Certainty: 3 Robert Guiscard captured Palermo. After the capture of Bari in 1071, Robert Guiscard went almost immediately to Sicily, where he took Palermo at the very beginning of the following year
Certainty: 3 Synod convened by patriarch Ioannes Xiphilinos to discuss election of bishops to vacant sees. Ioannes VIII Xiphilinos, patriarch of Constantinople, convened a synod to discuss the election of bishops to vacant sees: forty-one metropolitans are recorded as having attended
Certainty: 2 Ioannes, metropolitan of Side, became chief minister of Michael VII. Michael VII, since he was naturally unsuited as an adminstrator, at the outset of his reign appointed Ioannes, metropolitan of Side, to govern Byzantium. He performed the task well
Certainty: 2 Psellos wrote Oratoria Minora 3 as Lenten silention for Michael VII. Psellos composed a speech for the emperor Michael VII Doukas, a traditional praise of fasting explicitly from a very young man to an older audience [hence probably from his first year of rule]
Certainty: 2 Romanos IV refused request of Michael VII that he should abdicate. Michael VII tried first to solve problems peacefully: he sent a sympathetic and clement letter to Romanos IV, asking him to abdicate. Romanos was indignant at the sympathy, on the grounds that he had committed no offence
Certainty: 2 Banishment of Anna Dalassene, accused of plotting with Romanos IV. When Michael VII was brought by a wicked accuser fabricated letters from Anna Dalassene to Romanos IV, he did not enquire about their source nor did he wait to see the accused, but became resentful against her. Anna was summoned to the palace, a tribunal was set up and when she arrived the herald announced the trial and the judges assembled. When she came before them, she suddenly pulled out an image of Christ, the Judge of all, which she had hidden beneath her cloak. She urged them to pronounce a sentence worthy of the Judge who knows all secrets. Michael VII was too embarassed to attend. Some of the judges were shocked and asked for the suspension of the trial, others became fierce, attempting to please those in power. Since it was impossible to disprove the charge, she was presumed guilty by the judges, like Christ before Kaiaphas, and was condemned and banished to Prinkipo, together with her sons Isaakios, Alexios, Adrianos and Nikephoros
Certainty: 2 Andronikos Doukas invaded Cilicia, over passes Romanos should have defended. Andronikos Doukas had two goals: the first was to forge an efficient army; the second was to approach the Cilician defiles and traverse the tortuous mountains quietly, and suddenly appear before the enemy. Both went according to plan. He hoped to stop Romanos from building an economic system to support an army. Rather than entering Cilicia by the usual route through the kleisoura of Podandos, he went through Isauria [one source has him going through Podandos.] But his army faced difficulties in crossing the mountain passes. Had Romanos IV occupied them, Andronikos' army would not have been able to cross
Certainty: 2 Michael VII sent more peace overtures through group of bishops, but too late. Michael VII sent episcopal envoys to Romanos IV with a message of friendship, offering him amnesty and promising him that nothing unpleasant would happen to him. They were the bishop of Chalcedon, Theophilos, bishop of Koloneia and Theophilos, metropolitan of Herakleia. Michael was terribly worried that Romanos would be captured by the army, and either fall fighting or be taken prisoner and have some part of his body mutilated. He pushed even Romanos' adamantine spirit towards agreement
Certainty: 2 Andronikos Doukas & Robert Crepin defeated & captured Khacatur in Cilicia. Andronikos Doukas, brother of Konstantinos continued the civil war against Romanos IV. He crossed into Cilicia and led his army down into the plain. Romanos sent most of his army from Adana against him under the command of Khacatur, doux of Antioch. Khacatur began the battle, but was severely defeated by Robert Crepin, who led the left wing of Andronikos' forces, making a cavalry charge. Andronikos and Robert returned in triumph to their camp. Khacatur fell off his horse into a thicket, was stripped of his clothing, and had various adventures in identifying himself to enemy soldiers and being brought before Andronikos. The latter treated him well and gave him appropriate clothing, and was rewarded by the gift of a precious stone (which he later presented to Maria of Alania). [Another version of the story has Khacatur killed in the battle.] Andronikos went on to besiege Adana
Certainty: 2 Unsuccessful embassy of deposed Romanos Diogenes to win over Robert Crépin. Romanos, unaware of his worsening situation, encouraged and gave hope to his army that Turkish reinforcements would arrive soon, and sent embassies to Robert Crepin in an unsuccessful attempt to excite his barbarian pride against Andronikos Doukas. Andronikos used even more flattery towards Robert in order to neutralise the effects of Romanos' embassy
