Major historical events of our period

• 913 Accession of Kônstantinos VII Porphyrogennêtos, author of the Book of Ceremonies, to the Golden Throne.
• 959 Accession of Rômanos II.
• c.960 Drafting of the Composition on Warfare (often called Praecepta Militaria) by General (later Emperor) Nikêphoros Phôkas.
• 963 Accession of Nikêphoros II Phôkas.
• 969 Accession of Iôannês (John) I Tzimiskês.
• 976 Accession of Vasileios (Basil) II.
• 1004 Vasileios II reincorporates the Kingdom of (Greater) Armenia into the Roman Empire.
• c.1015 Commencement of Norman mercenary activity in southern Italy, leading after several decades to the loss of the Italian terrritories still controlled by the Roman Empire.
• 1025 Accession of Kônstantinos VIII
• 1028 Accession of Rômanos III Argyros.
• 1034 Accession of Mikhailos IV Paphlagonos
• 1041 Accession of Mikhailos V Kalaphatês.
• 1042 Joint reign of Zôê and Theodôra
• 1042 Accession of Kônstantinos IX Monomachos
• 1055-6 Second reign of Theodôra
• 1056 Mikhailos VI Stratiotikos
• 1057 Isaakios I Komnênos
• 1059 Accession of Kônstantinos X Doukas
• 1067–9 Numerous Saxons fleeing the Norman Conquest of England settle in the empire. Warriors join the Varangians, one of the imperial bodyguard units. Farming families are settled on vacant imperial lands on the Black Sea coast.
• 1068 Accession of Rômanos IV Diogenês. The Normans crush an Anglo-Scandinavian rebellion in England (the “Harrowing of the North”) occasioning another wave of emigration.
• 1071 Turkish Seljuk incursion into Anatolia culminates in the great defeat at Manzikert. Rômanos IV Diogenês is captured and subsequently killed.
• 1071 Accession of Mikhailos VII Doukas. Mikhailos marries a princess from Georgia who became known as “Maria of Alania”. Maria became a dominant force in the court and went on to marry Mikhailos VII's successor –
• 1078 Accession of Nikêphoros III Botaneiatês
• 1079–81 Nikêphoros III Botaneiatês proves to be a weak leader. This period was a time of rebellion and further Norman expansion in the Balkans.
• 1081 Accession of Alexios I Komnênos. Battle of Dyrrakhion when Norman forces defeat the Romans and all but destroy the Varangians.
• 1098 The armies of the First Crusade arrive in Rômania. Authorities are surprised by their numbers (or perhaps even their very arrival) and hasten them across into Asia Minor. Crusaders agree to return any Anatolian conquests and Antiokheia (modern Antioch) to Roman rule.
• 1098 The First Crusaders capture Antiokheia but renege on their promise to yield it to the empire.
• 1118 Death of Alexios I Komnênos, accession of Iôannês II Komnênos.
• c.1120 Anna Komnênê writes of the “ancestral loyalty” of Anglo-Saxons joining the Varangians in the late eleventh century.
• 1137 Iôannês II commences a campaign to reunite Kilikia (Lesser Armenia) with the empire.
• 1143 Accession of Manuelos I Komnênos. Manuelos, continuing Iôannês' goals, immediately embarks on a series of ambitious military campaigns designed to roll back Seljuk gains in Anatolia, and re-inforce Roman influence with the Crusader States.
• 1145 Manuelos captures Prince Levon I and reincorporates Kilikia into Rômania.
• 1159 First recorded tournament in the Levant. Emperor Manuelos and courtiers compete against Prince Bohemond and his retainers at Antiokheia to celebrate Bohemond's submission to Roman hegemony.
• 1173 To'ros II again splits Kilikia off from the Roman Empire.
• 1173 Princess Agnes “of France” arrives in Kônstatinopolis to marry Kaisar Alexios Komnênos. The event is celebrated in a lavish illuminated manuscript.
• 1176 Manuelos writes a letter of condolence to King Henry II of England regarding the deaths of “many valiant Englishmen” in the Battle of Myriokephalon. (Off site link)
• 1180 Accession of Alexios II Komnênos.
• 1183 Accession of Andronikos I Komnênos.
• 1185 Accession of Isaakios II Angelos.
• 1195 Accession of Alexios III Angelos.
• 1203 Restoration of Alexios III Angelos.
• 1204 Fourth Crusade sack of Kônstantinopolis.