Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century. He reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. Eager to restore his empire to its past glories, he pursued an energetic and ambitious foreign policy.
About Manuel I Komnenos in brief
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century. He reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean. Eager to restore his empire to its past glories, he pursued an energetic and ambitious foreign policy. His reign saw the last flowering of the Komnenian restoration, during which the Byzantine Empire had seen a resurgence of its military and economic power. But towards the end of his reign Manuel’s achievements in the east were compromised by a serious defeat at Myriokephalon, which in large part resulted from his arrogance in attacking a well-defended Seljuk position. In 1143 John II lay dying as a result of an infected wound; on his deathbed he chose Manuel as his successor, in preference to his elder surviving brother Isaac. Manuel is known to have inspired intense loyalty in those who served him. Modern historians, however, have been less enthusiastic about him. Some of them assert that the great power he wielded was not his own personal achievement, but that of the dynasty he represented. They also argue that, since Byzantine imperial power declined catastrophically after Manuel’s death, it is only natural to look for the causes of this decline in his reign. The most obvious change had occurred in the 7th century, when the soldiers of Egypt had taken the Muslim religion of Islam. In the time of Justinian I, eight centuries before Manuel, the empire had undergone great changes since the foundation of Constantinople by Constantine I. Manuel reshaped the political maps of the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean.
He placed the kingdoms of Hungary and Outremer under Byzantine hegemony and campaigned aggressively against his neighbours both in the west and in theEast. He also participated in a combined invasion of Fatimid Egypt. Manuel was influenced by his contact with western Crusaders, and enjoyed the reputation of \”the most blessed emperor of Constantinople\” in parts of the Latin world as well. He ordered the release of his most dangerous potential rival, his brother Isaac, who was living in the Great Palace with instant access to the imperial treasure and regalia. A few days later he entered the city of Constantinople and was crowned by the new patriarch, Michael Kourkoukou, with nothing more as his position as emperor was now secure. He then ordered the 2 golden pieces to be given to every household in Constantinople and every 200 pounds of gold to begiven to the Byzantine Church. He was the last Eastern Roman Emperor to attempt reconquests in the western Mediterranean, although unsuccessfully, to recover the interior of Anatolia from the Turks. His maternal grandfather was St. Ladislaus, and his maternal great-great-grandfather was John II of Hungary. He is the fourth son of John II Komneno and Irene of Hungary, so it seemed very unlikely that he would succeed his father. He died in 1143 and was acclaimed emperor by the armies. Yet his succession was by no means assured, and he recognised that it was vital he should return to the capital as soon as possible.
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