1. Historical context

In the spring of 1182, John Komnenos Vatatzes, megas domestikos and cousin of Alexios II Komnenos (1180-1183), rebelled in Philadelphia in order to prevent the usurpation of the throne after the arrival of Andronikos Komnenos in Constantinople. Following the death of emperor Manuel I Komnenos (1180), the ascent on the throne of 12-year-old Alexios revealed the political instability already simmering in the empire and finally led to a new civil war. Andronikos, who had confronted Manuel I, his cousin and father of Alexios II, in the past, arrived in Constantinople in order to disable the regents, protosebastos Alexios and queen mother Maria, and assume the custody of the underage emperor.

The resentment of the people of Constantinople against the choice of protosebastos Alexios, a protégé of the empress, as a custodian of Alexios II, was great, mainly because he exercised a pro-latin policy. As a result, riots broke out in the city (spring of 1181). The resentment increased when the protosebastos persecuted and arrested his political opponents, spending lavishly at the same time. The hopes of the opposition, consisting mainly of members of the Komnenoi family, were entrusted to Andronikos Komnenos, known for his anti-latin beliefs. Andronikos marched with his army from Paphlagonia, a province he already commanded, towards Constantinople. In the spring of 1182, he camped in Chalcedon and, in May of the same year, his troops slaughtered the Latins of Constantinople. At the same time, a rebellion broke out in Constantinople. Protosebastos Alexios was imprisoned and blinded. Andronikos was welcomed in Constantinople, having satisfied the anti-latin feelings of the citizens.

At the same time, the Seljuk raids in Asia Minor had increased after the battle at Myriokephalon (17 September 1176) and the heavy defeat of the Byzantine army. Following the refusal of Manuel I to destroy the fortifications at Dorylaeum (one of the basic terms of his agreement with the sultan of Ikonion Kilitz Arslan II), the Seljuks advanced to the valley of Maiander and pillaged Tralles and other cities of Phrygia. Following the death of Manuel I, Kilitz Arslan conquered Sozopolis and pillaged Kotyaion. In 1182 he besieged Attaleia. During that period, the city of Philadelphia was the seat of the dux of the theme of Thrakesion and was of great importance to the struggle of the Byzantines against the Seljuks due to its fortified walls and its strategic location in the front line of the battles.

2. The rebellion of John Komnenos Vatatzes

At the beginning of 1182, Andronikos Komnenos, having abandoned Paphlagonia and already marching towards Constantinople, sent an embassy to John Komnenos Vatatzes, asking him to stand by his side in his attempt to protect young emperor Alexios II. Vatatzes rejected the proposals of Andronikos, considering him a potential usurper of the throne and able to threaten the rights of Alexios II. He did not hesitate to declare his opposition to the new status and refused to comply with the orders of Andronikos Komnenos, starting to organize his resistance in Philadelphia at the same time. Apart from the army he commanded, John Komnenos Vatatzes had the whole population of the city by his side, since he had managed to protect them against the Seljuk raids following the defeat at Myriokephalon. Moreover, he had helped the poor citizens of the city by distributing among them the spoils of his victorious battles against the Seljuks. The aristocracy of Philadelphia stood by his side, forbidding the entrance of the ambassadors of Andronikos in the city.¹ It also seems that Vatatzes had ensured his back since the dux of the theme of Mylasa and Melanoudion was by his side. Andronikos Komnenos soon decided to take action against the rebel, since Philadelphia was the core of the resistance against him in Asia Minor.² A large army was sent against Vatatzes with Andronikos Lapardas, an old general of Manuel I, as its leader.³ The battle between the rebels and the imperial troops took place at the end of the spring of 1182, while Vatatzes was seriously ill. Not being able to lead the imperial army, he appointed his sons, Manuel and Alexios, as its leaders. He asked, however, to be transferred to a nearby hill on a stretcher in order to watch the progress of the battle and intervene if needed.⁴ Vatatzes defeated the imperial troops and Andronikos Lapardas took flight. A few days later, however, the rebel succumbed to his illness and Philadelphia swore allegiance to Andronikos Komnenos, since his sons did not have their father’s status nor the ability to inspire the same sense of trust and security to the people of the city.

3. Consequences

Following the death of John Komnenos Vatatzes and the restoring of order in Philadelphia, his sons, the leaders of the victorious rebel army against Andronikos Lapardas, initially sought refuge to the sultan of Ikonion and then attempted to escape to Sicily. Their ship, however, was driven ashore to Crete and a member of the Varangian guards who happened to be on the island recognized them and handed them to the local governor. The latter, although he wished to help them, did not have any other choice but to blind them, following an order by Andronikos Komnenos.

The rebellion of Vatatzes ended in a civil war between Byzantine armies in Asia Minor. The cities of Asia Minor which had stood by the rebel’s side had to face, apart from the pillage of the Seljuks in the country, the imperial troops sent against them. Moreover, the defence of the region was weakened once again, since a large part of the imperial army was removed from the borders in order to participate in the civil war. The turmoil following the rebellion of John Komnenos Vatatzes led to the paralysis of the defensive system of Asia Minor, since Philadelphia, which was the core of the resistance, constituted during that period one of the most important cities to the defence of the eastern border of the empire.