Person Page - 1825

     GAV-23 GKJ-23.

; This noblemand had been concerned in the rebellion of the barons against John.¹

     Thomas de Astley married Maud de Camville, daughter of Walter de Camville.¹

      ; "Thomas de Astley, who holding certain lands of the Honour of Leicester, became a kind of bailiff to Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, "as may be see," says Dugdale, "by a fine of four score marks and a palfrey , to the king, in 9th John [ca 1207], to be discharged of the profits required of him for that earl's lands, during the time he had to do with them." In the 12th of King John (ca 1210], this Thomas Astley paid 100 marks to the crown, to be excused going beyond the sea: Dugdale supposes in an expedition to Ireland. In the 17th of the same reign, he was committed prisoner to Bedford Castle, and had his lands seized for his participation in the rebellion of the barons; but returning to his allegiance, he was reinstated in his territorial possessions, in the 1st year of Henry III., and in two years afterwards he was constituted a commissioner for restoring to the crown all the demesnes of which King John was possessed at the beginning of his wars with the barons, etc. This feudal lord m. Maud, one of the sisters and co-heirs of Roger de Camvill, of Creeke, co. Northampton, and was s. by his son."¹ GAV-24. Thomas de Astley was living between 1210 and 1216.¹

     Maud de Camville married Thomas de Astley, son of Philip de Astley.¹

     GAV-24.

; Maud, one of the sisters and co-heirs of Roger de Camvill, of Creeke, co. Northampton.¹

     GAV-25.

      .¹

      ; "This noble family derived its surname from the manor of Astley (or Estley, as formerly written), in the county of Warwick, which, with other estates in that shire, belonged to the Astleys so far back as the reign of Henry I."¹ GAV-25. Philip de Astley was also known as Philip de Estley.¹

; "Philip de Estley, grandson of the first possessor, was certified upon the assessment of the aid towards the marriage portion of King Henry II's daughter, to hold three knight's fees of William Earl of Warwick, de valeri Feoffamento - by the service 'of laying handson the earl's stirrup when he did get upon, or alight from horseback.¹'"

      ; ancestor of the Astleys of Wolvey.¹

     William Raleigh died circa 1420; "died a minor, 8 Henry V.¹

     Joan Raleigh married Gerard Braybroke
; her 1st husband.¹ Joan Raleigh married Edward Bromflete
; her 2nd husband.¹

     John 'the Younger' Grey Esq., of Kempston and Barwell, co. Leicester married Elizabeth (?) before 5 February 1434.^7,3,4,5

John 'the Younger' Grey Esq., of Kempston and Barwell, co. Leicester died in 1447.³
      ; van de Pas cites: Cahiers de Saint Louis , Dupont, Jacques and Saillot, Jacques, Reference: 898.³

     Eleanor de Grey married William Lucy Esq., of Charlecote, co. Warwick.^1,2

     Joan de Aston married Sir Roger Draycot Knt., of Paynesley, Staffordshire, son of John Draycott and Agnes Gascoigne.^1,2,3,4
Joan de Aston was born circa 1402.⁴
      ; van de Pas cites: Pedigree, Draycott of Paynsley Descent from Hugh de Draycott , O'Connor, Robert.⁴ Joan de Aston was also known as Joan Aston.⁴

     Sir Roger Draycot Knt., of Paynesley, Staffordshire married Joan de Aston, daughter of Sir Roger de Aston Knt., of Tixall and Brocton, Staffordshire and Joyce Freville.^1,5,3,6
Sir Roger Draycot Knt., of Paynesley, Staffordshire was born circa 1400.³
      ; van de Pas cites: 1. Pedigree, Draycott of Paynsley Descent from Hugh de Draycott , O'Connor, Robert
2. The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies of the United, States; Baltimore, 2004, Roberts, Gary Boyd, Reference: 505.³

     Elizabeth/Isabel de Aston married Richard Bagot of Blythefield.^1,2

     Petronilla/Pernel de Aston married Richard Biddulph.^1,2

     John de Vescy Baron Vescy married Isabelle de Brienne, daughter of Louis "d'Acre" de Brienne Vcte de Beaumont-au-Maine and Agnes de Beaumont Vcts de Beaumont-au-Maine, in 1279.²

John de Vescy Baron Vescy died in 1289; dsp, succeeded by his brother.^1,2

     William de Aton died; dvp, without heir.¹

     Sir Ralph Mainwaring of Cheshire married Amicia de Meschines, daughter of Hugh "of Kevelioc" de Meschines (?) 5th Earl of Chester, Vicomte d'Avranche, before 1181.^3,2,4

