Niketas 4 was the son of Artabasdos 1 (the usurper), brother of Nikephoros 4: Nic. Brev. de Boor 59, Mango 64, de Boor 61, Mango 65, Theoph. AM 6234 (Ὁ δὲ Ἀρταύασδος Νικήταν, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ), Zon. XV 5. 16. Possibly son of Anna 1 (but cf. Nikephoros 4): Nic.Brev. de Boor 59, Mango 64, Theoph. AM 6232. He was present with his father and his brother at Dorylaeum when Artabasdos 1 rebelled (in 741): Nic. Brev. de Boor 59, Mango 64, Theoph. AM 6233. In 742 or 743 he was appointed by his father to be monostrategos and sent to be strategos of the Armeniakoi (Νικήταν, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, μονοστράτηγον προβαλόμενος εἰς τὸ τῶν Ἀρμενιάκων θέμα ἐξέπεμψεν: Theoph. AM 6234; στρατηγὸν τοῦ καλουμένου τῶν Ἀρμενιάκων στρατοῦ: Nic. Brev. de Boor 65, Mango 65:2-3); in August 743, after the defeat of Artabasdos near Sardis, Niketas 4 attacked the emperor Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) near Modrina but was defeated also and lost many soldiers: Nic. Brev. de Boor 61, Mango 65, Theoph. AM 6234 (Νικήτας ὁ μονοστράτηγος, υἱὸς Ἀρταυάσδου). Later, when Constantine V (Konstantinos 7) laid siege to Constantinople, Niketas (styled ὁ μονοστράτηγος in Theophanes) reassembled his scattered forces and again marched against him; he was defeated near Chrysopolis and fled but was taken prisoner near Nikomedeia: Nic. Brev. de Boor 62, Mango 66, Theoph AM 6235, cf. Zon. XV 5. 16 (captured and displayed to his father). He was taken in fetters to Constantinople and displayed to his father, still besieged within the city; shortly afterwards the city fell to Constantine V (Konstantinos 7): Theoph. AM 6235. He was eventually put on display with his father and brother in the Hippodrome and like them was blinded and kept in prison: Nic. Brev. de Boor 62, Mango 66, Theoph. AM 6235, Zon. XV 5. 18-21. See also Winkelmann, Rangstruktur, p. 80, Rochow, Theophanes, pp. 152-153, Rochow, Konstantin V, pp. 230-231.

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