#AlexiosI

[whencyclopedia]

Manuel I Komnenos

Manuel I Komnenos was emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1143 to 1180 CE. Manuel continued the ambitious campaigns of his grandfather Alexios I and father John II to aggressively expand the boundaries of his empire. Manuel turned out to be more ambitious than his armies could support and, despite useful treaties and marriage alliances, he ultimately came unstuck with a failed invasion of Italy and then a serious defeat at the hands of the Seljuks in Asia Minor.

Succession

Manuel inherited the throne of the Byzantine Empire when the reign of his father John II Komnenos came to an unexpected end following the emperor's death in a freak hunting accident on 8 April 1143 CE. Manuel was actually the younger son, but two of his brothers had already died tragically of fever, and John had passed over his elder son Isaac, deeming him unsuitable to rule as he was too easily made angry. John had named Manuel as his successor a few days before he died in Cilicia and the new emperor had been at his father's side. Manuel's immediate problem was to get back to Constantinople before his brother Isaac got any ideas of simply taking the throne by force.

Fortunately, Manuel had an invaluable ally who would ensure his first few months as emperor went smoothly. This was John Axoukh, megas domestikos or supreme commander of the army during John II's reign. While Manuel dealt with the funeral arrangements of his father, Axouh dashed off to Constantinople and had Isaac arrested; the Church too was offered a generous annual payment to support the rightful heir. By the time Manuel arrived at his capital a new Patriarch (bishop) had been appointed, and a coronation ceremony was held. Isaac was later released in a typical act of clemency.

The historian J. J. Norwich gives the following character description of Byzantium's new emperor:

First, he was outstandingly handsome; secondly, there was a charm of manner, a love of pleasure and an enjoyment of life that stood out in refreshing contrast to John's high-principled austerity. Yet there was nothing shallow about him. A fine soldier and superb horseman, he was, perhaps, too headstrong to be quite the general that his father had been, but there could be no doubting his energy and courage. A skilful diplomat and a born statesman, he remained the typical Byzantine intellectual, cultivated in both the arts and the sciences. (274-5)

One less appreciative section of Byzantine society was the Church. Like many emperors before him, Manuel took a keen interest in ecclesiastical matters, but the Church hierarchy saw this as meddling and was not enamoured either by his overtures to the Popes or the invitation to visit Constantinople he extended to the Seljuk Sultan. In addition, Manuel's reputation as a ladies' man did not go unnoticed. Fortunately for the Church elders, Manuel would spend most of his reign campaigning in every single corner of his empire.

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[egglantine23]

Ok so I need to vent about something here. I've been playing assassin's Creed: Odyssey and I have two complaints that make me angry.

1) WHY ARE THERE CACTI IN ANCIENT GREECE!!!! Cacti are a plant that almost exclusively grows in the Americas and at the time of ancient Greece why do the islands have cacti.

2) I don't really know how to feel about how they portray Persephone and Hades relationship. So I have stoped calling Persephone, Persephone and have instead been calling her bitch

3) I want more quest lines with Cassandra / alexiosis family. It's like you finish the main quest line then they're just lieutenants. That's it. I want family drama! I want Cassandra alexios and stentor to have a awesome sibling bonding adventure! I feel like the main character and Nikolaos need a better story together! AND WORT OF ALL WAS MYRRINE she was a badass mom and now that the story is over she is shoved to the side never to be seen again.

In summary my love floral culture has stained one of my favorite games. Persephone is a bitch and the game really likes to remind you that she is a prisoner and that Hades is the worst husband ever. And finally the family is an underutilized part of the game and we need some side quests with them they would be so much fun.