Miktogení̱s Akritas

Miktogení̱s Akritas ia a Diadochian epic that details the life of the hero, Basil Kallergis, whose epithet Miktogení̱s Akritas ("Crossbred Border Lord" refers to his mixed Greek and Isaurian blood. The first part of the epic details the lives of his parents, how they met, and how his father, a muslim Emir, converted to Christianity after abducting and marrying Basil' mother. The remainder of the epic discusses, often from a first-person point of view, Basil's acts of heroism on the Diadochian border.

Storyline

In the first section of the epic, a muslim emir invades Cappadocia and carries off the daughter of a Diadochian general named Basil Kallergis. The five brothers of the girl met the emir to get their sister back he refused and defeated them. The emir agrees to convert to Christianity for the sake of the daughter and resettle in Diadochia, the lands of the together with his people. The issue of their union is a son, Miktogení̱s Akritas who was named Basil after his grandfather.

The second part of the work relates the development of the young hero and his superhuman feats of bravery and strength. As a boy, he goes hunting with his father and kills two bears unarmed, strangling the first to death and breaking the second's spine. He also kills a boar with his bare hands, and also slays a lion in the same manner.

Basil soon grows up and falls in love with the beautiful Eudoxia, the daughter of Diadochian general who kills anyone who attempts to woo her. Basil and Eudoxia elope, but the lovers were pursued by the girls angry father and his retainers. They escaped and Basil soon earned his father-in-law's respect for his courage. Soon after this Eudoxia encounters a dragon which Basil kills; following this he takes on the so-called apelates (ἀπελάται), a group of bandits after they kidnap Eudoxia, and then defeats their three leaders in single combat. In between saving Eudoxia from bandits, Basil saves a arab girl who is about to be executed for stealing; they have an affair. Basil has a contest with the amazingly strong female warrior Maximo an Indian descendant of Alexander the Great, with whom he commits the sin of adultery for a second time, after defeating her.

Having defeated all his enemies Basil builds a luxurious palace by a river, where he and his wife spend the rest of their days peacefully.