Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, episode 185, winning the election.

Last time we began act 2 of our century of narrative. We introduced the people pleasing

Emperor Constantine IX, who was immediately faced by a rebellion from his own troops and

an invasion by a fleet of Rus ships. Events are starting to move very quickly, so let's

just reorient ourselves for a moment. Ah, deep breath. Let's head back to Easter 1042.

Michael V is on the throne and it looks like this new path-legonian dynasty is going

to rule the empire while Zoe grows old in the shadows. A week later, Michael is overthrown

by the crowds after trying to hasten Zoe's exit from the stage and three months after

that, Constantine Monomachos takes over the vacated throne.

Our last episode covered the next year 1043. The rebel general George Maniakis landed

at Deirachium in February and was killed the following month in battle with imperial forces.

Then were derived that the Rus were on their way and the army and fleet had to be ready

by June for what was a very bloody confrontation in the Black Sea.

This episode will cover the next four years of military affairs with activity in east

and west. Then next episode we will look at domestic matters.

We begin in Armenia where developments have been taking place off-screen.

Back in episode 157, you may remember various Armenian leaders lining up in the headmaster's

office and handing their kingdoms over to battle the second. The Romans were pushing

their boundaries forward and many of the leading men of Armenia exchanged their independence

for lands and titles in Byzantium. One of those men was Sumbat III, nominal king of Armenia

and ruler of the largest city in the mountains Annie. Annie had become the home of the kings

of Armenia in 961 and the head of the Armenian church had moved there 30 years after that.

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