Battle for Survival ⚔️ How did Alexios Komnenos save the Byzantine Empire? DOCUMENTARY

[@HistoryMarche]

🚩 Sign up on HistoryHit and get 50% off your first 3 months by using the code HISTORYMARCHE access.historyhit.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=historymarche&plan=monthly 🚩 Alexios I Komnenos was one of the great Byzantine Emperors. He turned the declining Byzantine Empire into a strong seat of power and successfully defended it against Norman invasions in the Balkans and the Seljuk Turk threat in Asia Minor. 🚩 This video was produced in collaboration with Bulgarian Empire Mapping, check out their channel and give them the credit that they deserve! kzbin.info/door/D-0LPbxri4fSvd0UoisIfg - Big shout to BEM for collaborating with us on this video!

[@macgurkha1973]

The Crusaders breaking their oath with Alexios? You did not cover or disclose the part about Alexios and the Byzantines were negotiating with the Turks behind the Crusaders' back.

[@bzbxzhdb4656]

HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN SOURCES WRITES THAT PECHENEG AND GUZZ(BALKAN OGHUZS) TURKS IN ROMAN ARMY JOINED TO THE TURKIC SIDE DURING BATTLE OF MANZIKERT.

[@georgiancountryball202]

Oy why did you do georgia dirty when georgia defeated 300k or 400k (depending on what sources people use) seljuks in battle of didgori it happened literaly after the first crusade ended you could have thrown a small word about that into the video but let's get to the point of why I'm writing about this I want you to make a video about the David the builder the greatest king of Georgia(if not the greatest then seccond greatest) when he literally revolted against seljuks and laid fear into thair heart took lands and kept going till he died so please make a video about him I BEG YOU 😭😭😭

[@GEO-mania]

Please think about doing little something about Georgian. Its been long overdue. Battle of Didgori, or life of King Davit "the builder" would be awesome. There's so many more. Thank you in advance.

[@georgiancountryball202]

@@GEO-mania I have been begging him about that for a LONG time let's hope he finnaly listens to our begging

[@michaelsinger4638]

Alexios is a great example of “bounce back.” He had setbacks, but he learned and came back better than before.

[@ProvidenceNL]

The Eastern Roman Empire entire history was of bounce back, and then it being wasted by civil wars, religious disputes and resulting civil war and incompetent emperors and then a recovery by one or more amazing emperors, truly a tragic story.

[@EpicAMV911]

@@ProvidenceNL Classic roman history right? "they got selfish" thats how we can define most of it/

[@peterzin8979]

Don’t forget the plague!

[@histori_shqiptare0225]

He is albanian,,, gjon is albanian name and komnens has been albanian prince too

[@ProvidenceNL]

@@histori_shqiptare0225 Typical nationalistic bullshit. The Komemnos family was Thracian. It is commonly accepted among scholars that it was a Greek family.

[@notsm]

It's always fun to think about how the eastern roman empire kept existing due to the rule of conviniently timed competent/genuis kings/queens during times that seem like "on the verge of collapse".

[@robman102]

As they say: hard times make great men. Great times make weak men.

[@Ragnarok__]

Byzantine Empire you mean?

[@GlizzyGoblin757]

@@Ragnarok__ no. the roman empire.

[@Akkise]

@@Ragnarok__ they were the eastern half of rome that survived which makes them roman.

[@rayzas4885]

@@Ragnarok__ They were the literal eastern half of the Roman empire. Saying they're not Roman is ridiculous.

[@pseudomonas03]

Alexios Komnenos's story is a story about how to deal with any kind of almost impossible odds. From a young officer he had to face a mercenary who had under his controll a large part of Anatolia. Even if he was only in his late teens, he put an end to this threat. When he became Basileus, the state was falling apart. The Normans advanced from the west, the Pechenegs and Cumans from the north, while the Seljuks from the east were at Nicaea, almost outside Constantinople. What were the chances for Alexios to survive through this. None, most would say. But Alexios succeeded, giving to the state, one last period of glory.

[@jackdonith]

And by one last period, you mean almost 5 centuries! Trully a feat.

[@saguntum-iberian-greekkons7014]

The Komnenian Resilience. That sounds catchy. When someone believes he can do something even after failed many times

[@pseudomonas03]

@@saguntum-iberian-greekkons7014 Well, if wasn't for Alexios Komnenos, the Eastern Roman Empire would have ceased to exist from 1080 AD. So apart from the original failures, considering that the troops that were in bad shape, the state that was falling apart, the enemies that were attacking from everywhere, yes what Alexios Komnenos did, was a small miracle.

[@saguntum-iberian-greekkons7014]

@@pseudomonas03 yeah, but what i said was in a positive way

[@roenin]

@@jackdonith Byzantines was gone by the 13th century. Whatever was left was in the western half of modern city of Istanbul. The rest both in Balkans and Anatolia was gone far earlier than 1453, the glorious year the city was liberated.

[@theblindlucario5093]

His daughter was also an early female historian (after her failed coup against her brother John)! Though the Alexiad is dramatized and not exactly accurate Anna Komnene gives a very interesting first hand account of her father’s restoration!

[@heinzlilio4612]

Anna describing the French and the Normans as "frankish barbarians" seems oddly fitting considering the second they recaptured Antioch instead of handing it over to the Byzantines as agreed by their sworn oath to Alexios they made an independent principality

[@ichthys4396]

The coup probably never happened and was a later invention Choniates who wrote centuries later. The Alexiad is very pro Alexios and very pro John

[@paulmayson3129]

@@heinzlilio4612 Back then Barbarian meant Non-Greeks/Romans.

