A member of the Aspietes family, of noble Armenian origin, Alexios Aspietes was probably a relative of the generals Michael Aspietes and Constantine Aspietes, who were active in the late 12th century. Alexios Aspietes first appears in 1195, when he was governor of the town of Serres, and was ordered by Emperor Alexios III Angelos to march against the Bulgarian–Vlach rebellion of the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen. In the event, in the summer or autumn of the same year, Aspietes and his army were defeated by the rebels, who took many prisoners, including Aspietes himself.