Romanus IV Diogenes (AD 1068-1071), with Eudocia, Michael VII, Constantius and Andronicus. AV histamenon nomisma scyphate (28mm, 4.40 gm, 6h). NGC MS 5/5 - 5/5. Constantinople. +PwMAN'-ЄVΔOKIA, Christ standing facing on footstool, wearing nimbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, crowning Romanus IV (on left) and Eudocia (on right), both standing facing, wearing saccos and loros, globus cruciger in inner hand; IC-XC (barred) on either side of Christ's head; double border / KwN-MX-ANΔ, Michael VII (in center), Constantius (on left) and Andronicus (on right) all beardless and standing facing on circular footstools, Michael wearing crown, saccos and loros, labarum in right hand, akakia in left; his two brothers each wearing same costume, globus cruciger in outer hand, akakia in inner hand; double border. Sear 1859. Ex Andre Constantine Dimitriadis Collection (Heritage Auctions, 3035 Long Beach, 3 September 2014), lot 29682 with original photo-certificate; Stack's (New York, December 1991), lot 101 A distinguis general from Cappadocia, Romanus IV was backed by the military caste against the aristocratic civilian faction that had driven the Empire close to ruin. In January AD 1068 he compelled the Empress Eudocia, widow of Constantine X, to marry him and thus secured the throne. From the beginning he saw his main task as reversing the advance of the Seljuq Turks, who were raiding Asia Minor at will. Over several years, he rebuilt the depleted Byzantine field army with mercenaries and raw recruits. In AD 1071 he led 40,000 men on a grand campaign into eastern Anatolia, where, almost by accident, he encountered a smaller force led by the brilliant Seljuq Sultan Arp Aslan. In the resulting battle of Manzikert, the polyglot Byzantine army disintegrated and the Seljuqs captured Romanus on the field. Arp Aslan treated him with civility and released him, but the aristocratic faction at Constantinople deposed and brutally blinded him, leading to his death a few months later.

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