Certainty: 2 Siege of Adana by Andronikos Doukas; abdication & tonsure of Romanos Diogenes. Romanos was joined in the castle of Adana by the troops fleeing after their defeat in the hands of Andronikos Doukas, who began a siege. Romanos' hopes of Turkish intervention ran out. He finally negotiated an agreement whereby he would renounce the throne, become tonsured and remain a monk until his death. But he was losing the confidence of his men
Certainty: 2 Deposed Romanos Diogenes surrendered (or was surrendered by his troops) to Andronikos Doukas. [Sources vary in attributing the initiative for Romanos' surrender to Romanos himself, or to a group of his men.] Some of the troops of Romanos IV who had decided to betray him made an agreement with Andronikos Doukas: in return for pledges that they would not be harmed, they opened the gates of Adana, providing entry to Andronikos' men and leading them to the very house where Romanos was lodging. The bishops sent by Michael VII provided assurances that he would not be harmed. Romanos went out from Adana to Andronikos' camp dressed in black, a pitiful sight to all his veterans. Andronikos felt sorry for him as his men led him in, wept, extended his right hand to him and invited him to his table. They set off for the capital, Romanos riding a wretched mount. But there were schemes to harm him further
Certainty: 3 Romanos Diogenes blinded at Kotyaeion & banished to Prote. Romanos reached Kotyaeion in great pain, for it was said that he had been poisoned by his enemies, and was held there awaiting instructions from Michael VII concerning his fate. These arrived a few days later, ordering his blinding. It is said that Michael knew nothing, and that Ioannes Doukas was responsible, but some writers implicate the emperor. Romanos was carried to the castle of Kotyaion like an animal for sacrifice by savage men, looking back hoping for intervention by the bishops of Koloneia and Chalcedon and the metropolitan of Herakleia, who had given him pledges of safety; they wanted to stop the deed, but were powerless. Romanos was locked up in a small room. The Jew who blinded him was inexperienced, and did the work three times to be sure, in a bloodcurdling way. Romanos was left a gruesome sight, to be carried on his wretched horse to the Sea of Marmara
Certainty: 3 Romanos Diogenes blinded . Orders came from the capital that Romanos Diogenes be blinded. Michael VII in Constantinople and Andronikos Doukas in command of the army were said to be opposed to this move, which is usually ascribed to Ioannes Doukas the kaisar
Certainty: 2 Poisoning of Abu Muhammad 'Abdallah al-Khafaji, ruler of 'Azaz, by his overlord.
Certainty: 3 Chrysobull of Michael VII confirming the earlier chrysobulls of Nea Mone (Chios). Following a request from Nea Mone, Michael VII Doukas issued a chrysobull confirming those granted to the monastery by his predecessors
Certainty: 2 Psellos wrote to the blinded Romanos IV, offering consolation of divine inner light. Psellos wrote to console Romanos IV on his blinding. He started with a eulogy, praising an inner, divine light Romanos won in losing his sight. He added firm assurances that Michael VII had not ordered the blinding, but had instructed that no harm come to him. He was much distressed by the event, and would honour him
Certainty: 2 Revolt of Konstantinos Bodin, son of prince of Zeta, to re-establish a free Bulgaria. Inhabitants of the area around Skopje, angered by the demands of Nikephoritzes, asked Mihailo of Zeta to send one of his sons to start a rebellion. He sent Konstantinos Bodin and 300 men. Konstantinos was acclaimed as basileus of Bulgaria by the magnates of Prizren (Prisdriana) under Georgios Voitech, and renamed Peter. Nikephoros Karantenos, doux of Skopje, heard of this and reached Prizren with Bulgarian forces; as he prepared for battle he was joined by Damianos Dalassenos, his successor as doux. Damianos insulted all his generals as worthless, but when he himself fought against the Serbs he was beaten and captured, many of his men killed and his camp ransacked. Other prisoners included Longibardopoulos and Probatas. Meanwhile several Byzantine generals took refuge in Kastoria, including the strategoi of Kastoria, Ohrid and Devol and Boris David. Konstantinos/Peter divided his victorious army, going himself to Nis and sending Petrilos to Kastoria. Petrilos captured Ohrid and Devol en route
Certainty: 2 Suppression of revolt in Bulgaria by Michael Saronites. The rebellion of Georgios Voitech and Konstantinos/Peter Bodin was now suppressed. A larger Byzantine army under Michael Saronites reached Skopje, the seat of rebellion, and received it from Georgios Voitech, who received reassurances. But Voitech changed his mond and summoned Konstantinos/Peter, who left for Skopje to surprise Saronites' men. He failed, and was captured by Saronites at Taonion, his army wiped out, and he himself sent to the capital in chains. Voitech was tortured and died of his ill-treatment on the way to Constantinople. Petrilos was also defeated by the Byzantines at Kastoria and fled. The last act of rebellion was begun by Mihailo of Zeta, who won over Longibardopoulos, a prisoner from the battle of Prizren, who married one of his daughters. Mihailo sent Longibardopoulos against Saronites with another army, but the man soon changed sides again