     GAV-22 EDV-22. Sir Ralph Mainwaring of Cheshire was also known as Ralph de Meisnilwarin of Cheshire.¹ Sir Ralph Mainwaring of Cheshire was also known as Sir Ralph le Mesnilwarin Knt.^3,5

      ; a rival claimant to the throne in the reigns of Michael VII and Botaniates.¹

     Konstantinos/Constantine X Ducas Emperor of Byzantium married NN Dalassena, daughter of Konstantinos Dalassenos,
;
His 1st wife.² Konstantinos/Constantine X Ducas Emperor of Byzantium married Evdokia Makrembolites, daughter of Ioannes Makrembolites and (?) Keroulalrios, before 1050
;
His 2nd wife; her 1st husband.^1,2,4,5
Konstantinos/Constantine X Ducas Emperor of Byzantium died in 1067.²
      ; Per Genealogy.EU: "A1. Konstantinos X Dukas, Emperor of Byzantium (1059-67), +1067; 1m: a dau.of Konstantinos Dalassenos; 2m: before 1050 Eudokia Makrembolitissa (+1096.)²"

; Emperor of Byzantium.^1,2

     Evdokia Makrembolites was born circa 1021.³ She married Konstantinos/Constantine X Ducas Emperor of Byzantium, son of Andronikos/Andronicus Ducas and (?) Skleraina, before 1050
;
His 2nd wife; her 1st husband.^4,5,1,3 Evdokia Makrembolites married Romanus IV Diogenes Emperor of Byzantium on 1 January 1068
;
His 2nd wife; her 2nd husband.^4,6,3
Evdokia Makrembolites died in 1096.⁵
Evdokia Makrembolites died in 1096.^1,3
     Reference: Genealogics cites: Europäische Stammtafeln, J.A. Stargardt Verlag, Marburg, Schwennicke, Detlev (Ed.) 2:178.³

; Per Med Lands: "EVDOKIA Makrembolitissa (-1096). Psellus names "Eudocia" as wife of Emperor Konstantinos[440]. The Historia of Mikhael Attaliota records that "vestiarius Constantinus Ducas" married "neptis patriarchæ [Kerularii]"[441]. The primary source which confirms her parentage has not yet been identified. Nikeforos Bryennios names "eius coniuge Eudocia, cum Michaele, Andronico et Constantino filiis" as survivors of "Ducas"[442]. Regent of Byzantium for her son Emperor Mikhael VII 1067. Although her husband on his deathbed made her swear she would never remarry[443], she married secondly his successor. Psellus records the second marriage of "Eudocia" and "Romanus, the son of Diogenes"[444]. On the overthrow of Emperor Romanos IV, she ruled jointly with her son, but was soon overthrown and confined to a convent. m firstly (before 1050) as his second wife, KONSTANTINOS Doukas, son of --- ([1006/07]-22 May 1067). He succeeded in 1059 as Emperor KONSTANTINOS X. m secondly (1 Jan 1068) as his second wife, ROMANOS Diogenes, son of --- Diogenes & his wife --- Argyre (-Prote Monastery Summer 1072). On his marriage, he immediately succeeded as Emperor ROMANOS IV."
Med Lands cites:

