Andronikos Komnenos

Andronikos Komnenos (; 18 September 1091 – 1130/31) was a Byzantine prince and military commander. The second-born son of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, he was named sebastokrator and participated in the Battle of Philomelion against the Seljuk Turks. He opposed the succession of his older brother John II Komnenos to the throne in 1118, but was allowed to remain at court, and served in at least two of John II's campaigns in the Balkans. He died of an illness in 1130/31. His wife and offspring are relatively obscure, and may have died early. Life Andronikos Komnenos was the fourth child and second son of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Empress Irene Doukaina, and was named after his maternal grandfather. As his parents were reigning at the time of his birth, he was accorded the appellation porphyrogennetos. The commonly accepted date of his birth is that given by the Codex Mosquensis 53/147 manuscript, 18 September 1091, but according to Skoulatos, the narrative of the Alexiad, written by his oldest sister Anna Komnene, seems to indicate that in 1116 he was still an adolescent, which would put his birth around the year 1099/1100. Following the death of his uncle Isaac Komnenos sometime in 110204, he succeeded him to the high title of sebastokrator. According to Zonaras, this followed his marriage, which occurred after he came of age. In 1116, Andronikos commanded the left wing of his father's army at the Battle of Philomelion against the Seljuk Turks. During the battle he led a daring pursuit of the Turks, capturing the tent of the Sultan of Iconium, Malikshah. In the Alexiad this feat is accompanied with Andronikos' epitaph, which has led several scholars to erroneously claim that he was killed during the battle. When Alexios lay dying in August 1118, due to his close relationship with his sister, Andronikos sided with Anna and his mother, who schemed to place Anna's husband, Nikephoros Bryennios the Younger, on the throne, rather than his older brother, John II Komnenos. Nevertheless, John pardoned him and allowed him to remain at court. In 1122, he again led troops in his brother's campaign against the Pechenegs. According to a monody by Michael Italikos, he was crucial in turning the tide of the battle and securing a victory for the Byzantines, by rallying the retreating troops, and even threatening the army's standard-bearer with immediate execution if he did not stand his ground.