The family rose to be amongst the most important and powerful members of the Anatolian aristocracy (the dynatoi) in the 10th century, providing many senior generals to the Byzantine army.
After its wealth and power became the target of Byzantine emperor Basil II (r. 976–1025), it declined, although its members are still attested in Anatolia and the Balkans throughout the 11th and 12th centuries.
It has been suggested that the surname derives from the location of Malagina in Bithynia, however its main estates and power-base were in the theme of Charsianon in Cappadocia, which must be considered their proper homeland.
[1][2] The first known member of the family was the general Nikephoros Maleinos, of whom it is only known that in 866 he suppressed the revolt of logothetes tou dromou Symbatios, a relative of the recently murdered Caesar Bardas.
[8][9][10] Thanks to these connections with the rising power of the Phokas clan, by the 950s the Maleinoi had established themselves as one of the leading Anatolian families, and amassed immense wealth.
A leading general under John I Tzimiskes (r. 969–976) and during the early years of Emperor Basil II's reign, he participated in the aristocratic rebellion of 987 led by Bardas Phokas the Younger.