir of Basil I
" AlexanderIII (870-913, ruled 912-913) - son of Basil I, regent for nephew
" Constantine VII the Purple-born (905-959, ruled 913 - 959) - son of Leo VI
" Romanos I Lekapenos (870-948, ruled 919-944) - father-in-law of Constantine VII; co-emperor, attempted to found his own dynasty.
" Romanos II the Purple-born (938-963, ruled 959-963) - son of Constantine VII
" Nikephoros II Phocas (912-969, ruled 963-969) - successful general, married Romanos II's widow, regent for Basil;
" John I Tzimiskes (925-976, ruled 969-976) - successful general, brother-in-law of Romanos II,
" Basil II (958-1025, ruled 976-1025) - son of Romanos II
" Constantine VIII (960-1028, ruled 1025-1028) - son of Romanos II; silent co-emperor with Basil II, sole emperor after his brother's death
" Zoe (c. 978-1050, ruled 1028-1050) - daughter of Constantine VIII
" Romanos III Argyros (968-1034, ruled 1028-1034) - eparch of Constantinople; Zoe's first husband, arranged by Constantine VIII;
" Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1010-1041, ruled 1034-1041) - Zoe's second husband
" Michael V the Caulker (1015-1042, ruled 1041-1042) - Michael IV's nephew, Zoe's adopted son
" Theodora (980-1056, ruled 1042) - daughter of Constantine VIII, co-empress with Zoe
" Constantine IX Monomachos (1000-1055, ruled 1042-1055) - Zoe's third husband
" Theodora (ruled 1055-1056) - restored
It's unanimously agreed by scholars that all the emperors from the Nikephorus Dynasty were from the Ghassanid Royal Family. As stated above, for sure, the Gharios and Ghassan Dynasty is related to the emperors: Nikephorus I (or Nicephorus) Logothetes (reigned from 802 to 811 A.D.), Staurakios (son of Nikephorus, reigned in 811 A.D.), the empress Prokopia (daughter of Nikephorus I) and Michael I Rangabe (Prokopia's husband, reigned from 811 to 813 A.D.).According with many scholars, including Dr. David Huges, the Emperor Michael I and the Empress Prokopia (daughter of Nikephorus I) were the ancestors to later Byzantine Emperors. They had a son, the co-emperor Theophylaktos (co-reigned with Michael I from 812 to 813 AD), and he was father to a daughter named Melissena (later became Martinakia) who married Inger Martinakios. They had a daughter named Eudokia Ingerina who was empress consort of emperor Basil I and mother of the emperor Leo VI the Wise, also the emperor Alexander III and the Patriarch Stephen I of Constantinople. By that link, the Gharios and Ghassan Dynasty is also blood related to the Macedonian Dynasty of the Byzantine Empire and therefore, with the following Byzantine Emperors:
" Basil I the Macedonian (811-886, ruled 867-886) - married the Varangian Eudokia Ingerina
" Leo VI the Wise (866-912, ruled 886-912) - son of Eudokia Ingerina, legal son and heir of Basil I
" AlexanderIII (870-913, ruled 912-913) - son of Basil I, regent for nephew
" Constantine VII the Purple-born (905-959, ruled 913 - 959) - son of Leo VI
" Romanos I Lekapenos (870-948, ruled 919-944) - father-in-law of Constantine VII; co-emperor, attempted to found his own dynasty.
" Romanos II the Purple-born (938-963, ruled 959-963) - son of Constantine VII
" Nikephoros II Phocas (912-969, ruled 963-969) - successful general, married Romanos II's widow, regent for Basil;
" John I Tzimiskes (925-976, ruled 969-976) - successful general, brother-in-law of Romanos II,
" Basil II (958-1025, ruled 976-1025) - son of Romanos II
" Constantine VIII (960-1028, ruled 1025-1028) - son of Romanos II; silent co-emperor with Basil II, sole emperor after his brother's death
" Zoe (c. 978-1050, ruled 1028-1050) - daughter of Constantine VIII
" Romanos III Argyros (968-1034, ruled 1028-1034) - eparch of Constantinople; Zoe's first husband, arranged by Constantine VIII;
" Michael IV the Paphlagonian (1010-1041, ruled 1034-1041) - Zoe's second husband
" Michael V the Caulker (1015-1042, ruled 1041-1042) - Michael IV's nephew, Zoe's adopted son
" Theodora (980-1056, ruled 1042) - daughter of Constantine VIII, co-empress with Zoe
" Constantine IX Monomachos (1000-1055, ruled 1042-1055) - Zoe's third husband
" Theodora (ruled 1055-1056) - restored
Emperor Leo VI,
The Wise (886-912)
Emperor Alexander III
(912-913)
(912-913)
Emperor Nikephoros II
(963-969)
(963-969)
Emperor Basil II
(976-1025)
(976-1025)
The Gharios and Ghassan Name
The surname Gharios (also Guérios pronounced Ghariyos) comes from the name of Saint Gurias the Christian Ascetic of Edessa (Today Rouha also known as Urfa or Sanliourfa in Turkey), martyr of the IV century; that died in 305 AD. Is the name of one of the most socially and economically prominent families in Lebanon rooting back their ancestries to the Sheiks Chemor of Kfarhata (former Christian rulers of Akoura and Zgharta). Their religion is Maronite Christian and they are of direct legitimate descendance of the Christian Ghassanids Kings. Some scholars agreed that also the Roman Emperor Caesar Marcus Julius Philippus Augustus (204-249 A.D.) or known only as Emperor Phillip The Arab, Roman emperor from 244 to 249 A.D. Also The Orient's King of Kings Lucius Septimius Odaenathus was from Ghassanid Royalty. For sure, also the Byzantine Emperors Nicephorus I, Staurakios and Michael I (all of IX Century) came from Ghassanid Royal Dynasty.