[@bokonoo77]

>lusting after her father's enemy she is overrated

[@magistermilitum1206]

Well let's consider the fact that the Normans in sicily, the venetians who sacked constantinople and so on and so on, of course they are considered barbarians lmao, barbarian isn't just if you are a tribe

[@historyrhymes1701]

Can't believe how well this one turned out. Once again pleasure working with you!

[@HistoryMarche]

Same here! Big shout to Bulgarian Empire Mapping, go check out his channel! kzbin.info/door/D-0LPbxri4fSvd0UoisIfg

[@catthegreat4977]

@@HistoryMarche name of song?

[@christopherborges7929]

Despite Alexios' efforts and success, seeing the Empire in it's late stages is sad, knowing that a hundred years later it would be dealt a terminal blow and just 350 years later, the final fall, after spanning over 1,000 years, the Eastern Roman Empire would be just a memory, 1,500 years of Roman rule, East and West combined, from Augustus to Constantine IX. The Empire that survived countless rebellions and civil wars, invasions and set backs, it endured, but all things come to an end.

[@nomoreman]

Crasy too think how long the empire survived

[@gsh64]

Turks kind of continued on the same path

[@Munciboss]

Constantine XI*

[@RocketHarry865]

When you also add in both the Republican and Kingdom periods of Roman history and you get 22 centuries of existence and if you add in the archaeological evidence that reveals that settlement stretched further back to 1000 BC. From a humble collection of farming villages built on 7 hills near the River Tiber to one of the greatest Empires that established and disseminated the very foundations of western European civilization to its final stand in its last capital on the shores of the Bosporus and Propontis.

[@Adventeuan]

​@@gsh64 Huh? They conquered the Eastern Roman Empire. Just because Alexander conquered the Persian Empire he couldn't call his state "The Persian Empire". He wouldn't be challenged but no one would actually think of his empire as Persian.

[@TheoKolokotronis]

The notable work “Chronographia” of Michael Psellos (Psellus), prominent Byzantine Historian and Imperial Courtier to several Byzantine Emperors (11th century), is one of the best accounts and series of biographies from emperor Basil II to Nikephoros III. A unique and valuable source on the history of the 11th century Byzantine Empire. Truly, a historic and academic treasure.

[@privatebandana]

I like how Komnenos took a few cities in the west while the crusader army literally went rampage all the way to Jerusalem, letting Komnenos walk into the central parts of Turkey and just take it with minimal resistance, lol.

[@macgurkha1973]

He was only successful because the Crusaders did a lot of the decisive fighting against the Muslims. The Muslim armies were preoccupied with the Crusaders.

[@GeoBBB123]

Great strategy there Alexios. Use whatever tools, resources and circumstances make themselves available to you. Well done.

[@majorianus8055]

He would have been more successful if the Crusaders listened to him and follow their oaths and not act as barbarians that they were.

[@Ian-yf7uf]

I also like how all the famous Crusaders (the majority) were usually Norman and the Normans had wreaked havoc across Byzantium just a few years earlier.

[@Vlassis06]

@@majorianus8055 only a roman would say those words welcome citizen of rome

[@TheoKolokotronis]

“The Byzantine empire was clearly, despite its multinational dimension, a Greek empire while its neighbours considered it so, and whose unity was based on the power of authority, in the dominance of Orthodoxy and the use of Greek as the official language”. Sylvain Gouguenheim, “La gloire des Grecs”.

[@AlexS-oj8qf]

The issue with the Komnenoian Dynasty is that they sees the Byzantine Empire as collections of Cities and ignored the countryside, they focused on the reconquest of the Anatolian Coastal Cities but never push deeper into the heartland, allowing the Turks to consolidate their populate, even worse during Emperor Manuel reign where he evacuate the greek populate from Turkish lands, making the Turks firmly attached to said lands.

[@jeffreywong33]

I think the main issue of Komnenoian Dyansty is that they give too much power to military aristocracy (including Komnenoian themselves) , the unity of the empire is solely rely on military Emperor who can be accepted by the aristocrat ( Alexios, John, Manuel )

[@jacobusmarch9524]

It's actually a very Roman mindset to focus on the urban areas and to ignore the countryside. It's not inaccurate to say it the Roman empire was essentially a empire of cities where the center of its power was in its urbanization. This is why more and more often the Romans struggled with recruitment and maintaining loyal troops. Levy's from the cities would always be inferior to peasant troops of the hills or farmland which is why the byzantines would often depend on Armenians and slavs for their soldiers in the early days, and more and more on mercenaries as they were deprived of those lands as decades wore on.

[@khalidgagnon8753]

Yes and no: the coastal cities also expanded influence and remember: the navy for so long was the power broker of the empire. Besides, his grandson was able to try and retake those lands thanks to his grandfather's actions...... He SHOULD HAVE HAD IT. But..... Classic ambush in a pass story and a 1/4 of his army gone plays out..... The rest is history

[@hachibidelta4237]

The coast is wealthier and more populated, but afterwards instead of focusing on annexing the heartland to secure their border, they attack Antioch and Syria? Like I know they try to secure the Armenians for manpower but still. John Komnenos also offended Venice without considering their own lack of seapower. Manuel Komnenos improved the naval power.... but wasted resources and time for very little gain because he was trying too hard to be seen as leader of a large hegemony. He was also too obsessed with Western power and got depressed when he failed to take Iconium/Konya.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

@@khalidgagnon8753 The Battle of Myriokephalon. Had Manuel won the Romans recover most, if not all, of interior Anatolia.* But, he didn't. That said, the defeat was not another Manzikert. Within a year the Romans were attacking again and raiding deep into Seljuk territory and retaking some border fortresses. However, due to various reasons, Manuel was never able to make another concerted effort to re-conquer the interior. When he died the Empire was still in great shape. But successors were incompetent and the great military they inherited, with a strong fleet and strong Tagma, withered. And the 4th Crusade tore the heart out of the Empire. *Even if the Romans had retaken interior Anatolia, things had changed. Many of the Greeks and Armenians had already fled to the coasts. Ethnic Turkish families took up where the Greeks had left off. The demographics of Anatolia were changed forever, and would, even if retaken, never be the same core territory that had been the main recruiting ground of the Byzantine armies during the Macedonian Dynasty.

