Romanos reached Sebasteia, heard too late of the destruction of Ikonion, & sent troops to Cilicia to block the Turkish retreat

Summary:
While Romanos IV was at Herakleia, he learned the Turks had destroyed Ikonion but had not remained there, fearing he might pursue them. Thus he sent part of his army to Cilicia to join the forces of the doux Chatatourios, whom he had ordered to attack the Turks at Mopsuestia 
Dates:
1069 
Khacatur, doux of Antioch (Chatatourios 61)
  • Ordered by the emperor (Romanos 4) to march quickly to Mopsuestia in order to attack the Turks expected to march through there, his forces were joined by part of the army sent to Cilicia by Romanos (:) προδεξαμένῳ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς Μαψουεστίαν ἀπαντῆσαι ὡς τάχος Attaleiates: History 136.22-137.19 / 102.24-103.14
  • Ordered to reach quickly Mopsuestia to intercept the Turks (returning from their attack on Ikonion) he was then sent part of the emperor's army (Romanos 4) to join his forces in Cilicia, but the Turks heard of his whereabouts and escaped the danger (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 138.13-22
  • On learning that the Turks had already sacked Ikonion and were marching away in fear of his assault, Romanos 4 sent a detachment of Roman forces to him and commanded him to go to Mopsuestia and engage with the Turks as they passed through there (:) Zonaras 18.12.7
Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (Romanos 4)
  • While at Herakleia he learnt that the Turks destroyed Ikonion but did not remain there, fearing he might pursue them, and he sent part of his army to Cilicia to join the forces of Chatatourios 61 whom he had ordered to attack the Turks at Mopsuestia (:) ἀπόμοιραν μέν τινα τῶν ταγμάτων εἰς Κιλικίαν ἐξέπεμψεν Attaleiates: History 136.19-137.1 / 102.22-25
  • Advanced with his army through Koloneia and the Armenian themes to Sebasteia, where he learnt that the Turks had reached Pisidia and Lykaonia and were heading towards Ikonion, and marched behind them to the town of Herakles (Herakleia in Cappadocia) (:) σὺν τῷ στρατεύματι διελήλυθεν Attaleiates: History 136.13-19 / 102.17-22
  • Learnt at Herakleia (in Cappadocia) that the Turks had already destroyed Ikonion but then withdrew fearing his advance, and sent part of his army to join the doux of Antioch Chatatourios 61 in Cilicia in order to intercept the enemy in Mopsuestia (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 138.9-15
  • On arriving at Sebasteia and learning of the Turks' offensive against Iconium, himself also pressed his march behind them (:) Zonaras 18.12.6
  • On learning that the Turks had already sacked Ikonion and were marching away in fear of his assault, he sent a detachment of Roman forces to Chatatourios 61, doux of great Antioch (:) Zonaras 18.12.7
  • Commanded Chatatourios 61 him to go to Mopsuestia and engage with the Turks as they passed through there (:) Zonaras 18.12.7
  • Chatatourios 61 had received one of the highest commands from him when he was emperor (:) ἀρχήν τινα παρὰ τούτου τῶν μεγίστων λαβών, ὁπηνίκα βασιλεὺς ἦν Psellos: Chronographia VIIb 34.5-7