Konstantinos IX, out of false economy, disbanded he powerful army of Iberia

Summary:
Konstantinos IX removed from the worthy troops of Iberia the public domains whose revenues they enjoyed, thus alienating his own allies. He sent Leon Serblias to disband the 50,000-strong army of Iberia by collecting taxes instead of soldiers from those regions, and invented even more unlawful ways of exacting money for dubious projects like the Mangana buildings. He turned allies into adversaries and benefited the Turks, his greediness leading to troubles in the east 
Dates:
1053 (Uncertain) 
Emperor Konstantinos IX Monomachos (Konstantinos 9)
  • Removed from the worthy troops of Iberia the public domains whose revenues they enjoyed, thus alienating his own allies, turning them into adversaries and benefitting the enemy, his greediness leading to troubles in Iberia (:) ὀψώνιον ἔχοντός τινας τῶν παρακειμένων δημοσίων χωρῶν, ἀφείλετο ταύτας ὁ βασιλεύς Attaleiates: History 44.18-45.2 / 34.5-10
  • Appointed impious and wretched public officials, sent Leon 111 Serblios to disband the 50,000-strong army of Iberia so that he might collect taxes instead of soldiers from those regions, and invented even more unlawful ways of exacting money (:) Skylitzes 476.49-54
  • Founded a monastery at Mangana on which he spent so lavishly that he had to make up for the lack of funds with all sorts of unlawful ways of exacting money, and disbanded the 50,000-strong army of Iberia in order to collect taxes instead of soldiers (:) διὰ τοῦτο καπηλείαν καὶ ἀτόπους εἰσπράξεις ἐφευρηκέναι Glykas 597.20-598.6
  • There were territories which did not pay tribute to the emperors, but instead garrisoned rough terrain and blocked off from the barbarians approach to territories subject to the Romans: he imposed taxes on the territories and relaxed the garrisons (:) Zonaras 17.27.19
  • Ordered Serblias (Leon 111) to impose taxes upon the inhabitants of Iberia and Mesopotamia and thus caused them to defect to the king of Persia (the caliph of Baghdad), which brought about many troubles to the empire (:) Kekaumenos 86.1-9
Leon Serblias (Leon 111)
  • Ordered by Monomachos (Konstantinos 9) to impose taxes upon the inhabitants of Iberia and Mesopotamia, he went there and executed the order, but as a result they defected to the king of Persia (caliph of Baghdad) causing much trouble to the empire (:) ἀναγράψασθαι καὶ ἐπιθεῖναι τέλη Kekaumenos 86.2-9
  • Was sent by Konstantinos 9 to disband the 50,000-strong army of Iberia so that the emperor might collect taxes instead of soldiers from those regions (:) Skylitzes 476.49.54