Here is the life of Elpidios Kalopragmon "The Hunter" (736-804) Doux of Tripolitana, Strategos of Sicily and Protostator of the Byzantine Empire.
Not much is known of him before the year 769 when he ordered the murder of the Count of Messene and he inherited the title. The following year, Elpidios revoked the title of Panarmos, extending his domain. After 7 years of preparation, he launched an attack against the duchy of Tripolitana owned by an Ibadi heathens. In 781, after 4 years of battle, the war was won by Elpidios, now calling himself Doux of Tripolitana. Inheriting a tradition of high centralisation in the Empire, the Doux decided to unite the island of Sicily under his personal rule. Agrigenton and Drepanon fell respectively in 782 and 783 while Malta fell in 788. The last one was given to his son-in-law Micheal Rangabes (Matrieneally married to Theognosia Kalopragmon, first born daughter of Elpidios).
During that time the Empire enjoy good stability. The Iconoclast view, in which Elpidios and the Basileus believed, gradually became the view of the majority in 783. The same year, Basileus Konstantinos V "The Lion" died, replaced by Christophoros "The Blind". In 789, the new Basileus converted to the Paulician heresy and alienated much of the empire. Weary of the power of Elpidios he revoked his right to Drepanon which the Doux accepted begrugingly to avoid war against the emperor, but a couple of months later, in 790, the emperor tried to revoke the county of Tripolitana. Enraged, Elpidios rebelled against the emperor even if the odds were not in his favor. Though the Basileus died of poor health shortly after the start. The Imperial throne passed to a young Diogene. At his ascension he abandoned Iconoclasm and every one in the Empire we're asked to do the same. Originally Elpidios refused, but a year later at the urging of his friend he also abandoned Iconoclasm. Iconoclasm fell out of favor in the populace in 797, but religious tension didn't stop there. In 799, Diogene adopted Iconoclasm again and the next year he converted to the Western Church.
At home, Elpidios had some problems. The County of Drepanon was controlled by another Strategos and the Count of Syrte was killed in an explosion in 790, without issue the title was inherited by Elpidios. Since the Basileus didn't permit his vassals to make war against each other Elpidios tried to undermined his authority. Soon enough the Doux presented an ultimatum to Diogene who relinquished to the demand. Drepanon was retaken in 793. Also Elpidios didn't realised that the Count of Djerba was grant a title of Strategos by the Basileus and that he wasn't his vassal anymore. Djerba fell in 800 and was grant to Elpidios' son Theophanes.
Elpidios died peacefully of old age in 804.
Doux Elpidios had three children:
- Countess Theognosia (769- ) married matrieneally to Count Micheal Rangabes of Rhodes and Malta. Who was the heiress for 14 years and educated has such.
- Queen Agne (782- ) married to King Desiderius II of Lombardy. Not the sharpest tool around.
- Doux Theophanes (783- ) married to Countess Anna Aineidas of Leptis Magna. Portrait of his father, he replaced him as Protostator of the Empire, but not as Strategos of Sicily.