[@Mr_M_History]

Thanks for all the great content and being someone to look up to. We all love your work!

[@kubix8049]

Eastern Roman history in a nutshell: How did [Insert name] save the Byzantine Empire?

[@EJobuu]

Another excellent video. HistoryMarche has easily become my most anticipated KZbin channel of my long list. Every day i check longing for more excellent content. Thank You all.

[@rahman9749]

Alexios Komnenos is the definition of tenacity.

[@artbyevangelos]

Great channel thank you for sharing 🍀☀️🌺🇬🇷🇩🇰

[@nervachadikus]

YES! FINALLY!! Alexios is without a doubt one of the greatest emperors. Bringing a state that's nearing total collapse back to the heights he did is truly astonishing. I think one of his greatest mistakes is focusing too much on the Normans of Antioch, though it's understandable looking at his experience with them. I just think much more should've been done to expel the Turks from Anatolia (but that brings the question how much more even could have been done).The blame still mostly falls on Manuel, but it's Alexios' actions that allowed the Turks to consolidate. (This subject I'm admittedly not as educated on so anyone feel free to correct me if I'm talking nonsense) Isn't he the one that like made the whole family rule structure? Because if he is I think he should also be responsible for the failure if that system seeing as it needed a rather capable emperor to keep the dozens of imperial relatives in check and we saw that system break the moment the wasn't such an emperor.

[@ibobeko4309]

The Sack of Constantinople and fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire and fighting each other at every opportunity was like sending invitations to the Turks. Sack of Constantinople, fighting each other and the 7 year civil war= failed state.

[@rayzas4885]

Honestly the turks could've been thrown out multiple times after his death and weren't a threat at all to the romans for decades after his death

[@nervachadikus]

@@rayzas4885 True, but I still think the top priority should've been the full recovery of Anatolia since it was pretty obvious that it was more valuable than the Balkans. I'm quite puzzled as to why such brilliant men like Alexios and John II think "Oi when we were only left with Anatolia we could still survive whereas when we were only left with the Balkans it was a clusterfuck". Though the Turks weren't dangerous at the moment they've proven that they could be dangerous (and that's exactly what happens after Manuel). To be honest I have no idea what John even did during most of his reign. I know he had a conflict with Venice and that he campaigned in the general area of Cilicia and Antioch and that he then died. did he take any major actions against the Turks? If not and assuming he didn't have a bigger conflict to keep him occupied, that's a massive mistake in my opinion.

[@DestroyerOfSense000]

@@nervachadikus No, he didn't take any major actions against the Turks. He took dozens of minor actions against them, seizing town after town, fort after fort, one at a time, until most of western Anatolia was back in Roman hands. It wasn't quite glorious, but it was extremely effective. And unlike his son Manuel, he maintained a razor-sharp focus on Anatolia, except when it was absolutely necessary to turn his attention elsewhere (like in his campaign against the Pechenegs, in which he utterly wiped the floor with them). Very few men could possibly fill the shoes of an emperor like Alexios, but John did so.

[@ShalltearGaming]

is it greater than the Mongol Empire? Genhis khan

[@daniellinanmolina1044]

such an underrated emperor. reminds me of gallienus, the way he ended up defeating most of his enemies when his empire was at the lowest it had been in a long time, with lots of usurpers to deal with, yet managed to stay on the throne for quite a long time. both also had successors more celebrated than themselves

[@alessandrogini5283]

Another underrated Is Alexander severus

[@daniellinanmolina1044]

@@alessandrogini5283 yeah but not that much

[@alessandrogini5283]

@@daniellinanmolina1044 well, he needed more time/more Money/ more loyal army..he could had vassalized sassanid empire

[@daniellinanmolina1044]

@@alessandrogini5283 by no means he could have come close to subduing the sasanians. shapur I was a top 5 shahanshah (both khosrows and shapurs I and II are locks

[@alessandrogini5283]

@@daniellinanmolina1044 shapor was in 244,i speak in 232 233 235

[@DamonNomad82]

I have long been an admirer of Emperor Alexios. He came to power at a critical point. If another inept ruler like most of those from the prior half century had become ruler instead, it is likely that the Empire would have collapsed then, rather than surviving for another 3 and a half centuries.

[@Montechristoss]

Indeed great emperor (with some mistakes such as the treaty with Venice but still a compitent ruler which the empire hadn't seen for 50 years

[@daniellinanmolina1044]

eastern version of gallienus?

[@widjiro]

the norman would conquerored greece, bulgaria become independent, and there will be no crusade

[@madhurawat155]

Or if Basil II hadn't conquered Bulgaria, the empire would've collapsed even before he got the chance.

[@wxj5640]

@@widjiro what do u mean by no crusade? Do u assume even if eastern Rome cease to exist as an entity there will be no inevitable crush between Christian and Muslim?

[@DimitrisKardaras]

Συγχαρητήρια. υπέροχη η Βυζαντινή Ιστορία.

[@morriganmhor5078]

Your statement that "Nicaea opened its gates to Emperor" is a gross understatement. In fact, the siege of Nicaea mostly by Latins only, with a bit of help of Byzantine military engineers, was the first major battle of the First Crusade, taking place from 14 May to 19 June 1097. The city was under the control the Seljuk Turks, who, after their army was repelled from siege lines, opted to surrender to the Byzantines in fear of the crusaders breaking into the city.

