Georgios Tornikes had been made a priest, on the way to becoming metropolitan of Ephesos, and he sent letters to three major imperial dignities, asking for their sympathy and help, without which his tenure could not be successful. They were Ioannes Kamateros, the logothetes of the dromos, Andronikos Doukas Kamateros, the sebastos and megas droungarios, and Theodoros Stypeiotes, the epi tou kanikleiou. He stressed that as a simple scholar he was unfit for the role he had to play, contrasting himself with his correspondents, central persons in Manuel I's administration; he was worried about the task he had undertaken but certain that he could not refuse it. He also sent his cousin Euthymios to prepare Ephesos for his arrival, entrusting him with three letters to local dignitaries: the metropolitan of Smyrna and Alexios Giphardos, the doux of Thrakesion, together with the latter's representative at Ephesos. They were all informed of his coming and asked to co-operate with Euthymios