William II of Sicily
In 1185 Theodore (Peter IV) and his younger brother Ivan Asen appeared before the Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos at Kypsela to request a "pronoia", but their request was dismissively refused and Ivan Asen was slapped in the ensuing argument. The insulted brothers returned home to Moesia and, taking advantage of discontent caused by the heavy taxation imposed by the Byzantine emperor to finance his campaigns against William II of Sicily and to celebrate his marriage to Margaret of Hungary, raised a revolt against Byzantine rule.