page_title: Byzantine Empire under the Doukas dynasty
section_title: Romanos Diogenes
hierarchical_section_title: Byzantine Empire under the Doukas dynasty / Romanos Diogenes
caption_attribution_description: English: Romanus IVCoin Русский: монета Романа IV Диогена. фотография
context_page_description: The Byzantine Empire was ruled by emperors of the Doukas dynasty between 1059 and 1081. There are six emperors and co-emperors of this period: the dynasty's founder, Emperor Constantine X Doukas, his brother John Doukas, katepano and later Caesar, Romanos IV Diogenes, Constantine's son Michael VII Doukas, Michael's son and co-emperor Constantine Doukas, and finally Nikephoros III Botaneiates, who claimed descent from the Phokas family.
  Under the rule of the Doukids, Byzantium was fighting a losing battle against the Seljuk Turks, losing most of its remaining possessions in Asia Minor following the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.
  Byzantium also incurred substantial loss of territory in the Balkans, to the Serbs, as well as losing its final foothold in Italy, to the Normans.
  Although the Crusades gave the empire a temporary respite during the 12th century, it never recovered fully and eventually entered its period of fragmentation and terminal decline under the pressure of the Ottomans in the late medieval period.
  In 1077, Alexios Komnenos, then a general, married Irene Doukaina, the great-niece of Constantine X.
context_section_description: Romanos Diogenes was  convicted of attempting to usurp the throne of the sons of Constantine X Doukas in 1067, but he was pardoned by  the regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa, who chose him to be her husband and the guardian of her sons as emperor. Eudokia's decision was approved of by  Patriarch John Xiphilinos, as due to the Seljuk threat,  the army needed to be placed under the command of an able and energetic general. The Senate agreed, and on January 1, 1068 Romanos married the empress and was crowned Emperor of the Romans. Romanos IV was now the senior emperor and guardian of his stepsons and junior co-emperors, Michael VII, Konstantios Doukas, and Andronikos Doukas.
  The first military operations of Romanos took place in 1068 and did achieve a measure of success, although the Byzantine province of Syria came under threat by the Saracens of Aleppo who established themselves at Antioch. Plans for the campaign season of 1069 were initially thrown into chaos by a rebellion by one of Romanos' Norman mercenaries, Robert Crispin, whose Frankish troops ravaged the Armeniac Theme even after Cripsin was captured and exiled to Abydos. At the same time, the land around Caesarea was again overrun by the Turks, forcing Romanos to spend precious time and energy in expelling the Turks from Cappadocia. Romanos managed to pacify the province, and marched towards the Euphrates via Melitene, crossing at Romanopolis, in the hope of retaking Akhlat on Lake Van to protect the Armenian frontier. The Turks were hemmed in within the mountains of Cilicia, but they managed to escape to Aleppo after abandoning their plunder. Romanos returned to Constantinople without the great victory he was hoping for.
  In 1070, Romanos was detained in Constantinople by administrative issues, and was unable to go on campaign himself. General Manuel Komnenos, nephew of the former emperor Isaac I, and elder brother to the future emperor Alexios was defeated and taken prisoner by a Turkish general named Khroudj. Manuel convinced Khroudj to go to Constantinople and see Romanos in person to conclude an alliance. This triggered an attack on the part of the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan, who managed to capture Manzikert and Archesh.
  Even while Romanos negotiated with Alp Arslan over the return of Manzikert, he marched at the head of a large army with the intent of recovering the fortress. This led to the fateful Battle of Manzikert of 26 August 1071. Romanos decided to divide his army, dispatching a part to attack Akhlat, while continuing to advance on Manzikert with the main body of the army. He did manage to recapture Manzikert, but became aware of the Seljuk army rapidly approaching. Romanos ordered the forces attacking Akhlat to rejoin him, but these unexpectedly came across another large Turkish army, forcing them to retreat back into Mesopotamia.
  Facing a superior force, Romanos was further weakened by his Uzes mercenaries deserting to the enemy. Arslan proposed a peace treaty with favourable terms for Romanos, but the emperor declined, hoping for a decisive military victory. The battle lasted all day without either side gaining any decisive advantage, but as the emperor ordered a part of his centre to return to camp, the order was misunderstood and confusion ensued, which was taken advantage of by Andronikos Doukas, who commanded the reserves, and was the son of Caesar John Doukas, to betray Romanos. Claiming that the emperor was dead, Andronikos marched away from the battle with some 30,000 men who were supposed to cover the army's retreat.
  When Romanos became aware of what had happened, he tried to recover the situation by making a defiant stand, fighting valiantly even after his horse had been killed under him, but he was wounded in the hand, which prevented him from wielding a sword, and was soon taken prisoner. Arslan released the emperor against the substantial ransom of 1,500,000 nomismata, with a further 360,000 nomismata to be paid annually.
  In the meantime, the opposition faction scheming against Romanos IV decided to exploit the situation. The Caesar John Dou
caption: Copper follis of Romanos IV. The obverse shows Christ Pantokrator, while the reverse depicts a cross quartered with the letters ϹΒΡΔ for the motto Σταυρὲ σου βοήθει Ρωμανόν δεσπότην ("Thy Cross aid the Lord Romanos").[16]
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