[@Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

For those interested in the legacy of the Greek Byzantine Empire, a notable academic work of Byzantinist Paul Magdalino is; “The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 1143-1180” (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993), winner of the 1993 Runciman Award.

[@TomSeliman99]

They weren't Greeks. They were Romans

[@Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

Facts are very clear. Greeks holded Roman citizenship in the early years of the Roman Empire, a fact that didn’t erase their ethnic Greek background and identity. Their Roman citizenship was a political identity, not an ethnic one, as some users falsely attempt to present it. An English doesn't stop being English (ethnic identity) because he is British (political identity) and a medieval Greek wasn't any less Greek (ethnic identity) because he was a Roman citizen. Their political Roman identity, didn't contradict in any way their distinct ethnic Greek heritage. Being the predominant ethnic group for centuries in the region, long before the Romans emerged, Greeks took hold of the Empire and gradually shaped it to become an undoubtedly Medieval Greek Empire. In all ways, cultural, spiritual and imperial. Religion, Greek Orthodoxy that is, became the core element of the glorious Empire. The testimony of the Greek Byzantine Empire is evident to this very day, in all Byzantine religious and cultural monuments across the region (almost half of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in modern day turkey, are of Ancient Greek and Byzantine origin). The millennial Greek Byzantine Empire, is the longest, the most splendid and the most glorious Empire the world has ever known !

[@TomSeliman99]

@@Theodoros_Kolokotronis Greeks took hold of it? During the first 700 years from 395 to 1095 there weren't even any Greek emperors 😂😂

[@Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

Of course there were. Most of the Emperors of this period bear Greek names while their origin is either partially Greek or still debatable. In some cases there is little specific information known about their origin, as was the case with Heraclius, though he was definitely Greek on his mothers side.The Macedonian Dynasty was also Greek, only the origin of Emperor Basil I is a matter of debate (while there is Greek ancestry on his maternal side). Besides, the majority of the population in the Byzantine Empire was of ethnic Greek origin, from the very beginning to the fall of Constantinople.

[@TomSeliman99]

@@Theodoros_Kolokotronis What are you talking about? Heraclous was Armenian and Anatolian, Zeno was an Isaurian, Justinian's was Illyrian, Macedonian dynasty wasn't Greek, they came from eastern Anatolia and settled in modern day Macedonia. Leo's dynasty came from Syria.

[@allenvikramchochinov5940]

So much byzantine content from various youtubers these days. Please keep it coming

[@mikligardur9104]

Komnenos dynasty only needed one more emperor in same league as Alexios, John and Manuel to finish off the Seljuk of Rum by using Third Crusade as KO blow however Manuel heir Alexios II was a boy when Manuel died and was killed in coup d'etat. Komnenos dynasty fell apart after that and really period from 1182 to 1204AD was the turning point. There was no empire after 1204, just fragmented Byzantine despot kingdoms.

[@erwinrommel2875]

From turkey, çok başarılı olmuş altyazı içinde çok teşekkürler.

[@grasa95]

best history chanel on YT!

[@eliaspapanikolaou3563]

Komnenos (Greek: Κομνηνός; Latinized Comnenus; plural Komnenoi or Comneni (Κομνηνοί, [komniˈni])) was a Byzantine Greek noble family who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081 to 1185,[1] and later, as the Grand Komnenoi (Μεγαλοκομνηνοί, Megalokomnenoi) founded and ruled the Empire of Trebizond (1204-1461). Through intermarriages with other noble families, notably the Doukai, Angeloi, and Palaiologoi, the Komnenos name appears among most of the major noble houses of the late Byzantine world. Komnenos Κομνηνός Komnenian dynasty CountryByzantine Empire Empire of TrebizondFounded10th century 1057 (as imperial family)FounderManuel Erotikos Komnenos (first known; possibly founder) Isaac I Komnenos (first emperor)Final rulerAndronikos I Komnenos (Byzantine Empire) David Megas Komnenos (Empire of Trebizond)Final headJohn Komnenos MolyvdosTitles Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans Emperor of Trebizond Queen of Jerusalem* Princess of Antioch* Duchess of Athens* * by marriageDissolution1719Deposition1185 (Byzantine Empire) 1461 (Empire of Trebizond) Contents OriginsEdit The 11th-century Byzantine historian Michael Psellos reported that the Komnenos family originated from the village of Komne in Thrace-usually identified with the "Fields of Komnene" (Κομνηνῆς λειμῶνας) mentioned in the 14th century by John Kantakouzenos-a view commonly accepted by modern scholarship.[2][3] The first known member of the family, Manuel Erotikos Komnenos, acquired extensive estates at Kastamon in Paphlagonia, which became the stronghold of the family in the 11th century.[2][4] The family thereby quickly became associated with the powerful and prestigious military aristocracy (dynatoi) of Asia Minor, so that despite coming from Thrace it came to be considered "eastern".[5] The 17th-century French scholar du Cange suggested that the family descended from a Roman noble family that followed Constantine the Great to Constantinople, but although such mythical genealogies were common-and are indeed attested for the closely related Doukas clan-the complete absence of any such assertion in the Byzantine sources argues against Du Cange's view.[6] The Romanian historian George Murnu suggested in 1924 that the Komnenoi were of Aromanian descent, but this view too is now rejected.[6] Modern scholars consider the family to have been entirely of Greek origin.[6] Manuel Erotikos Komnenos was the father of Isaac I Komnenos (reigned 1057-1059) and grandfather, through Isaac's younger brother John Komnenos, of Alexios I Komnenos (reigned 1081-1118). Founding the dynastyEdit Isaac I Komnenos, a stratopedarch of the East under Michael VI, founded the Komnenos dynasty of Byzantine

[@hachibidelta4237]

There are descendant of Andronikos Komnenos in Georgia. The Bagrationi heavily intermarried with Trebizond Komnenoi, and there is illegitemate line. Of course its not uncommon for European nobles to have Komnenoi ancestor as well.

