Certainty: 3 Ioannes II reached Constantinople on his return from Pontos. The emperor arrived back in Constantinople from Pontos in January or February
Certainty: 3 Ioannes II left the capital for Lopadion. Ioannes II left Constantinople for Lopadion at the spring equinox (around March 20)
Certainty: 1 Tzetzes wrote of problems over mules. Tzetzes had asked Alexios, nephew of the protovestiarios, for a mule, but was sent an unruly beast which he compared to a crude axe, with which he had chopped all his firewood and now returned with qualified thanks; he had arrived late for a dinner. Later he wrote again to Alexios, with the freedom the latter had conceded to him. He asked boldly for a placid mule, as he had to go to the ordination of one of his students as a deacon, and the streets were very muddy after rain. He also asked Alexios for incense. Over security: the incense was to be sent sealed, while Alexios should only hand over the mule if Ioannes' messenger showed a sample of his handwriting, so as to avoid losing the mule. Chrysobelones had pretended he needed a mule from the hegoumenos Kalliotes to visit his lawyer, but instead stole it and sold it
Certainty: 2 Roger II asked Ioannes II for an imperial bride for his son - but Ioannes' death intervened. Roger II of Sicily sent an embassy to Ioannes II Constantinople, seeking a Byzantine imperial bride for one of his sons. However before anything was achieved, Ioannes died. The request was repeated later
Certainty: 3 Kalyka became a metochion of Philotheou & a Kalyka property at Karyes became a monastery. Makarios, the hegoumenos of Kalyka on Athos, reached an agreement with Arsenios, the hegoumenos of Philotheou about his monastery of Kalyka, which was deserted, and its property at Karyes, called Taulas. The monastery was to become a metochion of Philotheou, while the property was to become a monastery of the Theotokos with Makarios himself as hegoumenos. Gabriel, the protos of Athos, four hegoumenoi (Barnabas of Docheiariou, Gregorios of Rabdouchou, Kallinikos of Phalakrou and Dorotheos of Neakitou) and Symeon, oikonomos of Athos, approved the arrangement. Gabriel sent the five others to oversee the transfer; they brought back the inventory of the monastery. Gabriel had asked Leontios, hegoumenos of Philadelphou, to draw up a document to record the terms of the transfer. He did so, and Gabriel and the five who had overseen the process signed it
Certainty: 3 Ioannes II returned to Constantinople after the summer. The emperor returned to the capital with the worsening of weather in the autumn
Certainty: 2 Castle of Ibelin built to provide defence against raids from Askalon. Despite the building of Beit Gibelin, raids from Askalon continued at a serious level; Fulk, William of Messines and the barons and bishops therefore set to to build another castle out of stones from ancient buildings: it was named Ibelin, and when complete it was given to Balian the elder, who took his name from the castle. He would harry the people of Askalon from there throughout the rest of his life, and his children, Hugh, Baldwin and Balian the younger, would continue the work after his death
Certainty: 2 Alexios Aristenos the nomophylax returned to Constantinople. Alexios Aristenos the nomophylax and protekdikos, who had been away as a provincial governor, returned to the capital and became orphanotrophos for the second time. He was welcomed by Theodoros Prodromos with a group of works in different kinds of prose and verse, and by an elaborate prose encomium from Nikephoros Basilakes. Both stress his broad education and eloquence, and celebrate his service in both the religious and legal spheres
Certainty: 2 Adrianos Komnenos left the capital to become archbishop of Bulgaria. Adrianos Komnenos, now as a monk Ioannes, had been one of the few consolations for Michael Italikos in the bleak intellectual landscape of Constantinople. He now left the capital to become archbishop of Bulgaria. Michael congratulated the Bulgarians on their new prelate, but would badly miss him
Certainty: 1 Cilician cities, retaken by Turks after withdrawal of Ioannes II, recovered by Thomas. After Ioannes II withdrew from Cilicia, the Turks took back the cities he had captured. However Ioannes made an aggressive gesture, causing the Turks to return the cities to Thomas, the Byzantine governor of Cilicia
Certainty: 1 Encomium of Ioannes Axouch by Nikephoros Basilakes. Nikephoros Basilakes wrote an encomium of Ioannes Axouch, calling him an icon of the prototype Ioannes II. He referred to the symbolism of the latter's leg wound in the defeat of the Pechenegs, and ended with a reference to the promised land, perhaps a planned journey to Jerusalem
Certainty: 1 Fragmentary text (by Basilakes?) mentions naval activity against Sicily. A fragment attributed to Nikephoros Basilakes described a revival of the Byzantine navy against Roger II, rather like that undertaken by Manuel I. However the description of the emperor's career would fit better with that of Ioannes II (though the differences are not conclusive). Roger was warned of the consequences of any attack. There is a reference to a close male colleague, who is probably Ioannes Axouch
Certainty: 1 Poems of Theodoros Prodromos to the learned monk Ioannikios. Theodoros Prodromos sent two hexameter poems to the learned monk Ioannikios. The first was a foreword to a book containing some of Ioannikios' schedographical exercises. The second was an apology for not visiting Ioannikios, as Theodoros had been ill
Certainty: 1 Poems of Theodoros Prodromos to Theodoros Stypeiotes. Theodoros Prodromos wrote a poem to Theodoros Stypeiotes, asking his help in two ways. First over information: Stypeiotes had as a student been an enthusiastic supporter of Prodromos' poetry, especially his encomia. But now that his former student travelled with the emperor and could send him useful information about victories, he did not. Second, over money: during the absence of the imperial party, Prodromos had very few potential paymasters in the city, and so had fallen into very serious poverty
Certainty: 1 Death of an unidentified logothetes & his sons, much mourned by his wife. An unidentified logothetes and his two sons died in quick succession. This threw his wife into complete despair, and she prayed to the Theotokos that they should meet again in heaven