Manuel sent a large punitive fleet to Sicily & marched himself: but he had to face a Cuman invasion

Summary:
When Manuel I heard of the raid on Greece by the admiral of Roger II, he was deeply troubled. After consulting widely, he decided to start a major war with Roger, which was likely to last many years like those of the emperors of the past. He prepared a gigantic fleet of up to a thousand ships and a large army numbered in the tens of thousands; the fleet was put under the command of the megas doux Stephanos Kontostephanos, while the chief of the army commanders was Ioannes Axouch, the megas domestikos. The Cumans had crossed the Danube and were ravaging the area of Haimos 
Dates:
1148 
Ioannes Axouch, megas domestikos (Ioannes 293)
  • He was the most prominent of the commanders of the land army for the war of retaliation against Roger 17001 (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 77.34
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • Enraged at Roger 17001'’s raid during the Crusade, he prepared and sent a punitive force of 500 warships and 1,000 horse-transports and supply ships, marching himself by land; but at Philippopolis he was diverted by a ‘Scythian’ (Cuman) attack (:) στρατεύματα Σκυθικά Kinnamos 92.17-93.5
  • When he heard of the raid on Greece by Anonymus 765, admiral of Roger 17001, he was deeply troubled; after consulting widely, he decided to start a major war with Roger, which was likely to last many years like those of the emperors of the past (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 76.1-12
  • He prepared a gigantic fleet of up to a thousand ships and a large army numbered in the tens of thousands; the fleet was put under the command of the megas doux Stephanos 17003, while the chief of the army commanders was Ioannes 293 (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 77.13-35
Stephanos Kontostephanos, brother-in-law of Manuel I, fleet commander (Stephanos 17003)
  • Commanded the fleet which left Constantinople in spring, but reached Adriatic only in autumn, either through headwinds or his inexperience; the Italian expedition was thus delayed (spring ... autumn: ἔαρος ... φθινούσης τῆς ὥρας) Kinnamos 96.11-22