Determination of Ioannes II to continue his campaign to Antioch & visit Jerusalem

Summary:
Despite the terrible blows of the deaths of Alexios and Andronikos, his two eldest sons, Ioannes went on from Attaleia towards the Armenian lands and Antioch with his youngest son Manuel, though he had already been away from the capital for a full year. Ostensibly his purpose was the better organisation of the Armenian cities captured earlier; however, the real motive was to join Antioch to Constantinople and then go on to Jerusalem, see the Holy Places and make gifts, and cleanse the area of barbarians. Most sources include a hint of this, and William of Tyre described an elaborate diplomatic exchange with Jerusalem, in which Ioannes proposed to visit Jerusalem. King Fulk sent a guarded response via Anselm, bishop of Bethlehem, Geoffrey, abbot of the Temple and Rohard, castellan of Jerusalem. Ioannes finally gave up the idea because he would only be able to take ten thousand troops with him on account of the lack of provisions. Manuel is even said to have planned to make Cilicia and Antioch with Attaleia and Cyprus into a "portion" for Manuel. Because of such ulterior motives, he tried every trick to have the Latins concede to him the lordship of Antioch, or if not (he knew of their bloody-mindedness), to win the loyalty of the Cilicians and Syrians 
Dates:
1142 
Anselm, bishop of Bethlehem (Anselm 102)
  • He was sent as an envoy from Fulk 4001 to Ioannes 2, to tell him that Jerusalem could not feed an army of more than 10,000 of his men (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.8-21
Fulk V, count of Anjou, king of Jerusalem (Fulk 4001)
  • On receiving the request ofIoannes 2 to bring his army to Jerusalem, he consulted advisers and replied that his kingdom was too small to feed so many, who would suffer from famine: but he would welcome Ioannes with 10,000 men; the message was sent with Anselm 102, Geoffrey 102 and Rohard 101 (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.8-21
Geoffrey, abbot of the Temple (Geoffrey 102)
  • He was sent as an envoy from Fulk 4001 to Ioannes 2, to tell him that Jerusalem could not feed an army of more than 10,000 of his men (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.8-21
Emperor Ioannes II Komnenos (Ioannes 2)
  • Embarked on a second campaign to Armenia and Antioch, but was unable to reach Jerusalem and see the holy places he wished to visit because of a hunting accident which caused him to spend 18 days in pain (before dying) (on Monday March 22 of the 6th indiction: εἰς τὴν κβ´ τοῦ μαρτίου μηνός, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δευτέρᾳ, ) τοῦ βέλους καὶ τοῦ κυνηγίου ἀνέλπιστον περασμόν Kleinchroniken 57.2
  • Despite the terrible blow of the death of Alexios 103, he was determined to continue his campaign in Syria, and indeed to complete it with a visit to the holy places in Jerusalem (:) Italikos 288.16-289.23
  • Reference in an encomium of Ioannes 293 to a visit to the promised land may mean that an imperial pilgrimage to Jerusalem was being planned (:) Basilakios, Orationes et epistulae 91.13-15
  • Despite the loss of Alexios 103 and Andronikos 109, he showed no sign of flinching in his determination to continue the campaign without returning home, though he had been away for a year; he went on to Isauria and Syria with Manuel 1 (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 38.20-39.28
  • His ostensible reason for going to Syria was the better ordering of the Armenian cities captured before; the real motive was to join Antioch to Constantinople and then go on to Jerusalem, see the Holy Places and make gifts, and cleanse the area of barbarians (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 39.29-36
  • Hearing that Raymond 17001 (of Poitiers) was in revolt, he went straight to Cilicia, with the idea of making Cilicia and Antioch with Attaleia and Cyprus into a ‘portion’ for his son Manuel 1 (:) εἰς κλῆρον ἀποδώσεσθαι τῷ Μανουήλ Kinnamos 22.22-23.3
  • He sent a very noble embassy to Fulk 4001 in Jerusalem, concealing the fact that his major goal remained Antioch; he said that if the Christians agreed, he would go to Jerusalem for prayer and worship, and gladly offer his aid against the local enemies (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.1-8
  • He received an answer from Fulk 4001 via Anselm 102, Geoffrey 102 and Rohard 101, that he was welcome to come to Jerusalem, provided he restricted his army to 10,000 troops; he was used to travelling in greater state than that, and so he decided to refuse (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.8-25
Ioannes Axouch, megas domestikos (Ioannes 293)
  • Reference in an encomium of Axouch to a visit to the promised land may mean that a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was being planned by Ioannes 2 (:) Basilakios, Orationes et epistulae 91.13-15
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • He moved on to Isauria and Syria with Ioannes 2, who was utterly determined not to let the loss of Alexios 103 and Andronikos 109 stop him from completing his duty there, though he had been away from home a full year (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 38.23-39.28
Rohard, castellan of Jerusalem (Rohard 101)
  • He was sent as an envoy from Fulk 4001 to Ioannes 2, to tell him that Jerusalem could not feed an army of more than 10,000 of his men (:) William of Tyre bk. 15, 21.8-21