Turks requested peace from Romanos IV as he drew up his army, but he decided to attack

Summary:
Even at this late stage, the sultan Alp Arslan sent envoys to Romanos to treat for peace. The emperor did not receive them very courteously, and sent them back spitefully to their master to ask him to move his camp. He made the mistake of giving them a cross, as a token of safe-conduct, thus giving his enemy a sign of victory before the battle. Yet Romanos was persuaded by some of his advisors to reject as deceitful and disadvantageous the peace proposals of the sultan's envoys who had just left, assuming that Alp Arslan was trying to buy time. He was encouraged to go to war and, before the envoys had a chance to return, gave the unreasonable order to open hostilities 
Dates:
1071 
Alp Arslan, Seljuk Sultan (Alp Arslan 51)
  • Sent envoys (Anonymi 103) to the emperor (Romanos 4) to sue for peace (:) πρέσβεις ἧκον ἐκ τοῦ σουλτάνου Attaleiates: History 159.10-12 / 118.18-19
  • Sent envoys (Anonymi 103) to the emperor (Romanos 4 at Mantzikert) to sue for peace, but his forces were subsequently attacked while discussions about the emperor's conditions were still being held (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 147.24-25
  • Romanos 4 did not receive his ambassadors (Anonymi 103) at all courteously, but did join in conversation with them and bid them return to him (:) Zonaras 18.14.4
  • Ambassadors (Anonymi 103) came from him [to Romanos 4] to discuss peace (:) Zonaras 18.14.3
  • Anonymi 103 reported the emperor (Romanos 4)'s words to him, and he took counsel with his advisers (Anonymi 6046) about the peace terms (:) Zonaras 18.14.6
  • He sent a messenger to Romanos 4, asking for a truce, but the latter spitefully turned down his proposal; at this, Alp Arslan became upset, asked God for victory against the Byzantines and called his soldiers to holy war: they answered his call (:) راسله في ذلك فأجابه هيهات لا هدنة الا بالري و لا بد ان أفعل ببلادك ما فعلت ببلادي Ibn Shaddad 323
  • When he met Romanos 4 at al-Zahra' and knew that the latter had with him a huge army, while he had only 15,000 soldiers, he resolved to make peace with him (:) التقى بالملك أرمانوس على الزهراء وهو في عدد لا يمكن إحصاؤه ولم يكن مع السلطان غير خمسة عشر ألفاً ... رأى ان يصالحه Ibn Shaddad 323-324
envoys of Alp Arslan to Romanos IV (Anonymi 103)
  • Neither awaiting their return nor considering anything else Romanos 4 ordered the trumpeters (Anonymi 6046) to sound the battle-cry (:) Zonaras 18.14.7
associates of Romanos IV at Mantzikert (Anonymi 104)
  • The sultan's envoys (Anonymi 103) had not yet returned (to Mantzikert) with their response when they persuaded the emperor (Romanos 4) to renounce peace, claiming that the sultan (Alp Arslan 51) was trying to buy time while awaiting reinforcements (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 148.9-14
Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (Romanos 4)
  • Persuaded by some of his advisors (Anonymi 104) to reject as deceitful and disadvantageous the peace proposals of the sultan's envoys who had hardly left (Anonymi 103), he was encouraged to go to war and gave the unreasonable order to open hostilities (:) σαλπίσας τὸ ἐνυάλιον τὸν μόθον παραλόγως ἐκράτησε Attaleiates: History 160.8-18 / 119.8-16
  • Meantime ambassadors (Anonymi 103) came from the sultan (Alp Arslan 51) to discuss peace. Did not receive the ambassadors (Anonymi 103) at all courteously, but did join in conversation with them and bid them return to their lord (Alp Arslan 51) (:) Zonaras 18.14.4
  • Neither awaiting the return of the ambassadors (Anonymi 103), nor considering anything else he ordered the trumpeters to sound the battle-cry (:) Zonaras 18.14.7
  • Gave to the sultan's envoys (Anonymi 103) the sign of veneration (a cross) so that by producing it they might return to him safe with the sultan's response to his demands, but was wrong in entrusting the sign of victory to the enemy before a battle (:) τὸ προσκυνούμενον σημεῖον αὐτοῖς ἐπιδέδωκεν Attaleiates: History 159.14-160.4 / 118.21-119.5
  • Received the sultan's envoys (Anonymi 103) not very courteously but spoke to them according to the rules of embassies and, emboldened by their request for peace, demanded that the sultan (Alp Arslan 51) encamp further away and come to him to negociate (:) τῷ ἀνελπίστῳ τοῦ μηνύματος ἐπαρθείς Attaleiates: History 159.12-22 / 118.19-119.2
  • Gave a cross to the sultan's envoys (Anonymi 103) so that, by producing it, they may return safely (to the Roman camp at Mantzikert) with the sultan (Alp Arslan 51)'s response to his demands (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 147.27-148.2
  • The sultan's envoys (Anonymi 103) had not yet returned with their response when he was persuaded by some of his associates (Anonymi 104) to renounce peace, claiming that the sultan (Alp Arslan 51) was trying to buy time while awaiting reinforcements (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 148.9-14
  • After this boastful conversation with the ambassadors (Anonymi 103) he ordered them to return at once (:) Zonaras 18.14.5
  • Anonymi 103 reported his words to the sultan (Alp Arslan 51), who took counsel with his advisers (Anonymi 6046) about the peace terms (:) Zonaras 18.14.6
  • Was over-arrogant and persuaded by certain of his intimates (Anonymi 104) who told him that the sultan (Alp Arslan 51) was afraid as he was not leading a battleworthy force, and was seeking peace so as to defer the battle and bring in another force (:) Zonaras 18.14.7
  • Bid Anonymi 103 report to Alp Arslan 51, "If he wishes to discuss treaties, let him leave the place in which he is camped and move somewhere further, so that I can pitch camp with the Roman army where the encampment of the barbarians now is" (:) Zonaras 18.14.4
  • Emboldened by the sultan (Alp Arslan 51)'s request for peace, he demanded that the Turkish camp be moved away so that the Roman camp may be pitched there, before any peace agreement, and thus granted victory to the enemy out of haughtiness (:) Skylitzes Continuatus 148.2-9
  • When a messenger came to him from Alp Arslan 51, asking for a truce, he spitefully refused and threatened to devastate the Muslim territory in the same way as Alp Arslan had done to his country (:) راسله في ذلك فأجابه هيهات لا هدنة الا بالري ولا بد ان أفعل ببلادك ما فعلت ببلادي Ibn Shaddad 323