Certainty: 2 Onset of mortal illness of Alexios I. Less than six months after his previous illness he was attacked by another, probably caused by exhaustion and anxiety. The main symptom was an extreme difficulty in breathing. Eirene Doukaina summoned the best doctors and demanded that they examine him closely and report in detail. They could not agree on anything but the obvious seriousness of the situation. His inability to breathe in any position meant that he could not sleep, while eating, even taking medicine, became increasingly difficult. No medicine brought relief for long. Eirene tried constantly and desperately to make him comfortable, without success. He was moved to the south-facing part of the palace and then to the Mangana, for movement brought some relief. Eirene was driven to rely on divine aid, praying fervently herself, and enlisting by her alms the supplications of thousands of others. His stomach and feet swelled up, as did his throat, raising the spectre of starvation. Anna, responsible for food, had to provide it in an easily digestible form. This awful situation lasted eleven days, completely dominating the lives of all involved. As they reached the fateful August 15, all were trying to make sure that Eirene herself got some food and sleep, for she had been totally absorbed in her nursing. They were supported by Alexios himself, who with his last speech to her told her to think of herself, and he was assisted by their daughter Eudokia
Certainty: 2 Authentification of the document containing the delimitation of the proasteion of Docheiariou at Rouseou.
Certainty: 3 Deathbed scene of Alexios I. There were three principal doctors, Nikolaos Kallikles, Michael Pantechnes and Michael the eunuch. Alexios' daughter Maria was seated by his head, giving him water and sprinkling rosewater over him. Anna herself was consumed by her sorrow, but trying to play a medical role. Alexios was moving in and out of consciousness, and Eirene was little better. Ioannes at this stage realised that a crisis had come, and had left to pursue his ambitions. The doctors would not exclude the possibility of recovery, and the family were unsure what to believe. Eirene and Anna decided to begin the funeral dirge, but Anna felt some pulse. Then she realised that Alexios was finally dying and she turned away. Eirene let out a shriek, removed her empress' veil and cut off her hair. She had appropriate black shoes, but no black dress: her daughter Theodora could easily supply one. At this point Alexios had clearly died, and all were overcome with wild grief. Anna and her mother were both distraught with mourning, yet each pretended to be recovering so as to encourage the other, thus reaching a kind of consolation. Anna at the end of her book wondered why she had been spared while her father had died. She was also forced to remember the other sufferings she had to bear later, the deaths of her mother Eirene and her husband Nikephoros
Certainty: 3 Death of Alexios I, accession of Ioannes II Komnenos. When Alexios lay dying in the Mangana monastery, Ioannes, who knew of his mother's hostility, entered his father's chamber when she was not looking and (with or without his connivance) took the signet ring from his finger. He then gathered supporters and moved towards the Great Palace. Ioannes Axouch was the chief of his supporters. Eirene was amazed, but could not persuade Bryennios to make a bid for power, or make Alexios stop Ioannes taking over before his father's death. Alexios smiled, as ever a dissembler. Anna first bullied the doctors, then took a full part in the mourning. Ioannes removed the palace gates to get in, then collected supporters, with some looters shut in when the gates were replaced. Alexios died and was buried at his own monastery of Christos Philanthropos, Ioannes refusing to come to the funeral because his power was not yet secure. This was the first of many family losses for Eirene. Ioannes was later to stress that his accession was in accordance with his father's last wish
Certainty: 2 Birth of Manuel (I). Manuel's birth, at approximately (or exactly?) the moment when his father was succeeding to the throne, was regarded as a good omen for his own succession