Romanos IV Diogenes

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Romanos IV Diogenes
Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans
Romanos IV as he appears in the Mutinensis gr. 122
Byzantine emperor
Reign	1 January 1068 – 1 October 1071
Predecessor	Constantine X Eudokia (regent)
Successor	Michael VII
Co-emperors	See list Michael VII Doukas Konstantios Doukas Andronikos Doukas Leo Diogenes Nikephoros Diogenes
Born	c. 1030 Cappadocia
Died	1072 (aged 42) Prote
Spouse	Anne Alusiane of Bulgaria Eudokia Makrembolitissa
Issue	By Anne: Constantine Diogenes By Eudocia: Nikephoros Diogenes Leo Diogenes
House	Diogenes
Father	Constantine Diogenes
Mother	Argyrosa

Romanos IV Diogenes (Greek: Ῥωμανός Διογένης, romanized: Rōmanos Diogenēs; c. 1030 – c. 1072) was Byzantine emperor from 1068 to 1071. Determined to halt the decline of the Byzantine military and to stop Turkish incursions into the empire, he is nevertheless best known for his defeat and capture in 1071 at the Battle of Manzikert, which played a major role in undermining Byzantine authority in Anatolia and allowed for its gradual Turkification.

Son of the general Constantine Diogenes and a prominent member of the Cappadocian Greek military aristocracy, Romanos rose to fame as a successful Akritai commander, serving in Syria and on the Danubian frontier. In 1068, he was crowned Byzantine emperor following his marriage to the dowager empress Eudokia Makrembolitissa. Early in his reign, Romanos campaigned with limited success against the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia and Syria. Domestically, his rule was marked by a series of unpopular policies as well as clashes with the rival Doukas family. In 1071, Romanos undertook another major campaign against the Seljuks. His Byzantine army, beset by years of neglect and poor tactics, was decisively defeated by the forces of Alp Arslan at Manzikert. Romanos himself was taken prisoner.

Taking advantage of his capture, members of the Doukas family declared Romanos deposed and proclaimed Michael VII Doukas as emperor in a palace coup. When released, he was ultimately defeated by the Doukai in Cilicia and forced to surrender. Despite receiving a promise that he would be spared, Romanos was blinded and exiled to a monastery on Prote in the Sea of Marmara, where he died of his wounds in 1072.