[@levanikojulakidze5213]

But mostly andronikashvilis should become nobles or even more,sadly these roman iberian decendents are no longer in their prime anymore​, would like to see them as a emperors of rome by title ar least@@hachibidelta4237

As always, there is excellence in your videos, I'm glad you talk about Byzantine history, which often escapes Western historical interest. I would like you to also make videos on a subject that is not usually talked about much and that is the Conquest of the Kingdom of Aragon in the Mediterranean, it is very interesting and they even conquered areas of Greece with the Almogavares, the most lethal warriors of their time. Generally, the stories are usually focused on the Norman conquests of southern Italy, although the Aragonese reigned longer in the Mediterranean than they did, of course if you add that later the Hispanic monarchy followed the tutelage.

[@MrBbuggy]

This guy is the best narrator I've heard so far.

[@cortobrown7919]

A brilliant example of never surrender.

[@BlazeKiingHD]

Thank god you keep making videos

[@seantomlinson3320]

He's one of my heroes. What a career. What I find most fascinating is how he was able to survive his repeated battlefield failures. The Byzantine state's politics had been a mess for 50 years, with constantly changing emperors, but despite his battlefield losses he was able to maintain his rule. I don't understand how but I'm glad he did.

[@caesar3295]

Wow you're probably the best history channel I love your videos but this is probably the best

[@damac5136]

Making the right friends helps. Thanks for the video!

[@SavvaSou]

Amazing work as always

[@HistoryMarche]

Thank you so much 😀

[@greyd.99xsome]

Great work Guys. You're one of the reasons i turned my back on TV.

[@ashleyalexander7388]

love the voice acting. draws me in everytime

[@AnimeWins]

Very nicely done video

[@HistoryMarche]

Thank you very much!

[@GEO-mania]

@@HistoryMarche I love your videos. Please think about doing little something about Georgian as well. Its been long overdue. Battle of Didgori, or life of King Davit "the builder" would be awesome. There's so many more. Thank you in advance.

[@ziedyacoub8488]

nice work from this channel . thx

[@eugenegershman900]

great video !!!

[@III-bo6zr]

John Doukas, in Greek Ioannis Doukas Vatatzis, will rise up once again and lead the Orthodox world to a flourishing time.

@HistoryMarche Please make a video about Emperor John iii Doukas Vatatzès he was considered the greatest ruler for the byzantines during his reign no one was hungry and crime was very low in the empire, he forced the rich and aristocratic families to share their wealth with the poor and hungry people of the empire and he was canonized as a saint by the church a little bit after his death. He laid the groundwork for the recovery of Constantinople from the Latin crusaders.

[@AJ-et3vf]

awesome video! Thank you!

[@locomotivebearingdown5381]

What a great video! Full of detail and great graphics. And just because you constantly called them Romans, I subscribed :)

[@cmdreftilon9786]

Byzantine history is so fascinating. The achievements of this East Roman Empire and civilization are totally underrated. Politics, Diplomacy, education, science etc. all of these still influencing our daily lives. One of the most interesting Books i read is called "Byzantine Grand strategy from the 8th to the 11th century"

[@MrBoodyx]

This was great. You guys make lunch awesome 😬

[@mysteryjunkie9808]

Alexios Komennos story would make a excellent TV series. From his rise to the Crusades particulate would be fun to watch

[@mysteryjunkie9808]

Bohemond shows back up in the Byzantine Empire. Alexios:”How many time must I teach you this lesson old man!”

[@saegoto]

great video! thanks for polish subs

[@jakeboylan9493]

I love these history lessons! But I think i speak for a lot of people when I say, wheres Hannibal at? Keep up the great work in the mean time

[@HistoryMarche]

Working on it. Last few weeks have been crazy on the home front with my father's illness, which has disrupted the schedule. But it's coming.

[@jakeboylan9493]

@@HistoryMarche sorry to hear about your father. I hope he is recovering well and you are still healthy

[@trantorcapitalofthegalacti3173]

Alexios Comnenus proved just like the great Aurelian to be a Restitutor Orbis. Without his capable skill in governing, the Roman Empire might have collapsed before the year 1200.

[@nenenindonu]

Alexios Komnenos ; Fought off Normans, caused the execution of Chaka Bey by the Sultan of Rum, used Crusaders to counter Seljuk Turks, ended the Pecheneg invasions by allying another threatening nomadic people Cumans. He was a MASTERMIND

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Chaka Bey=Tzachas

[@nenenindonu]

@@papazataklaattiranimam Alexios Komnenos = Alexios I 😜

[@Montechristoss]

@@nenenindonu well said

[@magistermilitum1206]

Well, the cumans later on supported the bulgarians soooo.. he just delayed

[@SolidAvenger1290]

