Click here to see the location of Manzikert town.

Romanus IV Diogenis was born in Cappadocia, and came to the throne in 1st January 1068, after his marriage with the widowed Empress Eudokia. Immediately he re-organized the Roman army which was abandoned by Constantine X Dukas and the political party that ruled the empire for several decades. In a period of 3 months h managed to gather 35,000 soldiers. In the meantime the Seljuks (a nomadic tribe from Turkestan) under Sultan Alp Arslan, pillaged and burned to ashes numerous christian cities in the eastern frontiers of the empire. Armenia, Iberia and Cappadocia were transformed into deserted areas. This was the beginning of the holocaust of the Christian people in Anatolia.

The contempory Historian Attaliatis describes the campaigns of Romanus into Cappadokia and Cilicia. The Arabs of Aleppo were allied with the Seljuks and they also caused terror to Roman cities in the region. Romanus defeated them in a battle near Sevastia (Sivas), and again in Herapolis, a city between Edessa (Ourfa) and Antiochia. The Seljuks moved faster and the so the Roman army followed them with difficulty. In the meantime they attacked and destroyed Neocaesaria (Niksar). They looted the city and took with them many prisoners. After they destroyed and looted the great city of Amorion. In January 1069 Romanus passed from Alexandretta (Iskenderun) and returned to Constantinople to rest his men.

The political party, which was supported by the Roman aristocracy was another enemy of Romanus. All that period they behaved in a treacherous way, and they wanted to maintain their hold on power, indifferent to the destruction of Anatolia until their estates were the next targets! Their behaviour marked the fate of the Roman Empire and marked the fate of Christianity in the east. In April 1069, Romanus started out on a new campaign. Historian Micahel Psellos (parasite of the Aristocracy) and Attaliatis took part in the new campaign. The Emperor reached Dorylaion (Eski Sheyhir), where he gathered more soldiers for his army. After that he moved to Caesaria, capital of Cappadocia, devastated from the numerous attacks of Turks. When they were preparing to camp, they were attacked by the Enemy cavalry. Yet they won the battle with heavy losses. The Seljuks however alter attacked the capital of Likaonia, Ikonion. Finally a decissive battle was won by Romanus at Tarsos, Cilicia, where 2000 of the enemy were killed, and the rest found refuge in Aleppo, Syria. In December 1069, Romanus ended this campaign and returned from Claudiopolis in Seleukeia to Constantinople.

But Next year 1070, Romanus put in charge of the army in the interior of Anatolia a young general by the name of Manuel Comnenos, brother of future Emperor Alexius Comnenos (1081-1118). Manuel organized the army with 3 lines of defense. First in the area of Meletia, second line in Tzamandos pass and third line in Caesaria. 3 historians of that period Skilintzis, Attaliatis and Zonaras, write about his military successes. In the meantime Alp Arslan with an army of 25,000 soldiers entered Aleppo. From there he could send troops to hit cities like Herapolis (Mambij), Edessa (Ourfa) and Manzikert (Manazgert). Manuel was defeated in Sevasteia and was taken prisoner with Nikiphoros Melissinos and Michael Taronitis. The Enemy again pillaged and burnt cities like the city of Chonai birthplace of historian Nikitas Choniatis. Romanus was dissapointed watching his birthplace Cappadocia suffering from those horrendous tribes.

In January 1071, Manzikert and Ardzen surrendered to Alp Arslan who tried again to take Herapolis and Edessa. Romanus organized a huge army and moved to Nikea. There he gathered more soldiers and procedded to Malagia and Dorylaion (Eski Sheyhir). However, his attitude seemed to change, as Attaliatis recounts..."He became a stranger to his own army, setting up his own seperate camp and arranging for more ostentatious accomadation, When the army crossed the river Halys for example he did not cross at the same time but remained behind and spent days at a fortress which had recently been built at his command. Soon afterwards he issued an order to seperate his private possessions from those of the army". The central pole of his tent suddenly broke and an unexplained fire caused the loss of much valuables, including his best horses and mules.

Halys river

What was the cause of this sudden paranoia? Were there men trying to kill him under orders of the Dukas family?

His charater became remote, ill tempered and impatient. At one point in the campaign a Roman soldier was brought to him accused of stealing a donkey from a localman. He was sentenced to have his nose cut of. Even when the man sought the intercession of the Victory Icon of the Holy Virgin, always carried by the Emperor on campaign, and was still refused mercy that Attaliatis reports of the coming divine vengence upon Romanus...

In May 1071, he entered Caesaria where had a meeting with his generals, Joeseph Tarkaniotis, Nikaphoros Bryenios, Michael Psellos and others. They decided to move fast and try to retake Manzikert and Khliat (Akhlat. The army of about 100,000 men, moved from Caesaria and passed Sevastia, Colonia, Theodosiopolis (Erzerum)where he recruited even more men.

Alp Arslan was surprised by this sudden move of Romanus, and called for help from all Muslims for a holy war against Romania. So his army consisted of Arabs, Kurds, tribes from Iran, Iraq, Syria and of course Turks. On 20th August 1071 the Romans retook Manzikert. But Joseph Tarkaniotis and the Norman Rousell Balliol (a descendant of which would claim the throne of Scotland-see Bravheart) in an act of treason after obyeing orders of the Dukas family to abandon Romanus and moved back to Meletin (Malatia) taking with them 50% of the army.