; See Wikipedia article.⁷

; Per Genealogics:
     "Eudokia Makrembolitissa was born about 1021. Some time before 1050 she became the second wife of the Byzantine emperor Constantine X Doukas. They had four sons and three daughters, of whom Michael VII and Zoe would have progeny. After her husband's death in 1067 she was confirmed as regent for their sons Michael VII and Konstantinos, along with Constantine's brother, the Caesar Ioannes Doukas. Michael VII was just old enough to rule on his own, but nevertheless was considered co-emperor with his younger brother, while Eudokia ran the administration of the empire.
     "Eudokia had sworn on Constantine's deathbed not to marry again, and had even imprisoned and exiled Romanos Diogenes, a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy, who was suspected of aspiring to the throne. However, perceiving that she was not able to avert the invasions which threatened the eastern frontier of the empire unaided, she revoked her oath and married Romanos Diogenes without the approval of Ioannes Doukas, or her son Michael VII, though she persuaded Ioannes Xiphilinos to pronounce he was in favour of a second marriage for the good of the state. The marriage took place on 1 January 1068, and Romanos was immediately proclaimed co-emperor as Romanos IV. With his assistance Eudokia was able to dispel the impending danger. She had two sons with Romanos IV, Nikephoros and Leo. Another of Eudokia's and Constantine's sons, Andronikos Doukas, was now made co-emperor by Romanos IV, although he had been excluded from power by his own father, mother and brothers. However, Eudokia did not live very happily with her new husband, who was warlike and self-willed and increasingly excluded her from power. When he was taken prisoner by the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, Eudokia and Michael VII again assumed the government, until it was discovered that Romanos had survived and was returning to Constantinople. Romanos was detained by members of the Doukas family, and in 1072 he was blinded and sent to a monastery where he died of his wounds.
     "Ioannes Doukas and the Varangian Guard compelled Eudokia to leave power to Michael and retire to a convent. After Michael VII was deposed in 1078 by Nikephoros III, Eudokia was recalled by the new emperor who offered to marry her. This plan did not come to pass, due to the opposition of the Caesar Ioannes Doukas, and Eudokia died as a nun sometime after the accession of Alexios Komnenos in 1081, possibly as late as 1096."³ Evdokia Makrembolites was also known as Eudokia Makrembolitissa.⁵ Evdokia Makrembolites was also known as Eudokia Makrembolitissa.³ Evdokia Makrembolites was also known as Eudocia Dalassena.⁴
; Per Med Lands:
     " ROMANOS Diogenes (-Prote Monastery Summer 1072). Mikhael Glykas names "imperator Romanus Vestarches, Constantini Diogenis filius"[681]. Skylitzes records that "Romanus Constantinus Diogenis filius…patricius" was created "dux Sardices…bestarches" by Emperor Konstantinos Doukas[682]. Having rebelled against Empress Evdokia after the death of Emperor Konstantinos X Doukas in 1067, Psellos implies that the empress was subsequently obliged to marry him to preserve her position[683]. He succeeded in 1 Jan 1068 as Emperor ROMANOS IV after marrying Empress Evdokia. After the conquest of Armenia, the Seljuk Turks intensified their raids into Byzantine territory, as far as Neocæsaria and Amorium in 1068, Iconium in 1069 and Chonæ in 1070[684]. Emperor Romanos was defeated by the Seljuks 20 Nov 1068, and again at Manzikert 19 Aug 1071 where he was captured. In the same year, Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, fell to the Normans. Although Emperor Romanos was freed by the Seljuks after promising monetary tribute, he had been overthrown during his imprisonment by his stepson Emperor Mikhael VII Doukas. When he regained Constantinople, he was defeated and fled to Cilicia to regroup his forces, but was defeated once more. He was forced to become a monk, but was afterwards betrayed and blinded, dying soon afterwards from his injuries at the monastery on the island of Prote. Nikeforos Bryennios records that "Diogenem" was blinded and sent "in monasterium...in Prota insula" where he died soon afterwards from his injuries[685].
     "m firstly ([1045/50]) [[ANNA] Alusiane, daughter of ALUSIAN [of Bulgaria] & his wife --- ([1030]-before 1065). Her parentage and marriage are deduced from Skylitzes who names "bestarches Samuel Aluisianus Bulgarus, imperatoris uxoris frater"[686], although it is curious to note that she is still referred to as "imperatoris uxoris" in a passage which refers to events after her husband’s accession and second marriage and therefore after her death. It should be noted that an alternative interpretation is that the passage refers to the wife of Samuil. The date for this marriage is estimated from the couple's son Konstantinos Diogenes leaving two known children when he was killed in battle in 1074.]
     "m secondly (1 Jan 1068) as her second husband, EVDOKIA Makrembolitissa, widow of Emperor KONSTANTINOS X, daughter of IOANNES Makrembolites & his wife --- (-1096). Psellos records the second marriage of "Eudocia" and "Romanus, the son of Diogenes"[687]. The primary source which confirms her parentage has not been identified. On the overthrow of Emperor Romanos IV, she ruled jointly with her son, but was soon overthrown and confined to a convent."
Med Lands cites:

     Romanus IV Diogenes Emperor of Byzantium was born circa 1022.² He married Anna Alusiane, daughter of Alusian (?) of Bulgaria, between 1045 and 1050
;
His 1st wife.^3,4 Romanus IV Diogenes Emperor of Byzantium married Evdokia Makrembolites, daughter of Ioannes Makrembolites and (?) Keroulalrios, on 1 January 1068
;
His 2nd wife; her 2nd husband.^1,5,6
Romanus IV Diogenes Emperor of Byzantium died in 1072 at Prote Monastery.⁵
      ; Per Wikipedia:
     "Romanos IV Diogenes (Greek: ??????? ?? ????????, R?manós IV Diogén?s), also known as Romanus IV, was a member of the Byzantine military aristocracy who, after his marriage to the widowed empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa, was crowned Byzantine emperor and reigned from 1068 to 1071. During his reign he was determined to halt the decline of the Byzantine military and to stop Turkish incursions into the Byzantine Empire, but in 1071 he was captured and his army routed at the Battle of Manzikert. While still captive he was overthrown in a palace coup, and when released he was quickly defeated and detained by members of the Doukas family. In 1072, he was blinded and sent to a monastery, where he died of his wounds.
Accession to the throne
     "Romanos Diogenes was the son of Constantine Diogenes (died 1032) and a member of a prominent and powerful Byzantine Greek family from Cappadocia,[1] connected by birth to most of the great aristocratic nobles in Asia Minor.[2] His mother was a daughter of Basil Argyros, brother of the emperor Romanos III.[3] Courageous and generous, but also impetuous, Romanos rose with distinction in the army due to his military talents, and he served on the Danubian frontier.[4] At that time some parts from the theme of Bulgaria were organized as a new province with the centre at Serdica, and he became a duke of that province in 1067.[5] However, he was eventually convicted of attempting to usurp the throne of the sons of Constantine X Doukas in 1067.[1] While waiting to receive his sentence from the regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa, he was summoned into her presence and advised that she had pardoned him and that she had furthermore chosen him to be her husband and the guardian of her sons as emperor.[6] She took this course of action primarily due to her concern that unless she managed to find a powerful husband, she could easily lose the regency to any unscrupulous noble, and also because she was infatuated with the popular Romanos.[1] Her decision was met with little protest as the Seljuk Turks had overrun much of Cappadocia and had even taken the important city of Caesarea, meaning that the army needed to be placed under the command of an able and energetic general.[2]
     "After a written oath promising never to remarry, extracted from Eudokia by Constantine X, had been set aside by the Patriarch of Constantinople, John Xiphilinos, and the approval of the senate obtained, on January 1, 1068 Romanos married the empress and was crowned Emperor of the Romans.[1]
Campaigns against the Turks
     "Romanos IV was now the senior emperor and guardian of his stepsons and junior co-emperors, Michael VII, Konstantios, and Andronikos Doukas.[7] However, his elevation had antagonised not only the Doukas family,[citation needed] in particular the Caesar, John Doukas who led the opposition of the palace officials to Romanos' authority, but also the Varangian Guard, who openly expressed their discontent at the marriage of Eudokia.[8] Romanos therefore decided that he could only exercise his authority by placing himself at the head of the army in the field, thereby focusing the whole government's attention on the war against the Turks.[8]
     "By 1067, the Turks had been making incursions at will into Mesopotamia, Melitene, Syria, Cilicia, and Cappadocia, culminating with the sack of Caesarea and the plundering of the Church of St Basil.[9] That winter they camped on the frontiers of the empire and waited for the next year's campaigning season. Romanos was confident of Byzantine superiority on the field of battle, looking on the Turks as little more than hordes of robbers who would melt away at the first encounter.[10] He did not take into account the degraded state of the Byzantine forces,[10] which had suffered years of neglect from his predecessors, in particular Constantine X Doukas. His forces, mostly composed of Sclavonian, Armenian, Bulgarian, and Frankish mercenaries, were ill-disciplined, disorganised, and uncoordinated, and he was not prepared to spend time in upgrading the arms, armour, or tactics of the once-feared Byzantine army.[11] It was soon evident that while Romanos possessed military talent, his impetuosity was a serious flaw.[citation needed]
Campaign of 1068
     "The first military operations of Romanos did achieve a measure of success, reinforcing his opinions about the outcome of the war. Antioch was exposed to the Saracens of Aleppo who, with help from Turkish troops, began an attempt to reconquer the Byzantine province of Syria.[12] Romanos began marching to the southeastern frontier of the empire to deal with this threat, but as he was advancing towards Lykandos, he received word that a Seljuk army had made an incursion into Pontus and had plundered Neocaesarea.[13] Immediately he selected a small mobile force and quickly raced through Sebaste and the mountains of Tephrike to encounter the Turks on the road, forcing them to abandon their plunder and release their prisoners, though a large number of the Turkish troops managed to escape.[13]
     "Returning south, Romanos rejoined the main army, and they continued their advance through the passes of Mount Taurus to the north of Germanicia and proceeded to invade the Emirate of Aleppo.[13] Romanos captured Hierapolis, which he fortified to provide protection against further incursions into the south-eastern provinces of the empire.[11] He then engaged in further fighting against the Saracens of Aleppo, but neither side managed a decisive victory.[13] With the campaigning season reaching its end, Romanos returned north via Alexandretta and the Cilician Gates to Podandos. Here he was advised of another Seljuk raid into Asia Minor in which they sacked Amorium but returned to their base so fast that Romanos was in no position to give chase. He eventually reached Constantinople by January 1069.[13]