Came back to re-watch this video of Alexios after seeing HistoryMarche's recent video covering the Battle of Manzikert (1071). I want to give an honorable mention at 4:06 in the video about the Usurper Nikephoros Bryennios. He fought at Manzikert on Emperor Romanos IV's left flank and held out as long as possible against the onslaught by the Sejiks. He would become known by scholars as one of the most significant Byzantine tacticians (later historian in the 11th century) and would play a role during the reign of Alexios. During Michael's reign, he was the "Doux" or supreme general of Byzantine forces & governor in Bulgaria until he was disgusted with Michael's treaty with the Sejlks in 1077 after this massive defeat at Manzikert that led to the annexation of Anatolia alongside multiple civil wars in various parts of the empire. Bryennios attempted to take the title of emperor with the backing of most of his available troops, but Constantinople's defenses still proved impossible to breach, even to domestic rebellions. He was offered the title of "Ceasar" by Bontanites, who later obtained the title of emperor over the empire after Bryennios failed to oust Michael while besieging Constantinople. Still, he refused to submit to Nicephorus's authority, considering a former minister named Nikephoritzes under Michael VII tried to assassinate him (which was the cause of making his move on Michael's throne in late 1077), and the new emperor Nicephorus still considered him a potential threat. Later, Bryennious faced the early stardom of General Alexios I and was subsequently defeated & taken prisoner by him despite having a superior army at the battle of Kalavrye in 1078. He was blinded in both eyes by the orders of Nicephorus. However, the emperor later pitied the already-beaten Bryennios and decided to restore his rank & family's fortune. Despite being badly handicapped & retired from the army, he later successfully helped lead & defend the city of Adrianople during Alexios's Pecheneg campaign against a Cuman rebel attack in 1094/5, led by a pretender who claimed to be Constantine Diogenes, the son of Romanos IV Diogenes, who had died in 1073. Thus ensuring the longevity of Alexios's reign, the brief restoration of Byzantine land & prestige, and the empire's stability. Bryennios would finally accept the title of Caesar under Alexios (his once former foe) despite his retirement, be given many honors, and be one of Alexios's leading generals until his death around 1096. Emperor Alexios's daughter Anna would later marry Nikephoros the Younger because Nikephoros the Elder's successor greatly impressed the emperor, and Bryennios's heir would become one of the first men to gain the brand new Byzantine imperial title of Panhypersebastos - "Venerable Above All."

[@moozillamoo2109]

It was one brief, shining moment. Then Greeks went back to acting Greek.

[@Freedmoon44]

Well lasted one century of a final golden era. In 1 century most of the Carolingien were already gone from their throne aside from Western Francia, and even them wouldnt last much longer

[@maximusdecimusmeridious3784]

Seeing how successful they were working together is crazy… just for them to fracture and dissolve after

[@magimon91834]

Alexios is my favorite historical figure of all time, I'm going to name my first kid after him

[@vangelisskia214]

"The Byzantine empire was clearly, despite its multinational dimension, a Greek empire while its neighbours considered it so, and whose unity was based on the power of authority, in the dominance of Orthodoxy and the use of Greek as the official language." Sylvain Gouguenheim, "La gloire des Grecs", 2017, pp. 73

[@InHocSignoVinces5987]

It was the Roman Empire not the Greek Empire. We all know this as fact. Your propaganda is not working.

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "The Frankish court (during the 7TH CENTURY A.D.) no longer regarded the Byzantine Empire as holding valid claims of universality; instead it was now termed the 'EMPIRE OF THE GREEKS'." LATE MEROVINGIAN FRANCE 640-720 Fouracre, Paul; Gerberding, Richard A. (1996). Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, p. 345:

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "As heirs to the Greeks and Romans of old, the Byzantines thought of themselves as Rhomaioi, or Romans, though THEY KNEW FULL WELL that they were ETHNICALLY GREEKS." (see also: Savvides & Hendricks 2001).Niehoff 2012, Margalit Finkelberg, "Canonising and Decanonising Homer: Reception of the Homeric Poems in Antiquity and Modernity", p. 20 or Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum 2003, p. 482: "After the Empire lost non-Greek speaking territories IN THE 7th AND 8th CENTURIES, "Greek" (Ἕλλην), when not used to signify "pagan", became synonymous with "Roman" (Ῥωμαῖος) and "Christian" (Χριστιανός) to mean a Christian Greek citizen of the [Eastern] Roman Empire." "Roman, GREEK (if not used in its sense of 'pagan') and Christian became SYNONYMOUS terms, counter-posed to 'foreigner', 'barbarian', 'infidel'. The citizens of the Empire, now predominantly of GREEK ethnicity and language, were often called simply ό χριστώνυμος λαός 'the people who bear Christ's name'." Harrison, Thomas (2002). Greeks and Barbarians. New York: Routledge., p. 268

[@hachibidelta4237]

@@vangelisskia214 yeahh... Armenians, Bulgars, Serbs, Dalmatians etc are also Romans.

[@vangelisskia214]

@@hachibidelta4237 Now read what In the last decades of the empire’s existence (1430's), Ioannes Kanaboutzes spelled out to his Latin masters: “One is not a barbarian on account of religion, but race, language, the ordering of one’s politics, and education. For we are Christians and share the same faith and confession with many other nations, but we call them barbarians, I mean the Bulgarians, Vlachs, Albanians, Russians, and many others.” Kanaboutzes, Commentary on Dionysios of Halikarnassos 35.

[@asder2036]

Great video. Just one note for accuracy. Roussel de Ballieul tried to set up a state near Ancyra not Nicaea

[@arthurbriand2175]

We know all of this thanks to his daughter Anna Komnena, who is surprisingly not a Disney princess yet.

[@TheoKolokotronis]

Angelos, Doukas, Komnenos, Palaiologos. Only a few among the Greek Royal Houses that ruled in the Byzantine Empire.

[@TomSeliman99]

No, the only ones

[@Theodoros_Kolokotronis]

…Diogenes, Phokas, Laskaris, Vatatzes…. The millennial Greek Byzantine Empire is the longest, the most splendid and the most glorious Empire the world has ever known !

[@TomSeliman99]

@@Theodoros_Kolokotronis wasn't Greek, it was roman. But keep up the fake nationalism

[@lyalllupin8789]

Of the three notable Komnenoi Emperors, I would name Alexios Soter (Savior), John II Nicator (The victorious one), and Manuel Eupator (Noble born)

[@dansmith4077]

Brilliant video thank you

[@darinlieurance2817]

"Hey, guys, instead of unifying, let's fight each other again and again and again. It seems to be working so well."

