Alexios Mosele

Alexios Mosele or Mousoulem/Mousele (Μουσουλέμ/Μουσελέ) was a late 8th-century Byzantine general of Armenian origin. Biography Alexios is the first known member of the Mosele/Mousele family of Armenian origin. In 790, he was the commander of the Vigla guard regiment, being the first known occupant of the office. In 790, after Constantine plotted against his mother to seize power, caused a controversy in the court, and after the conspiracy was discovered by Staurakios and told to Irene, she caused Constantine to be placed under house arrest and then ordered all the heads of the army and state, just oath of loyalty to her, this action led to a revolt of Armeniac soldiers. In September of that year, Alexios Mosele was sent by the Empress-regent Irene of Athens (r. 797–802) to deal with the soldiers of the Armeniac Theme, who had refused to swear an oath of loyalty which placed her before her son, Emperor Constantine VI (r. 780–797). The Armeniacs, however, imprisoned their own general Nikephoros, declared Mosele their new commander, and acclaimed Constantine as the sole emperor. At the news of this, the other themes of Asia Minor followed suit in deposing their commanders and affirming Constantine as sole emperor. The thematic troops then assembled in Bithynia, where they demanded from Irene to release Constantine from his de facto house arrest. Bowing to the pressure from the troops, Irene released her son. Emperor Constantine shortly after assumed the reins of government, dismissing Irene's counselors and confining her to a palace in Constantinople. Constantine took action on two counts: he had his tutor recalled and sent him, with the iconoclast general Michael Lachanodrakon, to ensure that the Armeniacs – his hard-core supporters – took an oath that they would not accept Irene as emperor. Mosele was confirmed as the Armeniacs' commander by Constantine, and later summoned to Constantinople and raised to the rank of patrikios. Constantine, however, soon proved incapable to rule the empire effectively, and the military successes, which the soldiers who supported him had hoped for, did not materialize. In January 792, moreover, he recalled his mother from her banishment, restored her to her titles and position of co-emperor, and her name restored in the imperial acclamations, and he demanded from the army to acclaim her along with him.