Campaign of 1069
     "Plans for the following year's campaigning were initially thrown into chaos by a rebellion by one of Romanos' Norman mercenaries, Robert Crispin, who led a contingent of Frankish troops in the pay of the empire. Possibly due to Romanos not paying them on time,[15] they began plundering the countryside near where they were stationed at Edessa, and attacking the imperial tax collectors. Although Crispin was captured and exiled to Abydos, the Franks continued to ravage the Armeniac Theme for some time.[15] In the meantime, the land around Caesarea was again overrun by the Turks, forcing Romanos to spend precious time and energy in expelling the Turks from Cappadocia.[15] Desperate to begin his campaign proper, he ordered the execution of all prisoners, even a Seljuk chieftain who offered to pay an immense ransom for his life.[15] Having brought a measure of peace to the province, Romanos marched towards the Euphrates via Melitene, and crossed the river at Romanopolis, hoping to take Akhlat on Lake Van and thus protect the Armenian frontier.[15]
     "Romanos placed himself at the head of a substantial body of troops and began his march towards Akhlat, leaving the bulk of the army under the command of Philaretos Brachamios with orders to defend the Mesopotamian frontier.[15] Philaretos was soon defeated by the Turks, whose sack of Iconium[4] forced Romanos to abandon his plans and return to Sebaste. He sent orders to the Dux of Antioch to secure the passes at Mopsuestia, while he attempted to run down the Turks at Heracleia.[15] The Turks were soon hemmed in in the mountains of Cilicia, but they managed to escape to Aleppo after abandoning their plunder. Romanos once again returned to Constantinople without the great victory he was hoping for.[15]
Affairs at Constantinople
     "Romanos was detained at Constantinople[11] in 1070, while he dealt with many outstanding administrative issues, including the imminent fall of Bari into Norman hands. They had been besieging it since 1068, but it had taken Romanos two years to respond.[16] He ordered a relief fleet to set sail, containing sufficient provisions and troops to enable them to hold out for much longer. The fleet was intercepted, however, and defeated by a Norman squadron under the command of Roger, the younger brother of Robert Guiscard,[16] forcing the final remaining outpost of Byzantine authority in Italy to surrender on 15 April 1071.[17]
     "Meanwhile, Romanos was undertaking a number of unpopular reforms at home.[11] He reduced a great deal of unnecessary public expenditure on court ceremonials and beautifying the capital.[18] He reduced the public salaries paid to much of the court nobility, as well as reducing the profits of tradesmen. His preoccupation with the military had also made him unpopular with the provincial governors and the military hierarchy, as he was determined to ensure they could not abuse their positions, especially through corrupt practices.[18] He incurred the displeasure of the mercenaries by enforcing much needed discipline. Romanos was also deeply unpopular with the common people, as he neglected to entertain them with games at the hippodrome, nor did he alleviate the burdens of the peasants in the provinces.[18] All this animosity would help his enemies when the time came that they moved against him.
     "Nevertheless, he did not forget his principal target, the Turks. Being unable to go on campaign himself,[11] he entrusted the imperial army to one of his generals, Manuel Komnenos, nephew of the former emperor Isaac I, and elder brother to the future emperor Alexios.[19] He managed to engage the Turks in battle, but 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, which was soon completed.[19] This act motivated the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan to attack the Byzantine Empire, besieging and capturing the important Byzantine fortresses of Manzikert and Archesh.[20] Romanos, in return, offered to officially exchange Manzikert and Archesh for Hieropolis in Syria, which Romanos had taken three years previously.[20]
Battle of Manzikert and capture by Alp Arslan
     "Early in the spring of 1071, whilst conducting negotiations with Alp Arslan over Manzikert,[20] Romanos marched at the head of a large army with the intent of recovering the fortress.[21] It was soon evident that the army had a serious discipline problem, with soldiers regularly pillaging the area around their nightly camps. When Romanos attempted to enforce some stricter discipline, a whole regiment of German mercenaries mutinied, which the emperor only managed to control with the greatest difficulty.[22]
     "Believing that Alp Arslan was nowhere near Manzikert, he decided to divide his army. One part of the army he dispatched to attack Akhlat, at that time in possession of the Turks.[23] Romanos himself advanced with the main body of the army on Manzikert, which he soon recaptured.[23] At this point his advance guard met the Seljuk army, which was rapidly approaching Manzikert. Romanos ordered the forces attacking Akhlat to rejoin the army, but their portion of the army unexpectedly came across another large Turkish army, forcing them to retreat back into Mesopotamia.[23] Already under strength, Romanos' army was further weakened when his Uzes mercenaries deserted to the Turks.[24]
     "Arslan had no desire to take on the Byzantine army, so he proposed a peace treaty with favourable terms for Romanos.[24] The emperor, eager for a decisive military victory, rejected the offer, and both armies lined up for a battle, which took place on August 26, 1071.[25] The battle lasted all day without either side gaining any decisive advantage, until the emperor ordered a part of his centre to return to camp. The order was misunderstood by the right wing,[26] however, and Andronikos Doukas, who commanded the reserves, and was the son of Caesar John Doukas, took advantage of the confusion to betray Romanos. Claiming that Romanos was dead, he marched away from the battle with some 30,000 men, instead of covering the emperor's retreat.[27] The Turks now began to press in on the Byzantine army.
