While in Bithynia, on campaign with the emperor Romanos IV against the Turks, he contracted an ear-ache and died, causing great grief to both the emperor and his Turkish ally Erisgen, who all but died with him. On his deathbed in the monastery of Theotokos Alypos at the foot of Mount Azalas he received his mother Anna Dalassene, embraced her, asking to be buried with her, and died shortly after