 Kourkouas belonged to a family of Armenian descent that produced several notable Byzantine generals . As commander of an imperial bodyguard regiment , Kourkouas was among the chief supporters of Emperor Romanos I Lekapenos ( reigned 920 – 944 ) and facilitated the latter 's rise to the throne . In 923 , Kourkouas was appointed commander @-@ in @-@ chief of the Byzantine armies along the eastern frontier , facing the Abbasid Caliphate and the semi @-@ autonomous Muslim border emirates . He kept this post for more than twenty years , overseeing decisive Byzantine military successes that altered the strategic balance in the region . 