     "When Romanos discovered what had happened, he tried to recover the situation by making a defiant stand. He fought on valiantly after his horse was killed under him, but he received a wound in the hand, which prevented him from wielding a sword, and he was soon taken prisoner.[28]
     "According to a number of Byzantine historians, including John Skylitzes, Arslan at first had difficulty believing the dusty and tattered warrior brought before him was the Roman Emperor.[29] He then stepped down from his seat and placed his foot on Romanos' neck.[30] After this sign of ritual humiliation, however, Arslan raised Romanos from the ground and ordered him to be treated like a king. From then on he treated him with extreme kindness, never saying a cruel word to him during the Emperor's eight-day stay in his camp.[30] He then released the Emperor in exchange for a treaty and the promise of a hefty ransom. At first Alp Arslan suggested a ransom of 10,000,000 nomismata to Romanos IV, but he later reduced it to 1,500,000 nomismata, with a further 360,000 nomismata annually.[18]
Betrayal
     "In the meantime, the opposition faction scheming against Romanos IV decided to exploit the situation. The Caesar John Doukas and Michael Psellos forced Eudokia to retire to a monastery, and they prevailed upon Michael VII to declare Romanos IV deposed.[17] They then refused to honor the agreement made between Arslan and the former emperor.[31] Romanos soon returned, and he and the Doukas family gathered troops. A battle was fought at Dokeia between Constantine and Andronikos Doukas and Romanos, in which the army of Romanos was defeated,[citation needed] forcing him to retreat to the fortress of Tyropoion, and from there to Adana in Cilicia. Pursued by Andronikos, he was eventually forced to surrender by the garrison at Adana upon receiving assurances of his personal safety.[32] Before leaving the fortress, he collected all the money he could lay his hands on and sent it to the Sultan as proof of his good faith, along with a message: "As emperor, I promised you a ransom of a million and a half. Dethroned, and about to become dependent upon others, I send you all I possess as proof of my gratitude".[33]
     "Andronikos stipulated that his life would be spared if he resigned the purple and retired into a monastery. Romanos agreed, and this agreement was ratified at Constantinople.[33] However, John Doukas reneged on the agreement and sent men to have Romanos cruelly blinded on 29 June 1072 in Kotyaion. According to Attaleiates, the emperor was lead away, pleading for mercy, to be blinded by an "inexperienced Jew" who required three attempts to blind the emperor while he "bellowed like a bull". Per Attaleiates, "when he arose, his eyes were drenched with blood, a pathetic and pitiable sight that made everyone who saw it cry uncontrollably." He was then sent into exile to Prote in the Sea of Marmara. Without medical assistance, his wound became infected, and he soon endured a painfully lingering death.[citation needed] The final insult was given a few days before his death, when Romanos received a letter from Michael Psellos, congratulating him on the loss of his eyes.[34] He finally died, praying for the forgiveness of his sins, and his widow Eudokia was permitted to honor his remains with a magnificent funeral.[33] "His enemies", wrote John Julius Norwich, "martyred a courageous and upright man."
Family
     "By his first wife, an unnamed daughter of Alusian of Bulgaria, Romanos IV Diogenes had at least one son:
     "By his second wife, the Empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa, he had:
Notes
1. Norwich 1993, p. 344
2. Finlay 1854, p. 30
3. Cheynet & Vannier 2003, p. 78.
4. Kazhdan 1991, p. 1807
5. Alexandru Madgearu, Ruled indeed Basil Apokapes the Paradunavon Theme?, “Acta Musei Varnensis”, 3 (The Bulgarian Lands in the Middle Ages, 7th-18th Centuries. International Conference. A tribute to Prof. Alexander Kuzev’s 70th anniversary, Varna, September 12th-14th, 2002), Varna, 2005, p. 273-282.
6. Finlay 1854, p. 29
7. Dumbarton Oaks 1973, p. 785.
8. Finlay 1854, p. 31
9. Norwich 1993, p. 343
10. Finlay 1854, p. 32
11. Norwich 1993, p. 345
12. Finlay 1854, p. 33
13. Finlay 1854, p. 34
14. Soloviev 1935, pp. 156–158
15. Finlay 1854, p. 35
16. Finlay 1854, p. 45
17. Norwich 1993, p. 355
18. Finlay 1854, p. 42
19. Finlay 1854, p. 36
20. Norwich 1993, p. 347
21. Norwich 1993, p. 346
22. Finlay 1854, p. 38
23. Norwich 1993, p. 348
24. Norwich 1993, p. 349
25. Norwich 1993, p. 351
26. Finlay 1854, p. 41
27. Norwich 1993, p. 352
28. Norwich 1993, p. 353
29. Norwich 1993b, p. 353
30. Norwich 1993, p. 354
31. Norwich 1993, p. 358
32. Norwich 1993, p. 356
33. Finlay 1854, p. 44
34. Norwich 1993b, pg 357
35. Finlay 1854, p. 74
36. Garland 2007.
37. Kazhdan 1991, p. 627
38. Comnena, Book 9, Chapter 6.
References
Primary sources
** Comnena, Anna, The Alexiad
Secondary sources
** Dumbarton Oaks (1973), Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection: Leo III to Nicephorus III, 717–1081, p. 785
** Cheynet, J.C; Vannier, J.F. (2003), "Les Argyroi", Zbornik Radova Vizantološkog Instituta (in French), 40, pp. 57–90
** Finlay, George (1854), History of the Byzantine and Greek Empires from 1057–1453, 2, William Blackwood & Sons
** Garland, Lynda (25 May 2007), Anna Dalassena, Mother of Alexius I Comnenus (1081–1118), DIR
** Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991), Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6
** Norwich, John Julius (1993), Byzantium: The Apogee, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-011448-3
** Norwich, John Julius (1993b) [1992], Byzantium: The Apogee, Byzantium, II
** Soloviev, A.V. (1935), "Les emblèmes héraldiques de Byzance et les Slaves", Seminarium Kondakovianum (in French), 7: 119–164
Further reading
** Psellos, Michael, Chronographia
** Attaleiates, Michael, The History
External links
Romanus IV Diogenes: https://web.archive.org/web/20091027115832/http://geocities.com/stavridis.geo/emperors/romanos4diogenis.html
History of Michael Attaliates: https://web.archive.org/web/20080227235104/http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/1026370.⁷ " EDV-29.