The surname Gharios (also Guérios pronounced Ghariyos) comes from the name of Saint Gurias the Christian Ascetic of Edessa (Today Rouha also known as Urfa or Sanliourfa in Turkey), martyr of the IV century; that died in 305 AD. Is the name of one of the most socially and economically prominent families in Lebanon rooting back their ancestries to the Sheiks Chemor of Kfarhata (former Christian rulers of Akoura and Zgharta). Their religion is Maronite Christian and they are of direct legitimate descendance of the Christian Ghassanids Kings. Some scholars agreed that also the Roman Emperor Caesar Marcus Julius Philippus Augustus (204-249 A.D.) or known only as Emperor Phillip The Arab, Roman emperor from 244 to 249 A.D. Also The Orient's King of Kings Lucius Septimius Odaenathus was from Ghassanid Royalty. For sure, also the Byzantine Emperors Nicephorus I, Staurakios and Michael I (all of IX Century) came from Ghassanid Royal Dynasty.
Sheiks Chemor
According to a historical book named The Sheiks Chemors written by one of the greatest lebanese History scholar Father Aghnatios Khoury (1950), the family Gharios is formally called "Gharios Habbaki Chemor" due to the village of Beit Habbak in the region of Byblos. This Habbaki family is issued from the prestigious "Chemor" family of Kfarhata-Zgharta. The Chemors of Kfarhata have the title of Sheiks (Kings Vassals). They were the rulers of Akoura in the mountains of Byblos between 1211 and 1633 and the rulers of Zgharta-Zawiya between 1641 and 1747. By the XIV Century, the family was related by marriage with the Hashemite Family according with the greatest Arab Historian of the XVII Century, The Patriarch Estephan Boutros El Douaihy
According to a historical book named The Sheiks Chemors written by one of the greatest lebanese History scholar Father Aghnatios Khoury (1950), the family Gharios is formally called "Gharios Habbaki Chemor" due to the village of Beit Habbak in the region of Byblos. This Habbaki family is issued from the prestigious "Chemor" family of Kfarhata-Zgharta. The Chemors of Kfarhata have the title of Sheiks (Kings Vassals). They were the rulers of Akoura in the mountains of Byblos between 1211 and 1633 and the rulers of Zgharta-Zawiya between 1641 and 1747. By the XIV Century, the family was related by marriage with the Hashemite Family according with the greatest Arab Historian of the XVII Century, The Patriarch Estephan Boutros El Douaihy
The Ghassanid Kings
The Ghassanids were different from the other Arab people because they were progressive and open to
new ideas. According with eminent historian Issa Iskander Maalouf, The Ghassanid Kings were legitimate
and direct descendants of the Saba Royal Family (The Kingdom of Saba from Yemen enjoyed sovereignty
from 850 BC to 37 AD). During the 2nd century they emigrated from Yemen after the Marib Dam break to
Syria in search of water sources. They established themselves near the "Ghassan spring" where they took
their name. The Ghassanids was Christians and allies to the Byzantine Roman Empire. Some intermarried
with Hellenized Roman settlers and Greek-speaking Early Christian communities. Abou Choummar Jabla
was one of the Ghassanid kings around 500 AD. His son was the most prominent King of all the Ghassanids
and he was named "the Great Protector" because he defended the Christians against the barbarians with
the help and the benediction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian II. His kingdom included the regions of
Houran, Mount Hermon, the Golan, the Jordan valley and Damascus. The Byzantine Emperor gave the Ghassanids kings the title "King of all Arabs" and also the "Imperial Address". These two titles were equivalent to title of Pharaon of Egypt, Negus in Abyssinia and Caesar in Rome. The Emperors of Constantinople gave them also the title of "Patrik" meaning "Patrician". The war with Islam made the Ghassanid King Choummar (from Abou Choummar Jabla) had to flee to Lebanon; their first stay was in the Christian Maronite region of Akoura (Byblos district) were geological and historical safety were provided. Living there for centuries they
became the Sheikhs Chemor and the Gharios family (among others).
The Ghassanids were different from the other Arab people because they were progressive and open to
new ideas. According with eminent historian Issa Iskander Maalouf, The Ghassanid Kings were legitimate
and direct descendants of the Saba Royal Family (The Kingdom of Saba from Yemen enjoyed sovereignty
from 850 BC to 37 AD). During the 2nd century they emigrated from Yemen after the Marib Dam break to
Syria in search of water sources. They established themselves near the "Ghassan spring" where they took
their name. The Ghassanids was Christians and allies to the Byzantine Roman Empire. Some intermarried
with Hellenized Roman settlers and Greek-speaking Early Christian communities. Abou Choummar Jabla
was one of the Ghassanid kings around 500 AD. His son was the most prominent King of all the Ghassanids
and he was named "the Great Protector" because he defended the Christians against the barbarians with
the help and the benediction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian II. His kingdom included the regions of
Houran, Mount Hermon, the Golan, the Jordan valley and Damascus. The Byzantine Emperor gave the Ghassanids kings the title "King of all Arabs" and also the "Imperial Address". These two titles were equivalent to title of Pharaon of Egypt, Negus in Abyssinia and Caesar in Rome. The Emperors of Constantinople gave them also the title of "Patrik" meaning "Patrician". The war with Islam made the Ghassanid King Choummar (from Abou Choummar Jabla) had to flee to Lebanon; their first stay was in the Christian Maronite region of Akoura (Byblos district) were geological and historical safety were provided. Living there for centuries they
became the Sheikhs Chemor and the Gharios family (among others).