[@nik10top]

Τhe three Komnenos family members, Alexios - Ioannis - Manuel, and the three greats of the Macedonian dynasty, Fokas - Tsimiskes - Basil the 2nd, are probably the most exciting part of human history. And always sidelined...

[@thegreycoat1612]

What’s the background music someone help me? It’s so soothing and haunting at the same time which fits Alexios’s story. One last hurrah for for the empire to get back to its former glory.

[@Killer-vi4ih]

You never disappoint

[@FieldTactics]

So excellent! Keep it coming please.

[@revolutionalist]

12:20. Not sure Alexious is “surprise” by the numerous lords of Europe?. He was ready and stockpiling food and sending out emissaries to guide the armies.

[@HannibalsHorse]

A lot of the sources suggest alexios was totally unprepared for the number of crusaders who turned up. However this could just be a matter of timeline, he was likely surprised by the large number at first, but given what we know of the man it’s likely he adapted and immediately began to adjust his plans accordingly. I could be wrong but it’s just my 2 cents. That’s what makes history so great

[@patrickthomas8101]

Think when the Byzantines took back the Coastal Anatolia they should have reformed the Military to be more professional again. Mercenaries are good in the short term and they served their purpose of regaining the land back. But as soon they have the land, they could call upon lots of people to enlist. Maybe implement the Land grants for veterans. which means more soldiers and there would few soldiers that would retire because they would have died in combat or other means if they served for like 30 years. death was pretty common then. Not going back to the Professional army might have hurt the Byzantines in the long run.

[@jeffreywong33]

thank you :)

[@randomobserver8168]

I recently made it through the translation of the Alexiad of daughter Anna Comnena. OK, so she was REALLY into filial piety and exemplified religious prejudice of a really hair-splitting kind, but she certainly conveyed the hysterical, constant grind Alexios had to maintain for decades to accomplish his goals. And he did it magnificently under conditions of constantly deteriorating health. Props.

[@bingingbinging8597]

Can’t wait for the next Hannibal episode!

[@williampaz2092]

If only Alexio’s son John II had lived and ruled for another 10 - 15 years the Komneni Restoration would have been completed.

[@geoousp]

I highly doubt his death was an accident..

[@williampaz2092]

@@geoousp I don’t think so either. I strongly suspect the Crusader States were too afraid of him.

[@নামনেই-ঞ২র]

Alexios was very cautious of the Crusaders. I guess John wasn’t as cautious as him.

[@ZarnakTheTerrible]

Thanks!

[@DeusEx1977]

Great job! Very informative

[@chadwolf5596]

Crazy history nonstop war

[@paperweight57]

LOVE Byzantine history!

[@parhi3m]

thanks for this awesome video

[@Gaz-1]

القسطنطينية قلعة حصينة ومنيعة جدا، وموقعها الجغرافي يساعدها بلا شك، أحسنت.

[@ironduke3780]

You can thank Constantine the Great and Roman perseverance for that!

[@Gaz-1]

@@ironduke3780 لا شك أن محمد الفاتح فعل ذلك :)

[@prasantabagh432]

​@@Gaz-1idiot terrorist

[@dpdystro2227]

The video’s pronunciation of Byzantine is quite an innovation!

[@aypniasanagnosma]

His daughter, Anna Komnena, became the first female historian in western culture -perhaps in the world.

[@cmdreftilon9786]

Alexiada, poli endiaferon

[@misterpikes7600]

Those maps showing the staggering loss of Anatolia is a pain i can never avoid

[@kuvikina]

Eastern Europe : Loading.....

[@cringefairy2687]

He was a hero for restoring the empire - only for his successors (with some help from the Venetians) to fuck it all up again

[@ironduke3780]

You can blame Andronikos and the rest of the Angelid dynasty for the affair

[@majorzbombasu6788]

Could anyone write a name of soundtrack in the beginning? (0:00-1:00)

[@dalesen]

Alexios campaign in video game land sounds amazing.

[@adityaanggaisback937]

Damn historymarche and BEM collab?

[@Kunumbah1]

He might be the best Byzantine emperor

[@vangelisskia214]

"With the collapse of the empire in the west, its eastern counterpart became, in reality, an entirely new and independent state, at once Greek by language and Roman in name: 'A Greek Roman empire'." Roderick Beaton, "The Greeks: a global history", New York: Basic books 2021, pp. 212

[@InHocSignoVinces5987]

Keep wishing. It was the Roman Empire and there was no independent, new state. The so called 'Byzantine' Empire is the same Empire created by Augustus Caesar. And they were saying it themselves. Michael Attateiates,"Historia", he talks about how the Eastern Roman Empire is the same Empire established by Augustus Caesar himself.

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "The Greek ideal that was revived in Byzantium surpassed the Roman ideal, which was left to the "Latins". a term that included without distinction the various peoples of western Europe who were treated as a compact set in opposition to the Greeks." "The Byzantine empire was clearly, despite its multinational dimension, a Greek empire while its neighbours considered it so, and whose unity was based on the power of authority, in the dominance of Orthodoxy and the use of Greek as the official language." Sylvain Gouguenheim, "La gloire des Grecs", 2017, pp. 72,73

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "A Christian state with Greek as the official language, the Byzantines developed their own political systems, religious practices, art and architecture, which, although significantly influenced by the Greco-Roman cultural tradition, were distinct and not merely a continuation of ancient Rome." "The discussion of dates also highlights the differences in the ethnic and cultural mix between the two halves of the Roman world and the distinctness of the medieval state from its earlier Roman heritage. The Byzantines called themselves 'Romans', their emperor was basileon ton Rhomaion or 'Emperor of the Romans' and their capital was 'New Rome'. However, the most common language was Greek, and it is fair to say that for the vast majority of its history, the Byzantine Empire WAS MUCH MORE GREEK THAN ROMAN in cultural terms." Byzantine Empire: Definition by Mark Cartwright

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "We, the descendants of the HELLENES AND of the ROMANS." Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos May 28th 1453 George Sprantzes - The Fall of the Byzantine Empire 1453 primary source from the war.