; Per Genealogics:
     "Romanos was the son of the general and _doux_ Konstantinos Diogenes, a member of a prominent and powerful Cappadocian family connected by birth to most of the great aristocratic nobles in Asia Minor. His mother was a sister of Emperor Romanos III Argyros.
     "Romanos' first wife was Anna/Alusijana of Bulgaria, daughter of Alusian of Bulgaria and grand-daughter of Iwan Wladislaw, Tsar of Bulgaria, against whom his father had warred in 1017. He and Anna, who died before 1065, he had a son Konstantinos who would have progeny.
     "Romanos rose with distinction in the army due to his military talents, and he served on the Danubian frontier. However, he was eventually convicted of attempting to usurp the throne of the sons of Constantine X Doukas in 1067. While waiting to receive his sentence from the regent Eudokia Makrembolitissa, he was summoned into her presence and advised that she had pardoned him and that she had furthermore chosen him to be her husband and the guardian of her sons as emperor. She took this course of action primarily due to her concern that, unless she managed to find a powerful husband, she could easily lose the regency to any unscrupulous noble, and also because she was infatuated with the popular Romanos. Her decision was met with little protest as the Seljuk Turks had overrun much of Cappadocia and even had taken the important city of Caesarea, meaning that the army needed to be placed under the command of an able and energetic general.
     "The problem Romanos and Eudokia had in executing this plan was that Eudokia's deceased husband Constantine X had made her swear an oath never to remarry. She persuaded the Patriarch John Xiphilinos both to hand over the written oath she had signed to this effect, and pronounce that he was in favour of a second marriage for the good of the state. The Senate agreed, and on 1 January 1068 Romanos married the empress and was crowned Emperor of the Romans. Their two sons Nikephoros and Leo did not have progeny. Romanos reigned from 1068 to 1071. During his reign he was determined to halt the decline of the Byzantine military and to stop Turkish incursions into the Byzantine empire, but in 1071 he was captured and his army routed at the Battle of Manzikert. While still captive he was overthrown in a palace coup, and when released he was quickly defeated and detained by members of the Doukas family. In 1072 he was blinded and sent to a monastery where he died of his wounds."²

