Attack of Istvan II to stop Byzantine support of Almos, a Hungarian pretender

Summary:
Long before, at the death of Laszlo I of Hungary and the succession of Istvan II, the latter's bother Almos had taken refuge in Byzantium, had been welcomed by Ioannes II and become a pretender to the Hungarian throne. Istvan now sent envoys to Ioannes to complain of bad treatment of Hungarian traders, but also (his more serious grievance) to demand that Almos should no longer be supported. When the embassy was unsuccessful, he crossed the Danube in the summer, captured Branicevo (or Belegrada), destroyed its walls and transferred the stones to build Zeugminon. He also ravaged Sardica 
Dates:
1127 
Álmos, brother of István II of Hungary (Almouzes 17001)
  • When [long before] his father Laszlo 51 died and his elder brother Stephanos 52 succeeded to the Hungarian throne, he took refuge with the emperor Ioannes 2 in Constantinople (:) φυγὰς ἐπὶ βασιλέα παραγίνεται Kinnamos 9.13-15
  • His arrival in Constantinople and welcome by Ioannes 2 was the real reason why his brother Stephanos 52 attacked across the Danube; the pretext was bad treatment of Hungarian traders (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 17.39-47
István II, king of Hungary (Stephanos 52)
  • Sent envoys to the emperor Ioannes 2, demanding that his brother Almouzes 17001 be driven out of Byzantium (:) Kinnamos 10.9-10
  • Crossed the Danube, attacked and captured Belegrada, destroyed it and moved the stone by water to build Zeugminon in Sirmium (:) Kinnamos 10.11-14
  • He attacked Byzantine lands because Almouzes 17001, his brother, had been welcomed as a pretender in Constantinople; Stephanos' pretext was that Hungarian traders had been disgracefully treated in Branicevo (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 17.39-77
  • He crossed the Danube in the summer, captured Branicevo, destroyed its walls and transferred the stones to build Zeugminon; he then ravaged Sardica (in the summer:περὶ δὲ θέρειον ὥραν) Niketas Choniates, Historia 17.39-42