Certainty: 1 Eirene the sebastokratorissa imprisoned in the Great Palace. In the first phase of the first round of imprisonment, she was held as a prisoner in the Great Palace where she had flourished as the wife of the sebastokrator Andronikos [this phase may have been brief, as it is not mentioned in all the lists of her troubles]
Certainty: 1 The preacher Niphon was punished for heresy. He was a man with little secular education, but great knowledge of religion. He taught widely, but his teaching was heretical in the eyes of the patriarch Michael II Kourkouas, who had him condemned by a synodal decision. He had his beard shaven and was fettered at the ankles and imprisoned. However, when Michael was no longer patriarch, Niphon began to recover his position
Certainty: 1 Eirene the sebastokratorissa transferred to detention on the island of Prinkipo. From the Great Palace the place of imprisonment for Eirene the sebastokratorissa became the island of Prinkipo, like a ship at sea
Certainty: 1 Tzetzes lamented the absence from the capital of Alexios, nephew of the protovestiarios. Alexios, nephew of the protovestiarios, was living away from the capital. Tzetzes wrote that he was missing him badly, because his absence not only deprived him of a good friend, but also of the delights of an estate at Bathys Ryax, the Acheiropoietos monastery, and travel by mule. He wanted Alexios to return
Certainty: 2 Baldwin III recovered the Valley of Moses fortress. In the first year of his reign Baldwin III heard that the Valley of Moses fortress in far Transjordan had been captured by Turks. Despite his youth, he levied troops, crossed the valley of the Dead Sea, and climbed to reach the castle, into which the whole population had withdrawn. The place was attacked, but proved very strong. Despairing of storming the fortress, Baldwin and his advisors saw that the area was full of olive trees, and began to destroy them. The locals despaired, and made terms: the Turks they called in should be allowed depart safely, and they themselves should not suffer death for their revolt. Thus Baldwin's first campaign was successful
Certainty: 2 A successful expedition was sent under 4 generals to take revenge on Raymond of Antioch. Manuel I decided to take revenge on Raymond of Poitiers, prince of Antioch, for the indignities suffered by Ioannes II in his expeditions to Syria. The force he sent had four generals: three led the land army, Andronikos and Ioannes Kontostephanos, together with Prosouch. On land, they soon recovered lost Byzantine fortresses and advanced to Antioch, where Raymond was was surprised while scouting, defeated and pursued back to his gates. The Byzantine army then withdrew. By sea, Demetrios Branas plundered the coast, causing great destruction, burning ships and taking captives, including a financial official. Branas put to sea before Raymond arrived, and after a final destructive raid they withdrew to Cyprus
Certainty: 2 Usama arrived in Cairo.
Certainty: 2 'Imad al-Din Zanki besieged & captured Edessa. 'Imad al-Din Zanki decided to attack Edessa. He gathered a huge army, and was also able to exploit a quarrel between Raymond of Antioch and count Joscelin of Edessa, which had reached open enmity, and made both less active than they should have been in Edessa's defence. Joscelin had also shifted his residence from the old capital of the county to Tell Beshir. The defenders of Edessa were Armenians and Syrians, with few Latins, protected by strong walls and ill-paid mercenaries. Zanki was able to gather his forces and surround Edessa with little interference, and mounted an effective siege, so that the inhabitants began to starve. News of the impending disaster spread everywhere among Christians. At Jerusalem, queen Melisende called a meeting of her council, and a strong force was sent to help, under the command of Manasses the royal constable, Philip of Nablus and Elinandus of Tiberias. Zanki's men were encouraged in assaulting the massive walls by the fact that there was little real defence. He was particularly successful in mining a large length of wall, which collapsed, leaving a huge breach. Zanki's men burst in and began a general massacre, and the confusion was such that it was impossible to take refuge in the inner citadel, where many (including Hugh the city's archbishop) were crushed to death. Hugh was regarded by many as part of the cause of the disaster, since he was a rich miser, unwilling to spend anything on the city's defence. Thus while Raymond pursued his personal vendetta and Joscelin waited for external assistance, Zanki became master of one of the oldest cities in Christendom, and her people perished miserably
Certainty: 1 Alexandros the sebastos died, & Tzetzes wrote an iambic epitaph. Alexandros the sebastos was an important man unknown to Tzetzes, and had never noticed him when his grand procession passed him as a pedestrian in the street. Yet when Alexandros died and Gregorios Zabareiotes wrote asking Tzetzes for an iambic epitaph, he felt a kind of gratitude and immediately composed it, though he was very busy. He also wrote to Gregorios exploring his motives for this
Certainty: 1 Tzetzes consoled Leon Charsianites on the death of his mother. Tzetzes wrote to Leon Charsianites to console him on the death of his mother. He said this was a comparatively easy task, since his mother had lived a full life, but did not suffer the unpleasantnesses which often afflict the dying as the result of old age
Certainty: 0 Radulf of Domfront escaped to Rome, was partly vindicated, but died. Radulf remained imprisoned for a long time in the monastery of St Symeon, but finally escaped, and succeeded in reaching Rome; there he was again able to gain some credibility with the Roman curia. But as he was preparing to return to Syria, he died, amid the regular rumours of poison. Before he died, he was seen by William of Tyre