Reference: Genealogics cites: Europäische Stammtafeln, J.A. Stargardt Verlag, Marburg, Schwennicke, Detlev (Ed.) 2:168, 178.²

; Per Med Lands:
     " ROMANOS Diogenes (-Prote Monastery Summer 1072). Mikhael Glykas names "imperator Romanus Vestarches, Constantini Diogenis filius"[681]. Skylitzes records that "Romanus Constantinus Diogenis filius…patricius" was created "dux Sardices…bestarches" by Emperor Konstantinos Doukas[682]. Having rebelled against Empress Evdokia after the death of Emperor Konstantinos X Doukas in 1067, Psellos implies that the empress was subsequently obliged to marry him to preserve her position[683]. He succeeded in 1 Jan 1068 as Emperor ROMANOS IV after marrying Empress Evdokia. After the conquest of Armenia, the Seljuk Turks intensified their raids into Byzantine territory, as far as Neocæsaria and Amorium in 1068, Iconium in 1069 and Chonæ in 1070[684]. Emperor Romanos was defeated by the Seljuks 20 Nov 1068, and again at Manzikert 19 Aug 1071 where he was captured. In the same year, Bari, the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, fell to the Normans. Although Emperor Romanos was freed by the Seljuks after promising monetary tribute, he had been overthrown during his imprisonment by his stepson Emperor Mikhael VII Doukas. When he regained Constantinople, he was defeated and fled to Cilicia to regroup his forces, but was defeated once more. He was forced to become a monk, but was afterwards betrayed and blinded, dying soon afterwards from his injuries at the monastery on the island of Prote. Nikeforos Bryennios records that "Diogenem" was blinded and sent "in monasterium...in Prota insula" where he died soon afterwards from his injuries[685].
     "m firstly ([1045/50]) [[ANNA] Alusiane, daughter of ALUSIAN [of Bulgaria] & his wife --- ([1030]-before 1065). Her parentage and marriage are deduced from Skylitzes who names "bestarches Samuel Aluisianus Bulgarus, imperatoris uxoris frater"[686], although it is curious to note that she is still referred to as "imperatoris uxoris" in a passage which refers to events after her husband’s accession and second marriage and therefore after her death. It should be noted that an alternative interpretation is that the passage refers to the wife of Samuil. The date for this marriage is estimated from the couple's son Konstantinos Diogenes leaving two known children when he was killed in battle in 1074.]
     "m secondly (1 Jan 1068) as her second husband, EVDOKIA Makrembolitissa, widow of Emperor KONSTANTINOS X, daughter of IOANNES Makrembolites & his wife --- (-1096). Psellos records the second marriage of "Eudocia" and "Romanus, the son of Diogenes"[687]. The primary source which confirms her parentage has not been identified. On the overthrow of Emperor Romanos IV, she ruled jointly with her son, but was soon overthrown and confined to a convent."
Med Lands cites:

; Per Med Lands: "[[ANNA] Alusiane ([1030]-before 1065). Her parentage and marriage are deduced from Skylitzes who names "bestarches Samuel Aluisianus Bulgarus, imperatoris uxoris frater"[186], although it is curious to note that she is still referred to as "imperatoris uxoris" in a passage which refers to events after her husband’s accession and second marriage and therefore after her death. It should be noted that an alternative interpretation is that the passage refers to the wife of Samuil. The date of her marriage is estimated from the couple's son Konstantinos Diogenes leaving two known children when he was killed in battle in 1074. m ([1045/50]) as his first wife, ROMANOS Diogenes, son of --- Diogenes & his wife --- Argyre (-Prote Monastery Summer 1072). Magistros, bestiarches, dux of Triaditza [Sofija]. He succeeded in 1068 as Emperor ROMANOS IV.]"
Med Lands cites: [186] Skylitzes, col. 407.³ He was Emperor of Byzantium between 1 January 1068 and 24 October 1071.^1,7