He prepared a careful typikon for the Pantokrator complex, founded together with Eirene 62, making detailed provision for its governance, the life of the monks, the memorial services which they were to hold and the revenues to be devoted to the foundation
Pantokrator Typikon 1-1673
The majority of Anonymi 6076 had sworn that they would accept none other than him as autokrator after his father (Alexios 1)
Had already reached manhood and long since been joined in marriage to the daughter (Eirene 62) of the Hungarian ruler (Laszlo 51) and become father of children (Anonymi 6072)
After the death of the porphyrogennetos (Konstantios 61), he was the legitimate pretender to the throne, by virtue of his belonging to the imperial families of Komnenos and Doukas
His death was the occasion for a detailed encomium in a strongly Christian framework: he was generous to the poor, did not inflict bodily punishments, and was the glory of the Komnenoi, surpassing or at least equalling all previous emperors; implied criticisms include extreme fastidiousness and parsimony
Niketas Choniates, Historia 46.57-47.85
The speech to him of Nikephoros 17003 was described and as it were indexed, in the latter's preface to his collected works
οἱονεὶ πίνακα. Basilakios, Orationes et epistulae 8.18-24
Having put Alexios 20110 at the head of the ecclesiatical establishment, he added an unseen army to Byzantine power, which now reached beyond the Tigris
ἑτέρου θειοτέρου στρατοῦ στρατηγόν σε καθίστησι .... Basilakios, Orationes et epistulae 24.4-25.3
Reigned for 24 and a half years
ἔτη κδ´ καὶ ἥμισυ. Glykas 459
Even the younger of his brothers (Isaakios 102) was devoted to him, but the other, that is Andronikos 108, was opposed to his brother and emperor
He was generous and pious, of medium height, of swarthy complexion, nicknamed "the Moor" even in the time of William 4001
cognomento dicitur etiam hodie Maurus. William of Tyre bk. 15, 16.37-38
His appearance in the triumph ceremonies for the capture of Kastamon is described in some detail
Prodromos, Historische Gedichte VI.154-172
Destroyer of Pechenegs
Σκυθολοιγέ. Prodromos, Historische Gedichte II.46
He was the eldest male child of Alexios 1 and his father's favourite; though Anna 62 was the firstborn of the family, Alexios planned to bequeath the empire to Ioannes
τῷ Ἰωάννῃ προσέκειτο. Niketas Choniates, Historia 5.88
As the warlike son of Alexios 1, he continued the revival of Byzantine fortunes from the bad times when the Turks threatened to capture Constantinople itself
The newborn boy was dark-skinned, with a broad forehead, somewhat thin cheeks, a nose that was neither snub nor aquiline, darkish eyes, and a vigorous disposition (so far as one may judge from a baby)
τὸ δὲ παιδίον μέλαν ἦν τὴν χροιάν, μέτωπον τούτῳ εὐρύ, παρειαὶ ὑπόξηροι, ῥὶς οὔτε σιμὴ οὔτε κάμπτουσα πρὸς τὸ γρυπόν, ἀλλὰ μέση πως ἀμφοῖν· .... Anna Komnene 185.41-45