When Manuel Komnenos died he left an 11 year old son as his heir. The Regency Council set up to protect him fails. Manuel’s cousin Andronikos seizes the throne instead and begins a reign of terror.
Period: 1180-83
Pic: Andronikos I Komnenos. Miniature portrait from a 15th-century codex containing a copy of the Extracts of the History by Joannes Zonaras
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The History of Byzantium 
Andronikos is a sigma male
Robin,
I am very excited to see that the narrative has resumed. Sometimes, after you return from hiatus and I begin to listen again, I am reminded at what a wonderful storyteller you are.
For quite some time–since Episode 205!–I have had plans to re-listen to the narrative, starting just after Basil II (Episode 179), which I have now begun to do. Doing this has reminded me of how my world has changed since I first began to list to the History of Byzantium podcast, sometime around 2016 or 2017. At that time, I had just completed the History of Rome podcast (the only podcast I had listened to). So, when I began to listen to the History of Byzantium podcast, it was the only podcast in my queue. Fast forward (or “slow forward”) to December 2022, and I am now listening to almost 40 history podcasts. Although I have been a fan of history since age ten (56 years ago!) and have read extensively, most of that effort was on American history, with lesser amounts of British history, and a smattering of other topics. With the help of podcasts such as the History of Byzantium, my handle on the world during the last 5,000 years has expanded immensely. From Indonesia to the Inca, from the Ashanti Empire of Ghana to the Kievan Rus, from Sargon the Great to the Qin Dynasty to the origins of the Vietnam War, and lots of things in between.
Robin, if you ever feel unappreciated by some of your listeners, please don’t! You and your fellow history podcasters have done a fabulous service to people around the world. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If I had any influence at Buckingham Palace, I would urge new King Charles to add you to the Honors List (did I say that correctly? Sorry, but I just can’t get myself to spell “honors” as “honours”).
Keep up the great work,
Spencer
You’re very kind, thank you
Behaviour we would have expected from a Norman maybe, but shocking in a Greek.
This episode and those following have done little to dissuade my opinion that if one could lay the blame for the fall of the Empire–in 1204 AND 1453–on the shoulders of one person over its 1000-year history, it would be Andronikos Komnenos. Manuel wasn’t perfect but he left a strong, stable Empire, and Andronikos in just four years single-handedly turned it into a weakened, divided state even before the Crusaders arrived in 1203, Crusaders who undoubtedly remembered the Massacre of the Latins also orchestrated by this Supervillain.
Love your podcast Robin!!