Certainty: 2 Michael VII wrote to Robert Guiscard, proposing to marry his brother Konstantios to a daughter of Guiscard. Psellos wrote two (alternative?) letters for Michael VII, proposing a marriage alliance with Robert Guiscard. The letter stressed Michael's pacifism, inherited from his father Konstantinos X, and his wish for alliances with likeminded rulers like Guiscard. Thus Michael wished to marry his brother Konstantios to one of Guiscard's daughters [Helena 101 (?)], a splendid match for her. He reminded Guiscard that Romanos IV too had planned to marry his son to one of Guiscard's daughters - but Romanos was a usurper, removed by God, while Michael VII and Konstantios had legitimacy. Konstantios was a perfect figure of an emperor, from the same mother and father as Michael VII, not only legitimate but porphyrogennetos (with a brief essay on the word). Robert should say how discussions might proceed. This arrangement lapsed at the accession of Nikephoros III
Certainty: 3 Romanos Diogenes died on Prote, to be buried & mourned by his wife Eudokia. Romanos Diogenes, after his eyes had been cut out, was brought to the monastery which he had founded on the island named Prote. After living there for a short time he died, after reigning for less than four years, leaving Michael VII in undisupted power. His wife Eudokia sought and obtained permission from Michael, her son, to go to Prote, and bury her husband in a very costly ceremony. He left two young sons, Leon and Nikephoros
Certainty: 2 Recall of Anna Dalassene & her children from exile. After the death of Romanos IV, Michael VII recalled from exile Anna Dalassene and her sons (presumably Isaakios, Alexios, Adrianos and Nikephoros) and was reconciled with them by concluding marriage alliances, first marrying his wife's cousin to Isaakios. Around this time, Adrianos and Nikephoros, who were still quite young, were sent to teachers
Certainty: 2 Marriage of Isaakios Komnenos, brother of Alexios (I) to Eirene, cousin of Maria of Alania. Maria of Alania married her cousin Eirene to Isaakios, eldest son of Anna Dalassene. Bryennios makes this an early attempt at reconciliation between Doukai and Komnenoi after the death of Romanos IV
Certainty: 2 Nikephoritzes replaced Ioannes of Side as chief minister, & even supplanted the kaisar Ioannes. Ioannes the kaisar, realising that his nephew Michael VII had no adequate grasp of the empire's affairs, took charge, with the help of Ioannes of Side. Ioannes encouraged Michael to recall Nikephoritzes from Peloponnesos and Hellas where he was serving in a kind of exile, and appointed him logothetes of the dromos, unaware that he was arming his own enemy. Ioannes of Side was elbowed out of the management of public affairs by Nikephoritzes, who invented allegations against him involving other people. The emperor was devoted to childish games and rendered ineffective and incompetent by his teacher Psellos. Nikephoritzes now turned to Michael's family, accusing them of being his worst enemies, in contrast to his own absolute devotion to the emperor. Michael's mother Eudokia and his brothers Andronikos and Konstantios were charged with aiming at the throne. Eventually even Ioannes the kaisar found himself despised and suspected, then pushed aside and ignored. Nikephoritzes established complete domination over Michael
Certainty: 2 Turks invaded & pillaged after removal of Romanos IV. Alp Arslan and his successors were distressed over the treatment meted out to Romanos IV, with whom treaties had been made which would now have no effect. They arranged for their forces to ravage Roman territory in revenge
Certainty: 2 Conflict between katholikoi Grigor Vkayaser & Georgios.
Certainty: 2 Philaretos demanded submission from local princes, including Tornik of Sasun.
Certainty: 2 T'ornik & Philaretos fought, T'ornik was victorious.
Certainty: 1 Tornik was murdered at the instigation of Philaretos.
Certainty: 1 Grigor Vkayaser refused to serve under Philaretos, authorizing consecration of Sargis.
Certainty: 2 Marriage of Michael VII to Maria of Alania. The emperor Michael VII married Maria (of Alania), the daughter of Bagrat, ruler of the Iberians, who arranged for the marriage of a cousin to Isaakios Komnenos. She was presented by Andronikos Doukas, son of the kaisar Ioannes, with the precious stone he had been given by Khacatur, doux of Antioch, when Andronikos took him prisoner
Certainty: 1 Rebellion of Philaretos Brachamios in northern Syria / Mesopotamia. Philaretos Brachamios learned of the fate of Romanos IV, his benefactor, and was particularly affected by his blinding. He refused to accept the situation and revolted, seeking to capture Antioch. [Anna Komnene's contention that Romanos had made him domestikos is regarded as probably mistaken]. Philaretos gathered considerable forces, many of them Armenians, and fortified an almost impregnable mountainous area. He refused to submit to Michael VII, and appropriated imperial land for himself