1. Establishment – Administration – Political Geography

The early Byzantine province of Cappadocia I of the diocese of Pontica was in central Asia Minor, to the south-southeast of Galatia and formed the eastern part of the late Roman/early Byzantine province of Cappadocia. Cappadocia I bordered Armenia II to the east, Helenopontos and Armenia I to the north and Cappadocia II to the west. To the south it bordered the province of Cilicia I of the diocese of Oriens. The history of the province began in 371, when Emperor Valens (364-378) divided the province of Cappadocia into Cappadocia I, with Caesarea as its metropolis, and Cappadocia II, with its metropolis Tyana.

Caesarea was the base of the consularis of the province of Cappadocia I, the comes domorum per Cappadociam and the metropolitan of Caesarea, a high head priest in the hierarchy of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Between 535 and 553 the provinces of Cappadocia I and Cappadocia II formed a single administrative unit under a proconsul¹ responsible for restricting the crimes of wealthy Cappadocians, who maintained a private army for the protection of their interests against the poor.² This measure adopted by Justinian I (527-565) was ineffective. The previous administrative status was probably restored by 553. Towards the late 660s the province was annexed to the themes of Armeniakon and Anatolikon.

2. Cities

The Synekdemos of Hierokles, a text compiled in the first quarter of the 6^th century, reports four cities of the province of Cappadocia I,³ including the regio Podandos in Taurus Mountains, a kleisoura in the Middle Byzantine period, at the natural entrance of central Asia Minor through the Cilician Gates. The metropolis Caesarea was the birthplace of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea, and Gregory, bishop of Nyssa and one of the most prominent Fathers of the Orthodox Church.

According to the notitia episcopatuum, the metropolitan of Caesarea had jurisdiction over five bishoprics based in the province as well as over the Armenian bishopric of Theodosiopolis from the 7^th until the 10^th century.

3. History

The Tzans, the Huns and the rebellious Isaurians would plunder from time to time the province of Cappadocia I in Late Antiquity. The big cities of the provinces of Cappadocia I and II were fortified in the years of Anastasios I (491-518).

In the first decade of the 7^th century the Persians marched into the wider region and occupied certain positions, including the metropolis Caesarea. In 611 Caesarea as well as the entire Cappadocia I was recaptured by Herakleios (610-641). After 640 the province was raided by the Arabs, who would invade very often aiming at plundering and attacking/besieging the cities in order to be paid ransom before they withdrew.

The region forming the province of Cappadocia I included the volcanic valleys of Korama and Peristremma, famous for the special composition of their soil. The region continued to host the troglodytic settlements that had started to form already in the Prehistoric period, while monastic complexes with remarkable paintings were cut into the rock, too. From the 6^th century onwards the Cappadocian countryside was dominated by wealthy landowners –horse and cattle breeders–, who undermined the welfare of several minor farmers and, as a result, economy and population growth. They were eminent members of military aristocracy.