Total failure in attempted invasion of Italy

Summary:
When Manuel I discovered that the Sicilians were behind the combined attacks by Serbs and Hungarians, he sent a major offensive against southern Italy, while himself conducting a raid on Serbia. Ioannes Axouch was given a whole fleet and told to harry Italy from Ancona, but he stopped at the river Boöses in Albania. His delay was due to naval inexperience or Venetian influence, so that he achieved nothing apart from losing beached ships through negligence in a storm 
Dates:
1149 
Ioannes Axouch, megas domestikos (Ioannes 293)
  • Given a whole fleet and told to harry Italy from Ancona, he stopped at the river Boöses, through naval inexperience or Venetian influence and achieved nothing apart from losing beached ships through negligence in a storm (Around the autumn equinox [storm]:ἀμφὶ τροπὰς ... μετοπωρινάς) Kinnamos 102.1-18
Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (Manuel 1)
  • On land, Ouresis 17001 with Hungarian allies was bribed by Roger 17001 to revolt, so he ravaged Byzantine territory; Manuel equipped a fleet against Sicily, but took a part of the army to avenge himself on Serbia, hoping for surprise (:) Prodromos, Historische Gedichte XXX.188-229
  • Attacked Ouresis 17001 of Serbia, appointing Ioannes 293 (Axouchos) admiral to attack Ancona and harry Italy (Apulia) (:) Kinnamos 101.22-102.5
  • He was sailing in support of (?) the passage to Italy and had put in to the islet of Aeironesion (Sazan, at the mouth of the gulf on which Avlon stands) when a mighty storm sank some of his ships, grounded others and scattered the rest; he postponed the crossing of the Adriatic (:) Niketas Choniates, Historia 89.62-74