[@vangelisskia214]

@@InHocSignoVinces5987 "As heirs to the Greeks and Romans of old, the Byzantines thought of themselves as Rhomaioi, or Romans, though THEY KNEW FULL WELL that they were ETHNICALLY GREEKS." (see also: Savvides & Hendricks 2001).Niehoff 2012, Margalit Finkelberg, "Canonising and Decanonising Homer: Reception of the Homeric Poems in Antiquity and Modernity", p. 20 or Pontificium Institutum Orientalium Studiorum 2003, p. 482: "After the Empire lost non-Greek speaking territories IN THE 7th AND 8th CENTURIES, "Greek" (Ἕλλην), when not used to signify "pagan", became synonymous with "Roman" (Ῥωμαῖος) and "Christian" (Χριστιανός) to mean a Christian Greek citizen of the [Eastern] Roman Empire." "Roman, GREEK (if not used in its sense of 'pagan') and Christian became SYNONYMOUS terms, counter-posed to 'foreigner', 'barbarian', 'infidel'. The citizens of the Empire, now predominantly of GREEK ethnicity and language, were often called simply ό χριστώνυμος λαός 'the people who bear Christ's name'." Harrison, Thomas (2002). Greeks and Barbarians. New York: Routledge., p. 268

[@deananderson6896]

Thank you for the excellent video. Great detail. 😁

[@HistoryMarche]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@iseeyou5061]

0:17 While this is true. Any plan on making the video to elaborate the process? I think more people should know on how self inflicting Byzantine politic is that make Rum conquest possible. If Byzantine is well less Byzantine, Manzikert would simply be just another humilating Roman defeat instead of unmitigated disaster.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Through out its empire phase, none of them thought about making a law on succession.

[@Ragnarok__]

that would really help. France alone had only 5 dynasties in more than 1,000 years. the rest of europe follows the same pattern. the pope's help cannot be dismissed either.

[@pavelthefabulous5675]

I think Diocletian did that, but everyone else threw his ideas out for self-preservation and ambition.

[@robbabcock_]

Great video! ⚔ ⚔ ⚔

[@BuriedFlame]

11:33 _"Who the heck are you guys?"_ _"We're the army of God! We will take back Jerusalem!"_ _"Euh....okay? Jerusalem's that way. Mind smacking a few other people on the way?"_ _"Of course! We cannot lose! We are the army of---"_ *BASHCRASHSMASHMASSIVEDEATH* _"Ha ha ha....holy...anyway..."_

[@molybdaen11]

Strange holy people who have no problem in plundering other christians.

[@nipoone6109]

@@molybdaen11 What? Religious groups fight against each other all the time. What makes the Crusades different?

[@ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΟΣΤΣΙΟΤΣΙΑΣ]

The komnenian dynasty and the macedonian dynasty are two of the greatest dynasties of the eastern roman empire and would love to see more videos about them!

[@catthegreat4977]

When we Macedonians 🇲🇰 control byzantine, byzantine have 0 loses

[@Сумрачныйспектр]

Исаврийскую и Аморийскую денастии тоже не стоит списывать со считов . Без династии Льва 3 Исаара империя пала бы ещё 8 веке . Аморийская династия подготовила платздарм для возраждения римской империи при правлении Македонсеой денастии . The Isaurian and Amorite denominations should not be written off either . Without the dynasty of Leo 3 Isaar , the empire would have fallen in the 8th century . The Amorite dynasty prepared a platform for the restoration of the Roman Empire under the rule of the Macedonian dynasty .

[@rawka_7929]

@@catthegreat4977 Slavic Macedonians didn't even exist back then, they considered themselves Bulgarians, this Macedonian dynasty is a whole other thing unrelated to Slav Macedonians.

[@catthegreat4977]

@Rawka_ sclavinia byzantine is original Macedonians today remember that

[@rawka_7929]

@@catthegreat4977 tf you talking about?

[@AdmiralStickney]

The Komnenian Dynasty is my favourite among the medieval Eastern Romans. Alexios is naturally the fundamental reason why.

[@Ironpancakemoose]

Its incredible just how unstable the Roman empire was during this time. You'd think that after 1000+ years they'd figure it all out by now.

[@redboy4315]

Now, I have basic knowledge of the life of Alexios Komnenos. Thank you.

[@jorgejustice]

With the crusades going on, the greatness of Alexios is often overlooked. Great video!

[@jurgisvalancauskas4006]

Alexios WAS the reason the crusades happened at all

[@theemperorofmankind7706]

I always had a feeling if they pushed juust a bit more. Just a bit more closer to the old Anatolian borders the empire would have been secured finally since central easter Anatolia which was the last remaining part to be reclaimed was more akin to the steps thus a very ideal land for the Turks and to the far east the mountain passes. Then again all that we can do is speculate and theorise

[@小木东尼]

Yes, Asia Minor was an important source of troops for the Eastern Roman Empire. It didn't matter if the empire lost the Balkans, but without Asia Minor, it was not far from destruction. If John II hadn't died hunting unexpectedly, the empire might have achieved a true revival in the hands of the Komnenos family

[@basileus_angelos_v]

Holy damn... I really can't describe how proud i am to be a descendant of Alexios