Hello everyone and welcome to the history of Byzantium, Episode 243, the Battle of Miriocaephalon.

Back in Episode 236, I covered the last interaction between the Romans and the Turks of Anatolia.

It was the summer of 1160 and Manoil executed a fine pincer movement against the Sultan of

Iconium. The emperor led troops onto the plateau from Byzantine territory,

while a combined force of Latins and Armenians invaded from Silicia.

Surrounded and in serious danger, the Sultan, Kilijaslán II, sued for peace.

Comni Nás was only too pleased to grant it, welcoming the Sultan to Constantinople for a royal visit.

Peace between the two sides would hold for 15 years. You may also recall that the title I gave to

Episode 236 was Why Make Peace? My contention was that Comni Nás should have continued to make life

uncomfortable for the Turks. With the Balkans and Italy finally quiet, now was the time to begin

gaining ground in Anatolia. A Manoil felt differently. He would spend the next 15 years concerned

with matters elsewhere and seemed satisfied with the treaty he'd signed with the Sultan.

One of the terms of this deal stated that should the Seljuks of Iconium capture certain cities

from the Danishmen's, then they would return them to Byzantium. As you may recall,

the Turks of Iconium dominated the southern part of the plateau, the Danishmen's, the northeast.

The Danishmen's appeared to be ailing by 1160 and both the emperor and Sultan

anticipated a collapse in their authority. The collapse duly began with the death of their leader

Yaki Basan in 1164. Kilijas lent sent his forces north and began to probe for weakness.

The Danishmen's hung on for a few more years, but in 1169 while the Byzantines were

often Egypt, the Sultan made his breakthrough. Driving eastwards he captured the great city of

Césaria and its surrounding fortresses. At this point the Danishmen no longer had one leader.

Each of their cities was looking out for its own interests and the only thing saving them from

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