Niketas 51 was a native of Lydia: Vita Petr. Atr. 109 (Vita Petr. Atr. Retractata, p. 161) (ἐκ Λυδίας ὑπάρχων). Known to Petros 34 from childhood, he apparently helped Petros 34 when in difficulties (συναμιλληθεὶς ὡς φιλόθεος); Petros 34 in turn not only cured many people from his household, including fourteen maidservants who were once possessed by demons, but protected him from enemies and danger in time of war (alluding perhaps, inter alia, to the revolt of Thomas 7 the Slav); some time after Petros 34 died (in 837), Niketas 51 held the post of droungarios (Νικήτας δέ τις δρουγγάριος) and was miraculously cured by oil from the tomb of Petros 34 on one occasion when, under orders from his superior officer (παρὰ τοῦ κατὰ καιροὺς στρατηγοῦντος) to station himself at Mesonesos near Malagina, he suffered a choking fit which threatened his life and prevented him from obeying the orders; he made his way to the tomb of Petros 34 and, once cured, proceeded to carry out his orders: Vita Petr. Atr. 109 (Vita Petr. Atr. Retractata, pp. 161-163).

Niketas 51 was a droungarios in the thema of the Opsikion. The allusion to fourteen maidservants suggests that this man is identical with Anonymus 68; however other elements in their stories are at variance and it seems likely either that a similar phenomenon occurred twice or else that Sabas 1's memory failed him at this point; see Laurent, Vita Retractata, intro., p. 72, note 1. He may be identical with Anonymus 60 (nephew of the hypatos Anonymus 65, who lived near Kalon Oros in Lydia), whom Petros 34 helped during the revolt of Thomas 7.

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