Ioannes II lost Rason to the Serbs, punished its commander, but won a great victory

Summary:
Ioannes II achieved one of his greatest victories in Serbia. The Serbians had broken many treaties, and captured the fortress of Rason. The Byzantine commander of Rason, Kritop(ou)los, was punished for failure to stop the capture of the city by being paraded on a donkey in women's dress. Ioannes completely defeated the Serbs (whose military reputation was not high). He settled many prisoners in the area of Nikomedeia, adding to the army and to tax-registers 
Dates:
1123 
Kritoplos, Byzantine commander in Balkans (Anonymus 17019)
  • Failed to stop the Serbian capture of Rason, so he was paraded on a donkey in women's dress (:) Kinnamos 12.10 - 12.13
Emperor Ioannes II Komnenos (Ioannes 2)
  • He declared war on the Triballoi (Serbs), who had broken many treaties; he defeated them totally (they were poor fighters, always subject to neighbours), settling many prisoners in the area of Nikomedeia, adding to the army and tax-registers (:) κακουργοῦντος καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς συγχέοντος Niketas Choniates, Historia 16.15-24
  • The Serbian campaign was later to be counted as one of Ioannes' significant victories (:) νίκη ... Δαλματῖτις Prodromos, Historische Gedichte IV.272, V.26